Is there a simple renewal process for six-month French visas?

Reader Question: We are US pensioners who want to come to our French second home for six months of each year. Do we need to apply each time for our visa or can we just renew an old one?

People who come to France on a six-month visitor visa must apply from scratch each time they come to visit.

These rules are the same for all applicants, including from the US, UK, Canada, etc. 

Private firms, including VFS Global in the US and Australia (or TLSContact in the UK), manage the visa process, and do not retain information. 

It means you must provide documents and fingerprints each time you apply, as well as make a new in-person appointment at a visa centre.

Read more: Visas to stay in France for six months: Q&As on appointment process

Planning for your French visa

Note that your next visa to visit must begin at least six months after your old one ended, so make sure you leave enough time between these dates and plan accordingly. 

You cannot apply for a short-term visa more than three months before the intended start date.

There has been a push for certain second-home owners to be eligible for a special six-month visa, which was part of the debate surrounding this year’s immigration bill.

However it was rejected from the bill, and in the amendment brought forward would have only applied to Britons with a second home in France and not those of another non-EU nationality.

A decree that could in theory make visa renewals more automatic – by allowing data from applicants to be stored digitally for five years – was published in July this year, but as of the start of 2025, has not seen any significant changes to the visa process. 

Read more: French MP presses ministry over easier visas for second-home owners