I just submitted the initial application on the French visa website. The replacement company for VFS Global in Boston is now TLS Contact and in their registration form you are required to answer these questions before you can make an appointment with them: they ask the date you leave the US, the date you enter France and the date you return from France. If I want the visiteur visa for over a year, what do I fill in for the return date? Some random date a year + later? Does it even matter what I fill in here, it's not the application being sent to the French Consulate, right, its just TLS Contact's registration form?
Question- just starting Long Stay Visa Visitor app (may have many more questions)
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MD1201
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Since the list of requirements listed included a 1-year travel/health insurance policy, I simply went with that option. It seemed simpler and, unlike in your case, we don't plan to be in and out of the country during the first year especially. A suitable policy that was accepted by the consulate was from Mondassur. The price for a full year is significantly more cost-effective than buying several shorter-term ones. (Note: I found that American insurance companies were higher priced).
And now all will know my age range -- thus my new moniker, aka "old broad abroad."
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Citizenship is not what I'm looking for. As I understand it, the long stay visiteur visa for retired people is not so much for citizenship as other visas are so since you are not looking for citizenship, why would multi-entry be an issue? You can maintain your citizenship of your current country if you want but have residency to stay in France as much as you want in a year and then at the end of the year, if everything is the same, particularly with your financial requirements, you can renew online on the ANEF website and will get a card, a carte de séjour I assume, instead of the visa in your passport. But it's still the same long stay visiteur visa. You don't have to take a language exam.
I don't want to have to apply and pay the TLCContact fees every year for a short stay visa if this does the same thing and is renewable.
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You're running afoul of the terminology here. A "long stay visa" is any visa for longer than 90 days. And part of the visa is the "residence permit," either as part of the visa in your passport (for the first year) or when you get a physical card on renewal of the residence status.
Not really the case these days. Holding a residence permit does not affect your citizenship in any way. (In fact, as a US citizen, you remain a US citizen until you have paid $2350 and gone through the renunciation process at a US consulate.)
Don't forget that a visa is a document that allows you to enter France. It's the residence permit ("titre" or "carte" de séjour), granted after your arrival that allows you to remain in France past the 90 day limit.
Unfortunately, you don't get to decide the terms and conditions of the immigration documents. A visa for 91 days is NOT a "short stay visa." The only short-stay visa is the so called "Schengen visa" that permits you up to 90 days in the Schengen area in a rolling 180 day period. The stamp in your passport that functions as a sort of "visa waiver" is considered to be a "Schengen visa" if you happen to be from one of those countries granted the visa waiver privilege for short visits. And starting sometime next year, you'll have to register with the ETIAS system to take advantage of the "visa waiver" privilege.
I'm sorry I'm still confused how this is not the right visa for me. At present, I want to stay 117 days on my next visit coming up in Oct and then possibly return in the summer for 2 weeks in July but then definitely return next Oct to Feb again and so on
And I think we are saying the same thing regarding residency and citizenship, or at least I meant the same thing
That is very good pricing. Thank s so much for sharing! I'm an old broad too at 67, soon to be 68Since the list of requirements listed included a 1-year travel/health insurance policy, I simply went with that option. It seemed simpler and, unlike in your case, we don't plan to be in and out of the country during the first year especially. A suitable policy that was accepted by the consulate was from Mondassur. The price for a full year is significantly more cost-effective than buying several shorter-term ones. (Note: I found that American insurance companies were higher priced).
And now all will know my age range -- thus my new moniker, aka "old broad abroad."
View attachment 107681
This is from the Franceformation newsletter and though a very simplified explanation, isn't this what I need, having bought a house in France and wanting to spend the whole winter and other random amounts of time there?
Visitor - Visitor visas are designed for just that: visiting. Holders of these are usually retirees receiving pensions as you cannot work (for anyone, anywhere in the world) on a visitor visa. While the long-stay visitor visa can be renewed, there is an additional type to avoid called the “long séjour temporaire”, which cannot be extended and requires the holder to return home at the end of its term
Visitor - Visitor visas are designed for just that: visiting. Holders of these are usually retirees receiving pensions as you cannot work (for anyone, anywhere in the world) on a visitor visa. While the long-stay visitor visa can be renewed, there is an additional type to avoid called the “long séjour temporaire”, which cannot be extended and requires the holder to return home at the end of its term
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I have no idea what the Franceformation newsletter is nor who is behind it. Nor any idea of the context in which this explanation is being made.
