French Residency: A Complete Guide to Living in France Long-Term

French Long Stay Visa

The long-stay visa is the essential document needed to move to France, as you will usually not be able to remain in the country for more than 90 days in any 180-day period without one. There are two main types of long-stay visas.

The VLS-T (Visa de Long Séjour Temporaire) is for non-permanent moves to France. It is issued for stays up to 12 months and is not intended to be renewed. With a VLS-T visa, you won’t need to validate your status upon arrival. However, the visa does not act as a residence permit. This visa type usually does not include work rights.

The VLS-TS (Visa de Long Séjour Valant Titre de Séjour) is for longer stays in France. Once registered online via the Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France (ANEF) portal, it will serve as your residence permit, usually for one year. You may then apply for a residence card to stay in the country for longer.

Your working rights will be linked to the visa subcategory you are using, and you must ensure you apply for the right one, depending on your circumstances:

• Student visa (VLS-TS “étudiant”) if you wish to study in France
• Employee visa (VLS-TS “salarié” / “travailleur temporaire”) to work under a French employment contract or authorised assignment
• Highly skilled worker visa (Talent visa) if you meet the requirements
• Family reunification and family visa routes if you are the spouse, partner, or dependent family member of a French citizen or a legally resident foreign national
• Visitor/retiree visas (VLS-TS “visiteur”) for financially independent individuals, such as those seeking to retire in France
• Temporary worker visas (VLS-TS “travailleur temporaire” and related categories) for those employed in France for fixed-term or seasonal work

Applying for a French Visa

Before you can travel to France for long-term purposes, you will need to apply for a long-stay visa. This can be done online via the French Government website by:

1. Navigating to the France-Visas portal.
2. Choosing the right visa type and sub-category.
3. Completing the online application and uploading your supporting documentation.
4. Submiting your application and pay the visa application fee. The fee will usually be €99, reduced to €50 for students whose application was considered by a center for studies in France.
5. Booking and attending a visa appointment. You can book this directly with your local French embassy or consulate, or online using the France-Visas site for appointments with VFS Global or TLScontact (third-party application centres).

After your appointment, the French authorities will process your application. You can expect to wait 1-3 months. You will then be called back to the embassy or consulate to collect your passport, along with your visa if you have been successful. You should double-check that all the information on your visa is correct, and challenge any errors before you leave.

Supporting Documentation for a French Visa

Each long-stay visa subcategory requires specific documents. This can include a university acceptance letter or an employment contract as well as:

• A valid passport with at least six months’ validity and blank pages for your visa
• A completed application form. This must be signed
• Passport-style photographs
• Proof of accommodation in France, such as a lease
• Proof of medical insurance in France
• Receipt of visa fee payment
• Proof that you can support yourself in the country. This can include bank statements or letters from your pension provider

Common Reasons for a Long Stay Visa Refusal

You will usually need a successful visa application to move to France. However, the common reasons for refusal can include:

• Fail to demonstrate that you meet the financial requirements with clear, valid bank statements or payslips
• The stated purpose of the stay is inconsistent
• The documentation doesn’t adequately demonstrate that you have suitable accommodation available in France
• Submitting invalid documents, such as those that have expired or haven’t been translated
• Your health insurance has insufficient coverage or does not cover the entire duration of your visa
• You have previous immigration issues in France or other Schengen Areas, such as overstays
• French authorities are concerned you will overstay your visa or fail to return home on time

Some of these reasons for refusal are simple errors made during the application process. You should be able to receive a visa acceptance by resubmitting your application after fixing any problems.

Please note that French visa fees are non-refundable for individuals whose visa applications are refused. Past visa refusals won’t disqualify your application, but they may be counted against you.

Major issues with yourself as an applicant, such as a criminal record or past illegal immigration, will make it highly challenging to obtain a French visa.

European Entry/Exit System (EES)

You may be subject to the new European Entry/Exit System (EES) when you enter France. It has been brought in across the Schengen Area to target illegal immigrants and improve border security. EES replaces the manual stamps that travellers to France used to get at the border.

Under EES, you will be asked to register your biometric details, fingerprints, and your photograph upon arrival. There is no cost for participating in this system.
You won’t need to do anything before you get to the border. However, you should expect a longer wait than usual to get through border controls if you haven’t used EES before.

There are some exemptions to EES for UK nationals. For example, if you already hold a residence permit or a long-stay visa. Instead of joining the EES queue, you will need to present documentation that shows you are exempt to border officials.

Registering as a Resident

VLS-TS visa holders must validate their status via the ANEF portal within 3 months of arrival in France. Failure to do this will prevent your visa from functioning as a residence permit, which could threaten your legal status in France and make it difficult to extend your status or re-enter the country.

The validation process happens online. You will need to provide your entry date, visa number, email address, phone number, French address, and payment method for the digital tax stamp (timbre fiscal) associated with validation.

Meanwhile, VLS-T holders don’t need to complete the validation process. That is because their visa does not serve a second function as a residence permit.

