vacation longer than 90 days

[tigersharkjs]

Hi: My husband and I are US/Canadian citizens.

We wish to vacation in France for longer than 90 days.

What documents do we need? How do we get them? How long are they good for?

I have been searching and searching and cannot get a straight answer on this question!

Thanks for any help...Janice

[Joppa]

You need a long stay tourist visa for France. It isn't straightforward to obtain and all applications are subject to evaluation and consideration by consular staff., while final decision is made by authorities in France. Contact nearest visa-issuing French consulate that covers your State. Here are the details of visa requirements from consulate in New York:
Long stay visitor visa - Consulat général de France à New York
They say it takes up to 2 weeks and current fees are $141 per passport.

[Bevdeforges]

What Joppa said.

What I'll add is that the consulate expects a "purposeful" response to their questions about "what do you want to do in France?" They will tailor the length of time you're allowed to stay to what it takes to fulfill what you say is your purpose in going there - but you need to reassure them that you will not be tempted to work "under the table" to support your time in the country.
Cheers,
Bev

[tigersharkjs]

Hi...Gosh, I HATE schengen!!! haha, I know it has many benefits in terms of law enforcement, etc..but what a pain in the butt for plain old tourists. The only place we can go to is the UK to add to the 90 days..used to be 90 days in each country..oh well, no sense whinging, as you Brits say.

Many thanks for your responses!

How could I have expected something to be "straightforward" when dealing with French bureaucracy..haha

[Joppa]

It's not just the French - all Schengen countries make it difficult to apply for non-standard, longer-stay visa. Schengen rule suits 99% of tourists, and indeed makes life easier for those nationals who need to get a visa in advance: instead of visa for each country (as was previously the case), they only need to apply for one (Schengen) visa valid for all member states. As Bev states, they make it difficult because most people who want to stay long-term are those who want to finance their extended stay through casual work or self-employment, which is strictly forbidden to non-EU nationals. I think neither US nor Canada makes it easy for people to stay longer than 3 or 6 months (depending on nationality).

[tigersharkjs]

Hi Joppa

Yep, I know all that! And, as I said, I'm sure there are great benefits to Schengen.

Now, I am assuming that if I get a long stay visa for France, that covers all Schengen countries, right???

[Joppa]

Officially, you can only visit other Schengen states with your French visa for 90-in-180 days, but practically, as there are no border controls, you can more-or-less stay as long as your visa remains valid. You need to register your residence first with local French officials and obtain your carte de sejour temporaire (temporary residence card) before travelling outside France in Schengen.