When it comes to applying for a French visa, it can be a stressful time. And unless you’re a citizen of an EU country – you will need a visa to stay longer than 90 days out of 180, or to live in France on a permanent or long time basis. We’ve received several emails from people who apply for a visa and are told no (and you don’t get told why). And more emails from people asking for help. They’re unsure which of the many types of visa to apply for. Not sure they have the right paperwork, insurance etc. And we get it, it can be very confusing, and very nerve-racking while you wait for an answer.

We asked the experts at French Connections HCB (FCHCB) what people can do to help themselves when they apply for a French visa. Over the past three years, FCHCB have successfully applied for more than 1200 French resident permits (carte de séjour) for English-speaking clients from all over the world. They advise that to help with successful application, it helps to show that you are going above and beyond to embrace the French life. Here are their top tips:

Applying for a Visa for a permanent move to France

First, we always say that you should try to put yourself in the shoes of the local Prefectures whose job it is to deliver residency permits. Getting a visa isn’t just a tick box thing. The local administrators are inundated with applications from citizens of America, Great Britain, Australia and Canada and other countries around the world. So help them – and you help yourself. That’s why we created our Moving To France package. It’s based on our experience and knowledge (being French ourselves) of how the system works.

When it comes to a residency application – there are three basic requirements when it comes to French admin.

1. They are looking for reassurance that you have sufficient funds to cover yourself. In real terms, this amounts to a minimum income of 1384 euros per month, per person, after tax. That is based on the SMIC (Salaire Minimum de Croissance) – the minimum wage in France (2023).

2. They need proof that you have somewhere safe to live – whether it’s a permanent home or rental. If you’re in the process of buying, an ‘acte de vente‘ – a document that shows you are in the process of buying will be accepted. And if you’re renting, a French rental contract is required.

Insurance is critical

3. Evidence of private medical insurance. If you’re British and in receipt of a state pension, you can come to France with an S1 form and that will enable you to apply without private medical insurance. But you should consider if that’s the best move. An S1 effectively signs you out of the NHS and there is no easy way back. If you’re in any way not 100% certain that you wish to remain in France, it’s good to keep the NHS option open at least while you ‘test drive’ your new home. If you don’t have the correct private medical insurance – you’re pretty much guaranteeing a fail in your visa application.

So, back to that point where we said help the local prefecture by making their job easier. Consider what might make you stand out. Provide more than you need for your application to be accepted. In our Moving To France package we define 9 different stages along your journey to becoming French. Each one of them is designed to reassure the administration that you are going above and beyond in your intent to become a French citizen.

The stages of applying for a visa

When it comes to applying for a French long term visa, these are some of the most important stages and how we take away some of the pain and make your start of a new life in France less of a worry:

1. Your long stay visitor visa. FCHCB can help you gather the required documents (proof of address, photos, etc) and check their validity. We can submit the application on your behalf, book an appointment for you at the visa centre and follow up with the authorities. And we’ll monitor and ‘hand hold’ until your visa is successfully delivered.

2. Visa validation. Once you arrive in France, it is mandatory to validate your visa to make it official. We will complete this procedure for you, including processing the visa validation fee payable to the French authorities.

Healthcare and tax

3. Carte Vitale. This is what gives you access to the state healthcare system. You can’t apply for it until you have been in France for at least three months – hence the need for private medical insurance (point 3 above). We will take care of all the arrangements and create your online healthcare account.

4. Tax code creation. We’ll get you set up in the system, help you gather the correct documents, check their validity and submit your application online. If for any reason you aren’t eligible for a tax code, we will refund this part of the quote.

5.  Tax return. Proving your income by submitting your first French tax declaration goes a long way in helping you to secure a visa renewal. We partner with one of the most trusted accountancy firms in France to make sure it is done quickly, affordably and efficiently.

Cars

6. Driving licence exchange application. Once you arrive in France, you have 12 months to exchange your driving licence for a French one. We will help you assemble valid documentation, recommend a translator (it’s part of the application that your documents are translated into French) and submit the application for a French licence. The process takes a long time to complete as long as 18 months is not unusual though you are permitted to drive once you submit the application. We will monitor its progress and keep you informed.

We can also help you buy a vehicle in France. It can be really challenging to do this in a different language so we offer a service to help you search and negotiate. We work with a network of trusted agents right across France. Plus we have partnerships with all the main car manufacturers, so we can guarantee to get you the best deal on your new car. We can even organise to have it delivered to you. And we can help you with insurance through our trusted partner Fab French Insurance, for a highly competitive quote.

If you prefer to bring your own car to France, we also offer an import and vehicle registration service.

Residency

7. Residency application or renewal of carte de séjour (the residency permit). We assist you in preparing all the relevant documents, check their validity and submit your application. We’ll also provide over-the-phone translation assistance if you are required to deposit your file in person at the prefecture. And we can prep you for your obligatory face-to-face appointment.

First Six months in France help

Once you move to France, you might decide you’d like a bit more help. Things like admin tasks, letters to your bank, making appointments on your behalf, over the phone translation assistance, writing letters in French for you etc. We offer a 6-month VIP package which means you can contact us to help with all your moving to France tasks.

Of course, everybody’s circumstances are different. If you would like to talk to us about what’s best for you, you can book a 30 minute initial online consultation with us here.  The consultation costs 90 euros but this is deducted from the first service that you book with us.

Find out more about French Connections HCB and the packages they offer here: frenchconnectionshcb.com

The post Top tips for applying for a visa for France appeared first on The Good Life France.

