Key kinds of visas and some formalities

VLS-T: Visa de long-séjour temporaire

This is for a “temporary long-stay” and is usually issued for four to six months and occasionally for up to one year. It is not renewable, but you should be able to stay in France for a further period under the ordinary 90/180 days rule once it has run out (though bear in mind tax residency – see earlier article on this topic).

There have been questions raised over this, with some people reportedly having been told by visa-processing staff that it was not allowed. However, the French police nationale, which includes the border police whose job it is to check travellers’ paperwork, confirmed it is possible.

The police also stated that it is not a problem to enter France under the 90/180 days rule before a visa starts. For both scenarios, it is best to keep evidence to clarify your stay (travel tickets, for instance).

A European Commission source also confirmed that, from the point of view of EU/Schengen area rules, any time on a visa is totally separate from calculations for time under the 90-day rule.

The VLS-T would be required, for example, for a second-home owner who wants to come to France for a six-month stay. It can also be used for studying for up to six months and for certain kinds of work such as artistic activities.

No extra formalities are needed in France once the visa holder has arrived.

Visitors cannot apply for another visa of the same type immediately. Six months (180 days) must pass between the end date of the first visa and the intended start date of a new one. There is currently no shortcut process, and the full application must be completed again each time.

VLS-TS: Visa de long-séjour valant titre de séjour

This gives a residency right for up to one year (sometimes less, depending on the nature of the trip). It must be “validated” online in France within the first three months after arrival.

After validation, it is considered equivalent to a residency card.

To stay longer, the person must apply online for a physical residency card between four and two months before the VLS-TS expires.

This is the most common type of visa for Connexion readers moving to France and is used, for example, for:

• Students (visa étudiant) coming for courses at French universities and other higher education institutes.

• Employed workers with a work offer from a French firm for a permanent (CDI) job (visa salarié) or fixed-duration (CDD) job (visa travailleur temporaire). The latter could include people coming on contracts of three to 12 months, such as where a foreign company posts employees to provide services at a client company’s site in France. There is another status for workers sent over to a French subsidiary of a UK firm for less than a year, with their families if relevant, called salarié ICT (intracorporate transfer). Visas are also available to stagiaires (people doing work placements).

• Certain skilled workers, and their families if relevant, coming for less than 12 months and eligible for the talent visa. This includes wealthy investors, ‘highly qualified’ people in certain sought-after sectors, people working for ‘innovative’ companies, researchers, those starting companies, and high-profile scientists, artists, writers, and sportspeople.

• Self-employed workers in certain cases, coming for work in trade or in sales, etc. (visa entrepreneur / profession libérale).

• Family visa – Vie privée et familiale visa for spouses of French people. In the application, you click ‘family or private settlement’.

• Retirees / early-retirees coming to live in France and who will not be working. For this group, the visa is, confusingly, called a ‘visitor’ (visiteur) visa, a catch-all for those without another motive for coming, such as work or family links, etc.

Other Types of Visas

Some visas require holders to apply for a residency card shortly after arriving in France instead of simply validating their visa. This is now uncommon.

This mainly applies to talent visa holders staying more than 12 months. They must apply online for a residency card.

A sub-category is the carte bleue européenne (EU Blue Card), which allows easier job movement within the EU.

Immediate family members of holders of these visas can accompany them. Spouses usually receive work rights.

People Who Do Not Need a Visa

The following non-EU foreigners do not need a visa and only need to apply for a card once in France:

• Spouses/partners, children under 21, dependent parents of EU – but not French – citizens, accompanying them to or joining them in France.

• Close family members of British people living in France with a ‘Withdrawal Agreement’ residency card, unless of a nationality that usually requires a visa for a short-stay in France – if so, they need a visa d’entrée. This is free of charge.

Family Members

Accompanying spouses, partners and dependent children of non-EU citizens coming to France also need visas.

If they are not coming under a specific category in their own right, and subject to the points in the section above, there is evidence that the family has sufficient means, it is normally possible to bring minor children and spouses with you when moving to France.

However, they will usually only obtain a ‘visitor’ visa and will not be able to work unless they later obtain another status.

See more about this on see chapter 7.

One exception is the family of talent visa holders, who can obtain a special visa.

When applying they click ‘family or private settlement’ to find this option.