Concerns over end of six-month visas for France dismissed

There is no evidence that France will stop issuing temporary long-stay visas to visitors, despite rumours of this.

These are the visas most commonly issued, for example, when a non-EU citizen who lives outside France wants to visit their French second home for an extended period of more than 90 days. They are often for a fixed six-month period.

A reader flagged up the issue after seeing that a Canadian member of a ‘French visa’ social media group had reported a problem with this.

He wondered if this might be about to apply to people applying in the UK.

Email states VLS-T (temporary) visas no longer issued

The Canadian had posted an image of an email from the French consulate in Montreal that stated: “We no longer issue VLS-T (temporary) visas, but VLS-TS visas for 4-12 months, with online validation and payment of the fee (if applicable).”

An American also reported seeking a VLS-T but receiving a VLS-TS instead.

The latter are typically issued for a year to people moving to France.

Read more: Explainer: Common visa options for visiting and moving to France

What happens when VLS-TS visa is issued

In this case, an Ehic health card is typically not accepted as proof of health cover as this is only for temporary visits.

An S1 form (state pensioners) or a full private healthcare policy for the first year is usually required.

These visas must be ‘validated’ on a website within three months of arrival in France, with payment of a €200 fee on top of the original visa and admin fees of €125.

Usually, people are then asked to have a medical at the offices of the immigrants’ service Ofii.

They then apply for a French residency card, with further fees, if they wish to extend their right to stay in France before the visa expires.

Read more: France visitor visa: Must you promise not to work? What are the rules?

Applicants cannot choose the type of visa issued

However, we asked the Interior Ministry department dealing with foreigners’ residency matters if there were such plans for the UK and were told “there is absolutely no decision of this kind at the time being”.

Asked if it has stopped issuing VLS-Ts, the consulate in Montreal directed us to a website that states that the standard visa is a VLS-TS, but “where appropriate, a temporary long-stay visa (VLS-T) can be issued to people who are certain that they will not extend their stay beyond the duration of their visa”.

Submit a ‘letter of motivation’

Visa consultant Ilya Zlokazov, of Zlokazov & Company in Valbonne, Alpes-Maritimes, said that in his experience, the consulate in the UK is more willing to grant VLS-T visas, which are not renewable, actually making it harder to obtain a VLS-TS.

However, he said applicants are not invited to choose the type of visa.

The visa appropriate to their situation is issued by the consulate after dealing with the application.

He recommended providing a ‘letter of motivation’, explaining the intended duration of the stay.

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