Rules for visas for long and short stays

Showing healthcare cover is a requirement when non-EU citizens apply for a visa to stay for more than three months. Exact requirements may differ depending on the person’s country of origin and whether they are coming for a ‘temporary’ long-term stay – generally for six months at the most – or moving to France.

Visas are not needed by Britons, Americans and some other countries’ citizens coming for trips not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period. This is generally the case for non-European foreigners from more developed democracies such as Australia, Canada etc. 

People coming from some other countries need visas even for short trips. Note, however, that foreign visitors entering France for purposes other than tourism and leisure (especially if coming for work) may also be required to have a visa for short trips.

What happens for short stays? 

Most visitors from non-EU countries other than the UK require travel health insurance policies. The Connexion is not aware of any reciprocal social security deals with non-EU countries other than the UK that replicate the extent of care provided by the Ehic / Ghic traveller’s health card available to EU and UK citizens. 

UK visitors to France on short stays – ie. 90 days or less in any 180-day period – do not need a visa and may rely on a Ehic or Ghic health card to fulfil the medical coverage requirement. The UK government does, however, still recommend complementary travel health insurance.

When is a visa required? 

Non-EU citizens of nationalities that do not require short-term visitor visas, do need a visa if they wish to stay longer than the permitted 90 days or, in most cases, if they plan to work in France, for however long. When applying they must explain their reason for wanting to come to France.

Short-term internships, paid fellowships etc. also require visas, even if they last for less than 90 days. There are several types of visa and consular officials may use discretion in determining which visa you will be granted depending on your stated purpose and supporting documents.

A visa grants you the right of entry into France. Some visas are equivalent to a residency permit for the first year and, in such a case, they need to be validated online within the first three months. 

Most non-EU citizens staying long-term in France eventually need a residency permit. These are issued by local French prefectures whereas visas can only be delivered by the French consular offices in your country of origin. 

One exception would be if you obtain a one-year visa equivalent to a residency permit and then leave France. Another would be if you apply only for a ‘temporary long-stay visa’, usually granted for four to six months, which may be of interest to non-EU second-home owners wanting to spend longer than a three-month stretch in France but without wanting to move over permanently.

How to apply for a visa 

If applying for a visa, you need to send in your application in advance, but no earlier than three months prior to departure. You cannot apply for a visa if you are already in France. You need to make the application in the country you are coming from. 

The consular services in the UK advise allowing at least 20 working days. Note that having a visa exempts you from the rule of 90 in 180 days for the entire duration of your visa, which will be marked in your passport. 

In other words, your stay under a visa will not be calculated in the 90/180 tally. For more information on the 90/180 rule see later articles in this chapter. 

People staying on a visa and wishing to make their stay permanent must apply for a residency permit with their local French prefecture. 

These are renewable, in some cases on an annual basis. After five years in France it becomes possible to apply for a renewable 10-year permit, on certain conditions, including income of around the French minimum wage (€1,426/month as of November 2024) if you are not in employment and, in some cases, language skills.

What are rules for long-stay visa-holders? 

Early-retirees applying for a visa to move to France need to take out comprehensive travel health insurance for at least the duration of the visa (usually one year). These can be costly and certain pre-existing conditions may be excluded. Some policies can be cancelled, though, after a few months if no longer needed. 

French government sources said private health insurance is not essential for Britons moving over to start a job in France or British retirees with S1 forms. Allison Lounes of Your Franceformation, who helps Americans and others move to France, confirmed that this also applies to Americans coming on an employee visa. Having said this, some do still take out a private policy to tide themselves over while registering with the French system.

There was previously a question mark over how UK applicants with S1 entitlement may prove this entitlement when applying for their visas, as usually the S1 was sent out to France and was not available to them before they have moved. What is more, it was only possible to apply for the S1 four weeks at the most before moving to France. The Connexion flagged this up to the French and UK authorities. The form can now be applied for 90 days before, and people may request it be sent to their UK address. 

The UK’s health ministry said that S1 holders should use the Provisional Replacement Certificate service (PRC) if they need healthcare in France in the first months before their S1s have been registered, should they need healthcare. You can request a PRC by calling 0044 (0)191 218 1999. This can be sent directly to you or to a health establishment where you are being treated, by email, a spokeswoman said.

A PRC is a temporary version of an Ehic/Ghic, giving the same rights, and lasts for the duration of the treatment or four weeks, whichever is shorter. If the treatment is longer, the person needs to apply for another PRC if appropriate. A PRC can only be applied for at the point of treatment and not in advance, a spokeswoman said.

Britons moving to France for a stay of up to six months on a temporary long-stay visa can use their Ehic/Ghic card. People who move to live in France on long-term visas can apply for French healthcare on arrival if they are working or are Britons holding an S1. Most other people moving over, such as early retirees, are asked to show three months of stable residency (with utility bills, for instance) so as to apply to join the French system.