How do you apply for a long-stay visa (visa de long séjour) to stay in France for more than 3 months?

To apply for a long-stay visa, you must submit the long-stay visa application to the French consular authorities of the country where you live. You must submit the long-stay visa application no more than 3 months before the planned departure. A long-stay visa, type D, allows you to enter and stay in France for more than 3 months up to 1 year. You do not need a long-stay visa if you are a citizen of a European country, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or the Holy See/Vatican. If you are an adult, you must apply for a long-stay visa even if your nationality exempts you from a short-stay visa.

Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

How do you apply for a long-stay visa (visa de long séjour) in the general case?

You do not need a long-stay visa if you are a citizen of a European country, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or the Holy See/Vatican.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
You file your visa application no more than 3 months before the planned departure with the French consular authorities of the country where you live.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
Your passport must be valid at least 3 months after the end date of your visa, contain at least 2 blank pages and have been issued less than 10 years ago.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
Your biometric data are recorded in a file called Visabio. The biometric data recorded in Visabio include the digitised image of your identity photograph. The biometric data recorded in Visabio include your fingerprints, except for a child under 12. You cannot object to the recording of your biometric data in Visabio.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
You pay the visa fee, whose amount varies and is expressed in euros or in CFA francs depending on the country.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
A long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS) is valid from 4 to 12 months. If you hold a VLS-TS valid from 4 to 12 months, you must validate the VLS-TS within 3 months of your arrival in France. You validate the VLS-TS online and pay a tax that is added to the visa fees.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If your long-stay visa bears the mention "carte de séjour à solliciter dans les 2 mois suivant l'arrivée", you must obtain a residence permit (carte de séjour) in the 2 months following your arrival at the préfecture.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

How do you apply for a long-stay visa (visa de long séjour) as a student?

As a student, you generally file your visa application no more than 3 months before the planned departure with the French consular authorities of the country where you live.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you are a national of one of the 72 countries concerned, you must apply for your visa on the Études en France site when you pre-register online for higher education in France, and nationals of other countries apply for a visa through France-Visas.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

Which documents must you provide to apply for a long-stay visa (visa de long séjour)?

The documents to provide for a long-stay visa depend on the reason for your stay, such as salaried worker, student, family of a French national or of a foreigner legally settled in France, and you must consult the France-Visas portal for the list that applies to your situation.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
You provide a passport valid at least 3 months after the end date of your visa, containing at least 2 blank pages and issued less than 10 years ago.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

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What does a long-stay visa (visa de long séjour) allow you to do in France?

A long-stay visa, type D, allows you to enter and stay in France for more than 3 months up to 1 year. A long-stay visa, type D, also allows you to travel in the whole Schengen area without another visa, provided you do not exceed 90 days during the validity period of the long-stay visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you are an adult, you must apply for a long-stay visa even if your nationality exempts you from a short-stay visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you are married to a French national, the long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS) is issued to you without condition. The VLS-TS can be refused if your marriage is fraudulent or has been annulled or if you represent a threat to public order.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
A long-stay visa is not issued to a foreigner who has been subject to a criminal penalty of a judicial ban from French territory, an expulsion decision, a ban on returning to French territory, a ban on circulating in French territory or an administrative ban from French territory.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you want to stay in France at the end of your long-stay visa, you must apply for a residence permit (carte de séjour). Depending on the reason for the residence permit, you deposit your application at the préfecture of your department or on the ANEF site.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

When must you apply for renewal?

If you hold a "vacances-travail" visa as an Argentinian national and you meet the conditions for a multi-year "talent" residence card, you must apply for the "talent" card 3 months before the end date of your "vacances-travail" visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04
If you hold a "vacances-travail" visa as a South Korean national and you meet the conditions for a multi-year "talent" residence card, you must apply for the "talent" card 3 months before the end date of your "vacances-travail" visa.Service-Public · Checked 2026-11-04

Renewal planner · the end date of your permit gives the filing window