Applying for a Residence Permit

To remain in France after you have moved to the country and have exhausted your initial visa eligibility, you will need to comply with French residency rules by successfully applying for a French Residence Permit (Carte de Séjour). Each local prefecture has slightly different residence permit rules.

However, you will generally need to:

1. Confirm where you need to make your application. This will be through a French consulate or visa centre if you are still in the UK or through the ANEF platform or your local prefecture if you are already in France.
2. Choose the right permit category based on your circumstances and reason for living in France.
3. Gather supporting documents (detailed below).
4. Complete and submit your online residency application. You will need to pay the fee of €225, divided into tax €200 and stamp duty €25.
5. Attend an appointment with your local prefecture. You may be asked to give your fingerprints, additional documents, or attend an interview with an official.

Supporting Documents for French Residency Permit Application

You will need to provide a number of documents to show that you are eligible for a residence permit. The standard required documents are:

• Proof of your address in France, such as through utility bills
• Proof that you can support yourself in France. This could be through bank statements
• Passport-style photographs for use on your visa
• A valid passport
• Proof that you have suitable health insurance
• Birth or civil status records
• Proof of your current immigration status, such as a valid visa

Additional documents may be required in some circumstances. Examples include a certificate of success in the Civic Exam or an official French language diploma, such as DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française) or TFN IRN (Test de Connaissance du Français pour l’Intégration, la Résidence et la Nationalité). These diplomas prove your French language proficiency.

Please note that the French Government will often only recognise documents in French. You will need to pay for a certified translation of any documentation that is not.

Residency if you Moved to France Before 1 January 2021

Individuals who moved to France before 1 January 2021 and have continued to live in the country legally since then have rights under the Withdrawal Agreement by which Britain left the European Union.

However, you will need a Withdrawal Agreement Residence Permit (WARP), including if you have a special residence permit ‘titre de séjour special’ issued before 31 December 2020. In France, the WARP is known as a ‘carte/titre de séjour ‹‹accord de retrait du Royaume-Uni de l’Union Européenne››’. You need this document to legally enter or leave France to avoid being wrongfully accused of overstaying in the Schengen Area, which may cause you to be denied entry.

Children under 18 won’t need a WARP even if they have been living in France since before 1 January 2021. They must apply for one from the local prefecture when they turn 18. A WARP may be needed for them to be employed once they turn 16, and they can apply for one early for this purpose.

Permanent Residency in France

Once you have been living in France legally for five years, you can apply for a permanent residency card. This reduces to three years in some circumstances if you are the spouse or family member of someone with French nationality. You can use this document to stay in France indefinitely without worrying about renewing your residence permit. These perks make permanent residency an essential step towards making France your forever home.

Permanent residency also gives you advanced rights in France. You will be able to access more public services, including welfare benefits and the public healthcare system. You will also have full rights to study, set up a business or work in France, as well as to buy property and take out a mortgage.

Finally, the freedom to leave France and re-enter at will eases the entry and exit rules you are subject to, though there may be limits on the total time you can spend outside France.

There are three ways to answer the question ‘how to get PR in France’ because there are three types of permanent residence cards, all of which last 10 years. The cards be renewed as many times as you want and are:

• Ten-year resident card for foreigners (carte de résident de 10 ans d’un étranger)
• Long-term EU resident card (carte de résident de longue durée-UE)
• Permanent resident card (carte de résident permanent)

Ten-Year Resident Card for Foreigners

This is the standard permanent residency card, giving you ten years’ validity to stay in France only.

If one of the following 10-year residence card France requirements applies to you, you may be able to apply for one:

• The spouse of a French national who has been in the country for three years, or one year for Tunisian citizens
• Family visa holders who have been in the country for three years. This also applies to parents of a French child
• Children of a French national who are under 21 years old
• A refugee with humanitarian protection in France
• A French disability pension, if it has been granted due to a work-related illness or accident
• A victim of human trafficking, sex work, or domestic violence
• Veterans of the French Army or of the French Foreign Legion (with at least three years’ service)
• A retiree in France
• A young person eligible for citizenship by birth but doesn’t want French nationality

Make your application through your local préfecture or the police préfecture in Paris within two months of your current residence permit or visa expiring.

Long-Term EU Resident Card

This residence card allows you to remain in France for 10 years and to visit other EU countries without a visa. However, as British citizens can already visit Schengen Countries for short-term travel without a visa, this option won’t be relevant for UK passport holders.

The central requirement of the Long-Term EU Resident card is that you have lived in France for an uninterrupted period of at least five years. The maximum absence time is six consecutive months, or a total of ten months across the qualifying period. The same qualification period applies to refugees and begins from the date of their asylum application. This reduces to 2 years in France across 5 years in the EU if you have an EU Blue Card.

However, his permanent residency type has limitations on how long you can stay outside of France. Living outside the country for six consecutive years could invalidate it.

Permanent Resident Card

This final type of permanent residence in France is the safest, as it gives you the unconditional right to remain in France indefinitely unless you are deemed a threat to public order and security. You can apply for it once you have already had a 10-year resident card or a long-term EU card.