You can, if you like, go for the "1 year+" visiteur visa and see what happens. Yes, it's possible to come and go from France as you seem to want to do. However, you will have to renew the residence permit every year and at the moment, the cost for renewal of a carte de séjour visiteur is 225€. (I believe the cost of a visa application is 99€ for a long-stay visa.) Recent changes to French immigration regulations may change things next year particularly in regard to renewals of the carte de séjour.
For more details, have a look at the Service Public website:
www.service-public.fr
You can, if you like, go for the "1 year+" visiteur visa and see what happens. Yes, it's possible to come and go from France as you seem to want to do. However, you will have to renew the residence permit every year and at the moment, the cost for renewal of a carte de séjour visiteur is 225€. (I believe the cost of a visa application is 99€ for a long-stay visa.) Recent changes to French immigration regulations may change things next year particularly in regard to renewals of the carte de séjour.
For more details, have a look at the Service Public website:
Temporary residence card "visitor" of a foreigner in France
If you are a foreigner and wish to stay in France for more than 3 months as an inactive person, you can obtain a visitor's residence card.
www.service-public.fr
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The fee seems to be the same whether you are renewing for a single year or if you renew for a multi-year carte de séjour. At present, though, I believe the only multi-year residence card is the "carte residente" which is a 10 year card, that has other requirements attached. After the first 10 year card you may become eligible for a "permanent resident" card (also 10 years) but which no longer requires the payment of fees. Providing, of course, that you meet the requirements (including language, "assimilation" and a few other things).
I got a quote of 352E VAT included from Mondial Care for a year! I know they are accpted becauce that's who I bought from last year for my temporary Long Stay Visa. The quote for the same policy, same company from an agent of theirs was 552E, 200E more for the same thing so if anyone wants the best price, go to mondialcare.eu and do it yourself; in a couple minutes of answering a few questions on a form, you'll have a quote and contract number and instructions to pay with your card.
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Sounds great. Just be aware that this policy ( and many others) may not cover pre-existing conditions. Hopefully that is not an issue for you.
I have my "real" health insurance, which includes global coverage, and doctors in the US, I look at this as a requirement only for the visa as opposed to anything practical.
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If your "real" health insurance from the US includes adequate global cover, you may be able to get a certificate from them acknowledging the adequacy of that cover - especially if it would include "repatriation" (i.e. flying you back to the US for certain long-term or critical conditions or injuries). Certain Blue Cross policies used to cover their customers "globally" but it can be tricky getting the appropriate letter/certificate from the company to satisfy the visa requirements.
Oh wow, I had no idea. I'll look into this right away.
In writing a concise cover letter, what do you think is most important for obtaining this long stay visitor visa for a retired person, what should I emphasize: financial independence in general, the passive income I receive from my French house, the enjoyment I receive from the high quality of life in Provence, my connection to the social fabric of life in France meaning I have made a life there with friends, neighbors and community activities? What are they looking for in granting this visa to older Americans?
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OK, one big thing to remember is that the French attitude toward money is very different from the US (or UK) one. The key thing with your letter or motivation is to be brief, be totally honest and mention your current ties to France: you own property there, you have already established social ties and you should definitely mention that you are going to take up only part-time residence in France (if I understand your plan correctly).
I'm not sure what your "tax residence" status will be with your current plan - but the income you receive from the rental of your French house should be reported to the Fisc, and you probably already pay the taxe fonciere on the property as it is. Mentioning that isn't so much to prove your "financial resources" as to show that you are a conscientious resident (meeting your civic duties) and will continue to do that with a long-term residence visa. You may wind up having to declare your worldwide income each year, but you probably will owe little or no income tax. It wouldn't hurt to mention your level of French and/or your plans to start or continue improving your language skills.
I'm not sure what your "tax residence" status will be with your current plan - but the income you receive from the rental of your French house should be reported to the Fisc, and you probably already pay the taxe fonciere on the property as it is. Mentioning that isn't so much to prove your "financial resources" as to show that you are a conscientious resident (meeting your civic duties) and will continue to do that with a long-term residence visa. You may wind up having to declare your worldwide income each year, but you probably will owe little or no income tax. It wouldn't hurt to mention your level of French and/or your plans to start or continue improving your language skills.
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If you can do it, writing your motivation letter in French isn't a half bad idea. But if not, the consulate usually can handle documents in the language of the country they are in. You may want to pose this question to the visa agency you're working with.
Ok. And the question of the salutation? Dear French Consulate?
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