Choose your long-stay visa type

To live in France more than 3 months you need a long-stay visa; a VLS-TS lasts 4 to 12 months (F16162).

The main types: "visiteur" if you live on your own means and do not work in France: at least 1,477.93 € net a month, health insurance for the whole stay and a handwritten statement that you will not work (F302). "Talent" (9 kinds, for example a qualified employee from 39,582 € gross a year), a card of up to 4 years, and your family gets a "talent-famille" card (F16922), which lets your spouse work as an employee or self-employed (F35792). "Salarié": your employer applies online for the work permit (F15898). "Étudiant": at least 877.5 € a month (F2231).

If your spouse is French, the VLS-TS is issued without conditions (F16162); if your spouse is a foreigner living in France for 18 months, it is family reunification (F2209).

Retired and living on a pension: this is the "visiteur" visa, and a pension counts as your own means (F302); the "retraité" card is only for people who already lived in France with a resident card and receive a French pension (F2710).

Under 3 months: a short-stay Schengen visa (type C) or, depending on your nationality, no visa at all (check with Assistant visa); at most 90 days in any 180 days, and it does not let you settle (F16146).

These steps with your own dates

A free account: add your moving date and town, and the steps get deadlines, a calendar and reminders.