How Do I Apply for my Long-Term Visa to France?

Allen T. Says:

How do I apply for my long-term visa to France?

IL France Correspondent Tuula Rampont Says:

Hi Allen,

You’ll need to start the long-stay visa process in the US. It’s not a complicated application, but does require getting a bit of paperwork together and doing some planning regarding your timeline. 

You can’t start the application process any sooner than three months before your leave-to-France date.

The first step will be to fill out the application on the France Visas website here. 

You can save your work as you go, and then the final step is to attend a visa appointment at one of the 10 visa-processing centers in the US. 

The processing company is called VFS Global, and you can make an appointment on its website here.

The French consulate make the final decision on the visa, and the turnaround time is about two or three weeks. The visa is mailed directly to your home.

Read more about visas in France, including how to get permanent residency and even citizenship, on the IL website.

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