Do you wish to see the most romantic country with its capital – Paris, known as the City of Love? Or maybe you are planning to move there? Perfect! This article is for you, because you might need a Residence Permit to France that is mandatory for any foreigners who seek to stay in France for longer than three months.
If you’re wondering whether you are eligible for the Resident Permit in France, have a look at the exemption category to know which countries are exempt from obtaining the French resident permit:
- European Union nationals
- European Economic Area Member States
- Switzerland nationals
However, some of them still need to register with the authorities if they want to stay in France for over six months. It is required for them to apply for the French Residence Permit upon arrival in France to have access to state services and aids.
Only short-stay visa holders who can stay in France for a maximum of three months don’t have to apply for a French residence permit.
How to apply for a French Residence Permit?
To be able to submit a residence permit application correctly you have to apply from France. It is different compared to a visa application form which you can submit from your country.
Now, depending on how your French long-stay visa is marked: “carte de séjour à solliciter”, in which case you have to apply within two months from your arrival at the local office, or with a “CESEDA R.311-3”, where you will need to contact the OFII (Office Français de I‘Immigration et de I’Intégration) as soon as you arrive in France.
Documents required for a French Residence Permit
Application for a Residence Permit in France requires submitting some supporting documents, as follows:
- Your valid passport with the French long-stay visa stamp.
- Two photographs according to the ICAO specifications.
- A copy of your passport’s crucial pages, including the pages with stamps.
- Birth Certificate from your home country.
- Medical Insurance.
- Proof of income (if employed – work contract and latest payslips, if self-employed – proof of status, if retired or unemployed: proof of having the sufficient funds to survive in France).
- Proof of residence such as electricity bills, statements, rental proofs etc.
- Marriage certificate if you are married or children’s birth certificates (if applicable).
- Translated versions of each document if they’re issued in a language other than French
French Residence Permit types
There are main types of Residence Permits in France, depending if you are applying for a new one or renewing an old one.
Carte de Sejour
A residence permit for people who are entering France on a long-stay visa and must either validate their visa, which will function as a residence permit (VLS TS), or apply for a residence permit within three months of their arrival in France. To apply for this one, you have to go to the French prefecture or sub-prefecture near you in France and fill out an application with the documentation, such as a passport, birth certificate, health insurance, etc,). You must apply with the Paris Police Prefecture if you are in Paris.
Carte de Resident
You must also apply for this one at the French prefecture or sub-prefecture in your country. Submit the above-mentioned documents, as well as French translations of documents in other languages. It is for spouses of French citizens, parents of a French-born child, expats retiring in France, or those who have renewed their carte de séjour for more than three years in a row.
EU Blue Card
A document that allows its holder, a non-EU foreign citizen, to enter and remain in France for up to three years to engage in paid work and explore career options in their sector, with the option to prolong the stay.
Authorization of stay
Granted to the parent of a sick child in France or a volunteer on a mission in France for one, three, or six months.
Certificate Residence for Algerians
Only issued to Algerian nationals. In France, an Algerian may apply for:
- a one-year certificate for Algerians who intend to enter France and stay for a particular period
- a certificate of 10 (ten) years – this is especially important for people who have familial ties to France or who have lived legally in France for several years. It is a renewable resource
- a certificate of residence for the “retired” and their “retired spouse” – available for Algerians who have lived in France before retiring
What is the VLS-TS?
If you have a long-stay visa you might need to change it into a French residence permit upon your arrival in France. The VLS-TS is a French long-stay visa that is stamped into your passport with the possibility of staying in France for up to a year.
The foreign nationals which need the VLS-TS (Visa de Long Séjour – Titre de Séjour):
- Foreign students.
- Foreign trainees.
- Foreign spouse of a French national.
- Foreign workers with a job in France.
- Foreign workers with an indefinite work contract period.
- Foreign temporary workers with a fixed-term job contract.
- Foreign visitors with sufficient funds to stay in France without the need to work.
- Foreign spouse of a foreign recipient of a family reunion (when applying for a 10-year residence card for the first time, not including natives of the Maghreb or French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa).
VLS-TS Application Process
To apply for the OFII, you need to mail the filled out OFFI application form along with a copy of your passport’s crucial pages (including the pages with your details and the pages with visa stickers and stamps) to the OFII office.
To obtain the VLS-TS, complete the steps listed below in the following order:
- Apply for a French long-stay visa from your country. Make sure it is valid from 4 months to 1 year.
- Take a trip to France.
- Confirm your VLS-TS long-stay visa at the French Immigration and Citizenship Office (OFII).
After receiving your application, the OFII management will send you a letter to the address you provided and invite you to a medical visit and, depending on your case, a welcome visit.
During the visit you should submit the following documents to the OFII:
- your passport and visa,
- confirmation of your French residency (rent receipt, lease, water bill, electricity bill, certificate of accommodation, etc.),
- an identity photo,
- a certificate showing that you have already visited an OFII-approved doctor in your home country (if required),
- tax stamps with proof of online payment (the sum varies depending on your visa’s mention),
- the OFII places a sticker and date on the visa holder’s passport after the validation process, approving the holder as legitimate to stay in French territory for a set amount of time.
Once verified at the OFII offices in France, it works as a French residence permit for the visa holder. This means that with this visa, the holder doesn’t need to apply for a resident permit in France. They must, however, validate their visa at the French Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII) during the first three months of their arrival in France. Afterwards, the VLS-TS holders can apply for a residence permit for private and family life.
Extending the VLS-TS
To extend your VLS-TS, you must apply for a residence permit at least two months before your visa expires. Send your application to the French prefecture or sub-prefecture closest to your place of residence.
Your VLS-TS may also be revoked by the competent French authorities if they find out that you obtained your visa by deception, came to France for a reason other than to get your visa, or were involved in a public disturbance.
How much is the OFII fee?
Depending on the visa you hold, you need to pay different costs:
- 80 euros for a student;
- 80 euros for a trainee;
- 250 euros for a visitor;
- 250 euros for private and family life (French spouse or family reunification spouse);
- 250 euros for a salaried employee (not including temporary workers who are exempt from this payment).
