02/06/2026
I had a person reach out to me this morning who paid 600 euros each for a hand holding service to help them apply for the VLS-TS Long-Stay Visitor Visa only to find out how simple is was after they read my free guide. The money was lost, but this is exactly why I published my guide for free...
The VLS-TS Long-Stay Visitor Visa does not require a lawyer or administrative service to complete. The process is straightforward and if you meet the requirements, your visa is likely to be approved.
I have posted below the full visa instructions from my guide for the benefit of the community.
If you have any questions on the VLS-TS Long-Stay Visitor Visa process, please feel free to put in the comments.
If group members completed this process on their own, please share in the comments to reassure others that the process doesn't require an immigration lawyer or relocation service.
Long-Stay Visitor Visa (No right to work) Guide:
France issues Long-Stay Visitor Visa's to American citizens (requirements are similar for most nationalities), that meet certain requirements. The process is relatively straightforward and doesn't require a lawyer or consultant. I know folks that spends hundreds of dollars for assistance in applying for their visa only to realize that they could have done it themselves.
The details below are for a long-stay visitor visa which doesn't provide the right to work in France.
The requirements for this visa include:
USA Passport that is valid for at least 15 months after your visa start date (I recommend applying with a passport that is valid for a minimum of 2 years) + copy
Birth Certificate (while not on the formal list, I would recommend having a recent official / certified copy of your birth certificate)
Marriage Certificate (If applying as a couple, while not on the formal list, I would recommend having a recent official / certified copy of your marriage certificate).
2 x ID photographs 35mm × 45mm
Agree not to under-take any professional activities in France and provide a letter on your plans in France or a pension certificate if retired.
Proof you can support yourself in France with savings or a pension equivalent to the French minimum wage of 1,867 euros per person. This can be proven with a pension statement and/or 3 months of bank & investment statements. There is some evidence that the net minimum wage of 1,478 euros might be sufficient, yet I would feel much safer with using the Brut minimum wage of at least 1,867 euros a month in my application. Only include official bank & investment statements; the PDF you download and print (no screenshots).
Proof of accommodation in France. Most individuals use a 3 month long Airbnb reservation if they do not already own property in France.
Have at least 30,000 euros of compliant travel health and repatriation insurance for the duration of your stay (usually 12 months) (see Health Insurance section below for additional details on my recommended providers: Feather and Mondassur). Please note that USA health insurance plans, Tricare, and medicare would not meet this requirement.
The price for the visa is 99 euros
The documents can all be in English and do not require any translation.
Here is the formal text of requirements from the French Visas Webpage for Americans:
The supporting documents to be provided are as follows:
Pre-requisites
A travel document, issued less than 10 years ago, containing at least two blank pages, with a period of validity at least 3 months longer than the date on which you intend to leave the Schengen Area or, in the case of a long stay, at least three months longer than the expiry date of the visa requested. Be sure to transmit (scan) the identity page of your travel document as well as ALL PAGES containing visas, entry and exit stamps or any other inscription.
2 x ID photographs 35mm × 45mm
If you are not a US citizen, please provide proof of your legal status (green card, visa and I94 or endorsed I20 for F1 visa holders or endorsed DS2019 for J1 visa holders. The "travel endorsment" signature is valid for one year and must not expire before the date of return to the USA).
If you have an official travel document, a note verbale is required.
Purpose of travel/stay
Letter from the employer or proof of business ownership / business license (if self employed). If retired, pension certificate. If student, certificate of enrollment.
Promise not to exercise any professional activity in France, if applicable accompanied by a letter explaining your project.
Funds
Proof of enough resources to cover all expenses during trip (pension certificate or last 3 bank statements).
Accommodation
Proof of accommodation in France: property title deed, tenancy agreement or any other supporting document. Or proof that accommodation will be provided by a person residing in France, or if not, a document explaining the accommodation arrangements planned for France.
Visa Compliant Health insurance
Visa Compliant health insurance certificate issued by the insurance company (covering any possible costs for medical repatriation, and emergency and/or hospital treatment, for a minimum amount of €30,000, valid in France for the whole stay. A copy of your American health insurance card is not an acceptable proof of adequate coverage). I recommend Feather and Mondassur which I describe in detail in the healthcare section below.
I recommend bringing your original documents and copies to the appointment. You will provide the copies in the appointment and these will not be returned to you. I always tend to bring more documentation than what is required, just in case, but that is just based on my experience having applied for visas for over a dozen countries around the world.
I recommend including a short simple letter providing a background of your plans in France. In this letter, you can explain your resources (investment income, pension income, savings, etc.) and the reason you desire to move to France. In the letter, be sure to put that you commit to NOT working or seeking employment in France. This is key as the VLS-TS visa does not allow you to obtain employment in France.
The process for this visa is straightforward and you can find the details of the process here : https://visas-fr.tlscontact.com/en-us/country/us/vac/usHOU2fr/application-process
You will be applying for your visa through the TLS Contact service which is the company France uses to process their visa applications in the United States.
Here is a list of TLScontact Visa Centers in the United States for obtaining a French visa:
Atlanta, Georgia
Boston, Massachusetts
Chicago, Illinois
Houston, Texas
Los Angeles, California
Miami, Florida
New York, New York
San Francisco, California
Seattle, Washington
Washington, D.C.
The latest data I have been hearing is that most visa are approved within 1-2 weeks of applying.
Once you visa is approved and you arrive in France, you will need to validate your VLS-TS within 3 months. The instructions to complete this task are listed in the link below:
Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/your-arrival-in-france
This visa should never require a lawyer or consultant to help complete in my opinion, but that doesn't stop immigration lawyers from charging hundreds or even thousands of dollars to help Americans with this process even though is it very straightforward and absolutely doesn't require a lawyer.
Application procedure | TLScontact Houston
