Visa de Long Séjour

This source “French Long Stay Visa Application” by Laura K. Lawless addressed how to apply and receive a visa de long séjour, or Long stay visa. The requirements for a person who desires to live in France for a year but not working are:

• A passport with three copies
• All the long stay visa application forms
• Five pictures (one for each application and one extra)
• Financial guarantee (since you will not be working they need to verify that you will have enough money to live on), this can include a bank reference letter, an account statement or proof of income from an employer.
• Medical insurance that will be valid in France
• Police guarantee, proving your record is clean
• Signed letter assuring that you won’t be paid for anything in France
• You must pay the 99 euros visa fee.

She encouraged you to figure out where you want to go first and allot two weeks to gather all the necessary paperwork, but it could take longer. The entire application process can take around two months and once you receive the visa you have a year to depart for France. Next, you should go to the police station to get your police guarantee because it will take a few weeks, then apply for the medical insurance and gather the financial guarantee documents. Photocopy everything because you will need all of the documents again. You then have to go to the French Consulate nearest you to give them your paperwork and pay the fees. There will then be an interview mainly about why you want to move to France and they may ask for more documents such as a confirmation of where you will stay when you arrive. If your visas are denied you can appeal to the Commission contre les Refus de Visa and it can take up to a year to get a reply back (if you receive no reply your appeal was turned down). You need to bring the application forms, photos and passport when you go to pick up your visa. “The visa de long séjour does not in fact give you permission to live in France - it just gives you permission to apply for the carte de séjour” (Lawless), which is your residence permit.

This source was very helpful and I enjoyed reading it. Laura actually went through this process, therefore she was able to provide helpful insights into the process. It was a more in-depth look at the emigration procedure and it will be a great asset to help me decide which country would be the easiest to move to.

Lawless, Laura K. “French Long Stay Visa Application. “www.French.about.com.about.com, June 2006. Web. 30 Mar 2010. <http://french.about.com/od/travelfrance/a/visa-residencecard.htm>.

http://french.about.com/od/travelfrance/a/visa-residencecard.htm