French Resident Permit For Financially Independent Persons | An Incomplete Guide

Overview:

French Resident Permit for Financially Independent Persons (VLS-T Visiteur) is an income visa provided to foreigners who can live in France without relying on the local job market, proving their financial independence.

Specifically, to apply for this French visa for financially independent individuals, you need to meet the following basic conditions:

1. Be at least 18 years old, in good health, and have no criminal record;

2. Have a permanent residence in France, which can be either purchased or rented, but there are specific space requirements: for households of fewer than two people, the living space per person must be at least 8 square meters; for each additional person, the space per person must be at least 9 square meters;

3. Have a security deposit of 30,000 euros in a French bank;

4. Purchase health insurance for yourself and each dependent, valid in the Schengen Area, with a coverage of at least 30,000 euros per person per year;

5. Rely on stable income from sources outside France, with an income not less than the French minimum wage standard.

As of 2024, the French minimum wage is 1,766.92 euros per month before taxes, equivalent to a monthly salary of 1,800 euros and an annual income of 21,600 euros.

However, during the actual review process, your monthly income needs to be at least 3,500 euros, or even higher, to increase the likelihood of this visa being approved.

This income can be from pensions, interest on deposits, dividends, or other passive income, as well as remote work income, provided it does not involve employment within France and does not compete with the local job market.

Application Process:

To apply for the French visa for financially independent individuals, first, you need to apply for a VLS-T Visiteur. You can submit your application through the French Visa website, upload the required documents, and then attend an in-person interview at your nearest French consulate.

Required documents for this program include:

• Applicant Identity Documents: All main and secondary applicants need passports valid for more than three months, including two blank pages; two passport-sized photos; birth certificates, marriage certificates, and other documents proving relationships between main and secondary applicants.

• Application Form: You need to fill out a visa application form online.

• Proof of Health Insurance Purchase: You need to purchase health insurance for each main and secondary applicant, valid in the Schengen Area, with a coverage of at least 30,000 US dollars per person per year.

• Proof of Income: The main applicant must provide a series of income documents, including bank statements and proof of income sources, demonstrating self-sufficiency from income outside France.

• Integration into France Declaration: You need to sign a Republican Integration Contract (RIC) document.

• Permanent Address in France: You need to purchase or rent a sufficiently large residence in France.

• Criminal Record Certificate: Each adult main and secondary applicant must provide a criminal record certificate issued by law enforcement agencies where they live.

• Proof of Paid Visa Fee: The visa fee for this program ranges from 80 to 250 euros.

All documents must be notarized, and all non-French documents must be translated into French.

The processing time for the financially independent visa is generally 2 to 3 weeks, and you can track the progress of your application online. After approval, your passport will be marked with a VLS-TS.

You need to arrive in France within 3 months after your financially independent visa is approved to convert your VLS-TS into a residence card, Carte de Séjour.

Dependents:

French Resident Permit for Financially Independent Persons allows the main applicant’s spouse and children under 18 to apply for a family visa to settle in France together.

Other direct relatives of the main applicant, such as parents and adult children, can also apply individually for a family visa, but the approval of this type of visa will vary from person to person.

Visa Validity:

The French Resident Permit for Financially Independent Persons (VLS-T Visiteur) is valid for three to six months. Before the visa expires, you need to enter France and go to the French Immigration Office (OFII – Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration) to cancel the VLS-TS, and then apply for a residence permit (Carte de Séjour) at the nearest French police station.

The first Carte de Séjour temporaire you receive is a temporary residence permit with a validity of only one year.

After the temporary residence permit expires, as long as you live in France for at least 183 days each year, you can renew it annually under the same conditions, until you leave France or apply for another French visa.

After living in France for a while, if you want to settle here permanently, there are four possible paths:

1. Ten-Year Residence Permit (Carte de Résident de 10 ans): If you have legally resided in France for three years, have a French language proficiency of A2 or higher, and meet one of the following three conditions, you are eligible to apply for a French ten-year residence permit:

• Holding a family reunion visa;

• Or, wanting to retire in France and live here permanently;

• Or, your country has an agreement with France (from former French colonies, etc.).

2. EU Long-Term Residence (Carte de Résident Longue Durée – UE): If you hold an EU Blue Card, or have legally resided in France for five years, not leaving for more than six months each year and not exceeding ten months in total; have a normal job and buy health insurance valid in the Schengen Area; have an annual income not less than 21,203 euros; have a French language proficiency of A2 or higher; and hold a work visa, Talent Passport, or family reunion visa, then you are eligible to apply for EU permanent residence in France.

The EU permanent residence is valid for ten years and can be renewed upon expiration.

3. Permanent Residence in France (Carte de Résident permanent): Applying for permanent residence in France requires a long wait. You are only eligible to apply for permanent residence when your ten-year residence permit or EU long-term residence is about to expire, i.e., after a full ten years.

However, if you are over 60 years old and have had two consecutive Carte de Séjour expire, you can automatically obtain permanent residence in France.

French permanent residence is a permit valid for life in the Schengen Area without further procedures.

4. French Citizenship: If you have legally resided in France for five years, meet the conditions of being at least 18 years old, have not committed any crimes, have continuously paid taxes locally for five years and have sufficient income, and have a French language proficiency of B1 or higher, you are eligible to apply for naturalization in France.