The Visitor Residence Permit (VLS-TS “Visiteur”) is designed for financially independent individuals who wish to reside in France as a “visitor.” This status comes with several key conditions:
- No Employment in France allowed – You must commit to not engaging in any employment or professional activity in France.
- Financial Sufficiency – You must have sufficient financial resources to support yourself for the entire validity period of the residence permit (one year).
- Accommodation Requirement – You must have housing in France (either owned or rented) that covers your entire stay.
- Comprehensive Health Insurance – You must have uninterrupted health insurance that fully covers your stay in France for the entire year.
Family Eligibility
Your spouse and children under 18 years old can apply for a residence permit along with you. Children aged 3–17 must be enrolled in a local school.
Program Features
- Processing Time – Up to 2 months.
- Validity – The residence permit is issued for 1 year and can be renewed annually through a special renewal procedure.
- Employment Restriction – You cannot work or run a business in France (with some exceptions for certain business activities).
- Schooling for Children – If you are bringing minor children (aged 3 and above), they must be enrolled in a school in France.
- Tax Residency – Holders of this residence permit do not automatically become tax residents of France. However, tax declarations must be submitted two years before applying for permanent residency (PR). All Visitor residence permit holders can apply for PR under the general rules.
Key Advantages
- No mandatory residency requirement – You are not required to stay in France continuously.
- No tax declaration obligation – No immediate tax reporting requirements.
- Simple renewal process – The renewal procedure is straightforward.
- Banking access – You can open or unblock a bank account in France.
- Pathway to Citizenship – After 5 years, you may be eligible to apply for French citizenship.
Application Procedure