Visas to France from the UK

The first thing to confirm is whether you need a France visa if you’re a UK citizen.

This is the current British visa France legislation:

If you are planning to stay in France for less than 90 days you do not need a visa. You can visit France for up to 90 days:

• as a tourist i.e. for a holiday
• to visit family or friends
• to attend an event
• to study or for company training
• for medical treatment

According to the Schengen area rules, you can only travel to a country for 90 days in 180 days. For example, if you travel to France for 3 months and then to Spain for 2 months you only have one month left to travel to another country in the Schengen area.

This can be a little complicated to work out, so to make sure you are not overstaying your time in France or other EU countries you can enter your stay dates into this calculator.

If you plan to stay in France for more than 3 months you will need to apply for a Long Stay visa. This applies to anyone who intends to work or live in France, whether you are planning to buy a home and stay or work remotely in France for over 3 months but not long-term.

This visa is valid for between 3 months and 1 year. If you plan to stay longer you will need to apply for French residency.

This visa costs €90 for adults and children over 12 and €45 for children between 6 and 12. There is no charge for children under 6.

Once you have established that you need a visa, perhaps because you are buying a property there or you have a second home in France, you must apply for a visa for France from the UK. This is a straightforward process in English. You must first complete the online application form, print it out then request an appointment at the Visa Application Centre in London, Manchester or Edinburgh.
Documents to apply for a France visa from the UK:

• passport
• 2 photographs that are the same, taken in the last 6 months and are a standard passport size (35mm x 45mm, with a maximum deviation of 5mm)

Depending on your situation you may also have to supply copies of:

• private health insurance
• birth certificates of your children
• proof of income
• property deeds

This will be made clear as you complete the application form online.

Your appointment should take about 20 minutes and you will have to leave your passport. You will be given a date to collect your passport once your visa has been processed, which is usually between 2-15 days.

Once you have arrived in France, you will need to apply for residency if you wish to stay longer than your visa end date. You must do this if you intend to buy a home and live in France or if you retire to France.

This has to be done at the local Prefecture, which you can initially do online then you will need to make an appointment.

Passport issue dates are important when travelling to and from France and any country in the Schengen area.
There are two important points to remember:

• Your passport must have at least 3 months left on it when travelling to France.
• The date of issue must be less than 10 years from the date you arrive.

You must check passport dates. There have been instances when Border Control has turned away travellers because their passport dates do not meet the regulations.

When you travel in and out of France, Border Control officials will check your passport. It will be stamped if you are on a short visit, to ensure you do not stay longer than you should.
If you have a visa or residence permit show this at the same time as your passport to avoid it being stamped unnecessarily.

A France visa application from the UK is not difficult as long as you follow the procedures above and allow plenty of time. Now you know how to apply for a visa it’s time to find your perfect property in France.

Are you searching for your dream home in France? We can help you find the property you’re looking for. Whether you want a city apartment, a countryside gîte or a new home, iad Overseas is here to make your move to France as smooth as possible.