Over-60s automatically qualify once their other permanent residency expires, while under-60s will need to apply. Having no criminal record or history of public order offences is particularly important for Permanent Residence card applications and demonstrates you do not pose a risk once granted France PR benefits.

Documentation for a Permanent Residency Application

Each type of permanent residence has different characteristics and requirements. However, the required paperwork may include:

• Valid passport or other photo ID
• Passport-style photographs for use on the permit. Three will usually be required
• Recent utility bill, or similar documentation that can be used as proof of address
• Current valid visa or residence permit
• Proof of having lived in France for the required residence permit
• Proof that family members connected to the application have French nationality
• Proof that you meet language proficiency requirements, usually B1 on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)
• Evidence that you meet the specific criteria related to your application, such as your birth or marriage certificate
• Signed Republican Integration Contractor or similar to show that you have integrated into French society
• Medical certificate from the French Office for Immigration and Integration (L’office Français de l’immigration et de l’intégration, OFII) to show you are not a threat to public health

These documents will usually need to be in French or English or have a certified translation.

Applying for French Citizenship

French citizenship is the final step of living in France. You will get a French passport, giving you access to 185 nations worldwide, either visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an electronic travel authorisation.

This includes all the Schengen countries, where you may also live, work, and study. Other rights for French citizens include voting in French elections, standing for public office, and leaving the country for unlimited periods.

There are several pathways to French citizenship: naturalisation, marriage, investment, birth, and descent. For individuals who go through the process of moving to France, citizenship by naturalisation or marriage is the most common. Naturalisation has a five-year residence period.

Marriage requires you to be wedded to your partner for four years and have lived together for at least three years. The period extends to five years if the marriage occurred overseas.

Working and Paying Tax in France

As a French tax resident, you will need to meet the tax obligations in the country to avoid getting in trouble with the authorities. You will need to pay full taxes on the following:

• Employment income
• Dividends
• Pensions
• Returns on your investments
• Bank interest
• Overseas property income

Income tax will be the main form of taxation for most working expats in France. The nation’s income tax rate varies from 0 to 45% depending on your household income, along with your number of dependents, marital status, and whether you are self-employed.

Outside of these adjustments, the standard income tax brackets are as follows:

• Up to 11,497 euros: 0% tax
• 11,498 to 29,315 euros: 11% tax
• 29,316 to 83,823 euros: 30% tax
• 83,824 to 180,294 euros: 41% tax
• Over 180,294 euros: 45%

This progressive tax rate is generous to low earners while charging higher rates for high earners. Extremely high-earning singles and couples are also subject to additional tax. Meanwhile, a lower tax rate of 0% to 20% applies to French non-residents, with tax charged only on French-sourced income.

To understand the size of your tax obligation, you will need to file an annual tax return. This can only be completed on paper the first time, with each form submitted to your local tax office. You will then be allowed to complete your online tax account to file future returns and manage your account online.

Getting Your Qualifications Recognised

Since the UK left the EU, many qualifications are no longer recognised in France. So if you want to work in a regulated profession within France, you should:

1. Use the European Commission Regulated Professions Database to confirm if your profession requires specific registrations or qualifications.
2. Make an application to the relevant French competent authority. This body will assess your experience and credentials on a case-by-case basis to determine your French equivalent.
3. Take any further aptitude tests and exams, or complete adaptation periods, as requested by the competent authority.

These steps are not legally required for professions that are not regulated, such as business. However, you may find it difficult to find work if you hold qualifications that are not understood in France. You may need to get an Attestation de Comparabilité (Certificate of Comparability) from a French authority. The body will match your qualification to its French equivalent, though you will need to pay a fee.

Getting Governmental Help with Moving to France

Both the French and British governments provide advice on long-term living in France. You can get advice in English from the French consulate in London or the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Your local branch of France Services or your local prefecture can also give advice, although it will be in French.

As a resident in France, there are four organisations that will give advice on your rights. Please note that advice from each of these bodies will be in French:

• Citizens’ contact centre (‘Centre de Contact Citoyen’ or ‘CCC’)
• CCAS (‘Centre Communal d’Action Sociale’)
• France Services
• Townhall (‘Mairie’)

The UK Government also provides advice to British nationals. You can read the travel advice for France for information on visa and entry requirements, cultural differences, laws, and safety and security.

How Can IAS Help You?

Living in France long-term has multiple complex stages. You will need to obtain a visa before applying for a residence permit. Further statuses, such as permanent French residency and citizenship, are hard to obtain but offer significant benefits.

Yet, refusals at any stage can cause issues for your move to France. Boost your chances of success by working with expert immigration lawyers, such as our team at Immigration Advice Service. At each stage, our team will help you to understand what you are eligible for and guide you through the entire application process.

For help living in France long-term, contact IAS at +44 (0)333 414 9244. You can also learn more about our services for immigration to France and across the Schengen Area by visiting us online.