If you’re not a citizen of a country in the EU and you want to go to France for more than 90 days out of 180 – you may need a visa. That goes for both the UK, Australia and the US. We asked the experts at French Connections HCB to explain how the process works when you apply for a Visa to stay in France.

US and UK Visa applications for France

What’s the difference between French visa applications for UK and US citizens? In the days when the UK was still part of Europe, it was much easier to be British than American when it came to living and working in France. Since Brexit, the processes for UK and US citizens are pretty much the same and any differences are usually to do with the documentation that’s required.

Let’s have a closer look.

As with any visit to France, it all depends on how long you want to stay. For short visits, the process is the same for both US and UK citizens now that both countries fall under the 90/180 day rule which states that you can arrive in France without a visa and stay for exactly 90 days out of 180 before the law requires you to leave. This regulation is enforced by a passport stamp on entry and departure, so there is no getting around it!

The 90 day rule

People are often confused about when the 90/180 day period starts and ends. There is a useful online calculator on the French government website that can help you work it out accurately. In effect, you need to count backwards when you are planning your next trip to see how many days you have spent in France and the Schengen area in the past 180 days.

We are often asked if a side trip to another Schengen country can prolong the 90 day period. The answer is no, the rule applies to all Schengen countries. (However, there are some countries that are part of Europe but not part of Schengen, and they are subject to different rules.)

Temporary long stay visa

If you want to stay longer than 90 days in France without being obliged to leave, you should consider a temporary long stay French visa (VLS-T) which is valid for 4-6 months. It is designed for foreign nationals who want to come to France without working, or to participate in a short educational program.

The list of documents you are expected to provide is the same for both US and UK visitors. It includes proof that you can support yourself financially during your stay in France, a commitment not to work, proof that you have somewhere to stay and the appropriate medical cover.

The good news is that the VLS-T is relatively easy to acquire. You can apply for it up to three months before the date you intend to travel, and your visa only becomes valid on that date, even if it is ready much earlier. That allows you to plan accurately for your departure.

There’s an important difference between UK and US applications regarding health insurance. If you are a UK citizen and only wishing to stay in France for six months, you don’t need to show proof of health insurance. Your current GHIC is enough. However, US citizens need proof of health insurance for the duration of the visa.

The VLS-T visa allows you to come and go as you please as long as you are heading home by the end of your designated six-month period. The downside is that if you decide at the end of the validity of your visa that you would like to stay in France, you are not allowed to. Instead, you have to head back home. After six months, you will be entitled to apply for another short or long stay visa.

Long-stay visitor Visa

That brings us to the long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS). This option allows you to stay in France for twelve months and, if you wish to stay permanently, you can apply for residency two months before the visa ends without having to leave France. The VLS-TS for US and UK applicants shares many procedural similarities in terms of documentation, but the companies holding the visa appointment are different:  VFS Global in the US and TLS Visa Centre in the UK.

How long does it take to get a visa?

In summary, the biggest difference between applying for any French visa as a UK or US citizen really gets down to the time frame. The US is usually much faster than the UK in processing French visa applications. For example, as a US citizen you would expect to get your passport back within approximately 2 weeks. In fact, the American visa centre no longer asks whether you would prefer to pick up your passport or have it sent to you. Once they receive your passport back from the French consulate, they simply send it by Fedex and it arrives within a day.

In the UK, it takes an average of 15-20 working days for your passport to be returned. If you don’t opt to pick it up yourself, it is sent by Royal Mail and will usually take three days to arrive. We always advise our UK clients to go and pick it up to avoid further delay.

When it comes to using the visa centre website, the US wins again. Theirs is easier to use, more intuitive, clearer and faster. That’s good news for Australians, too, as Australia uses the same global system as the US.

ID Photos

Apart from that, the differences between US and UK applications are minimal and occasionally comical, such as the rules concerning ID photos. In the US ID photo you can smile but you have to show your ears. In the UK, you are not allowed to smile but they don’t care if they can’t see your ears. Yes, it gets down to that level of detail!

No matter how efficient the visa application system is, the process can be stressful and it’s the little details that can trip you up. Like the fact that every visa application begins with needing an address in France, making sure you have the correct documents, booking a face-to-face appointment online… the list goes on.

It’s worth checking carefully

Many people turn to social media groups to find the answers if they get stuck filling in their online forms, or don’t know which visa to ask for. But there’s a problem. Ordinary people on social media are not experts and everybody’s circumstances and experiences are different, so what might have been right for one person is not necessarily the correct solution for you. Added to that, rules are constantly changing and being updated, depending on where in France you want to live. France is a surprisingly big country and is broken down into 101 administrative ‘departments’ or regions. Within those regions are cities, and within those cities are individual prefectures which are ultimately responsible for the regulations in their community.

Our advice is always to use the official French government website france-visas.gouv.fr if you are making your own application. At least the information you find there will be current and correct, if sometimes confusing.

Help is at hand

If time is against you or you find the regulations difficult to understand, French Connections HCB can help to make the process as smooth as possible. Their friendly team of bilingual admin experts  have helped thousands of English-speakers move to France. They have strong connections to the French authorities and are aware of any change in the regulations.  They make sure you apply for the visa that is best suited to you, then verify every application to make sure it is correct before submitting it on your behalf. Plus they follow its progress and provide you with regular updates. Of course, every visa application is evaluated and judged by the French Embassy or Consulate in the same manner, whether you submit it yourself or they submit it for you.

The post Comprehensive guide to French Visa applications appeared first on The Good Life France.