When you arrive in France, you are obliged to convert your long-stay visa into a valid residence permit. The conversion procedure will depend on the type of your visa. So, you will either be asked to apply for a resident permit or simply validate your visa online.
Did you know? A VLS-T visa does not require any online validation or a resident permit application after reaching France. Also, the visa can neither be extended nor changed to another category. So, The visa holder must leave France on or before the visa expiry date.
Visa de long séjour (VLS)
A long-stay visa with the obligation to apply for a residence permit (VLS), simply allows you to come to France and apply for a residence card.
- You must apply for a resident permit within 2 months of your arrival. The process can take anywhere from 2 to 6 months.
- Application is submitted online or offline (with an appointment) depending on your Prefecture.
- Check your Prefecture’s website for all information and also book an appointment, if required.
- Direct walk-ins into Prefectures are not possible anymore.
The following article answers a few FAQs about prefecture appointments including collecting the card. FAQ – Prefecture Appointments For French Resident Permits
CESEDA Codes for VLS visas
If you have the following visas, you must apply for a resident permit within 2 months of your arrival. The online valdiation is not applicable for your visa category.
You should check the VLS code and the remarks on the visa, printed on your passport. Also, the CESEDA code might be asked during the application of the resident permit.
Visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS)
A long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) allows you to come to France, stay here, and may allow you to work.
- You must validate your VLS-TS visa within 3 months of your arrival.
- Validation has to be done online via ANEF website
- The system will ask for the following information,
- Details on your visa
- Date of entry into France
- Residential address in France
- Tax Stamp Code (you can purchase online at the website “Titre pour étrangers” or offline at a local Tabac shop).
- After validation, it will be considered as a resident permit until it expires.
- OFII (French Office for Immigration and Integration) might contact you (letter or email) for a meeting to complete a medical check-up and/or sign an integration contract “contrat d’intégration républicaine”.
- If you want to stay in France at the end of the validity of your VLS-TS, you should apply for a renewal. When the renewal application is processed, you will be issued a Carte de Séjour (card) valid for 1 to 4 years.
If your visa is not validated within the deadline, you will no longer be considered as legally present in France and will be unable to re-enter the Schengen Area. So, you should apply for a new visa. Visa de retour is not applicable.
CESEDA Codes for VLS-TS Visas
If you have the following visas, you must validate them online within 3 months of your arrival. The resident permit application on arrival is not applicable for your visa category.
You should check the VLS-TS code and the remarks on the visa, printed on your passport. Also, the CESEDA code will be asked during the online validation on ANEF teleservice.
My Parents got visa type Long séjour temporaire V2 VLST dispense T5.What does that mean? I can’t see it in the list. Kindly let me know that this visa can be renewed or not from France ??
Thanks a lot,
Ritika
A VLS-T visa is already a resident permit and so does not need an online validation or a resident permit application after reaching France.
Unfortunately, it cannot be renewed or extended in France. So, the visa holder has to leave France on or before the expiry date.
Also, the visa holder is not eligible for any benefits in France like social security, etc.
Hello dear Prasanth, I just received my visa named ‘Long Sejour Temp. V2 VLST Dispense TS’… May I ask what is that ‘dispense TS’ on it? and I am going to buy a property in France and my visa going to end in the beginning of 2026. After that what should I do to turn it into a real residency permit like how they call, like titre de sejour? or something else? Thank you so much!
Hello,
I have started this article with an explanation about VLS-T. Please refer to it.
In simple words, you must leave France on or before the expiry date of this visa/resident permit.
Hello Prasanth, I hope you’re doing well.
I am writing this to have great knowledge about my issued visa type. I have been studying recently about visa types and CESEDA Codes for VLS-TS and VLS Visas.
I applied for a ‘Long-stay seasonal worker’ visa and I have received my visa stamped with a validity of three months, in fact, I mentioned it was a long stay and it was also in my work contract that my job was for 6 months. Nevertheless, what could be done in this case in order to extend this visa for three years? I also looked online and read your article about validating visa but in this case, I am not truly finding any solutions.
Details of my visa-
Valid for 3 months
Remarks- saisonnier, P3 VLS
Type – D, MULT
I would really like to know what CESEDA code I would have to use for validation, FYI I also checked your article but the ‘P3’ code is not mentioned on the list. I would really like your input if I can validate and extend my visa If yes how?
Awaiting for your response. Thank you and have a good day
Regards,
Faijahmad MULLA.
Hello i have the same problem now. Didnyoy get an answer?
Hello Laura,
As explained in the article, a VLS visa cannot be validated online. You must apply for a resident permit immediately after arriving in France. The process depends on the local Prefecture.
Hello Prashanth,
My wife has recently arrived in france on a Passport Talent Famille F14 VLS-TS valid for one year.
What is the correct procedure to validate the Visa?
1) Validate the Visa on ANEF first & pay 200€ or directly apply for titre de sejour?
2) If the Visa needs to be validated first, when does she need to apply for titre de séjour?
3) The tax must be paid twice? i.e. 200€ to validate and 225€ for the titre de sejour?
Thank you
Hello,
The post was written to answer all these questions. It has everything that is required.
Hi
I’m a long stay student…I have to validate my visa online VLS-TS
But it asking for CESEDA code..but in my Passport the code is not mentioned
So we’re can I refee the code in the official french website
Can you please assist me
Hello,
Please refer to my detailed explanations in https://prasanthragupathy.com/2023/10/should-i-validate-my-long-stay-visa-or-do-i-have-to-apply-for-a-residence-permit-directly/
Hey , I have a PT4 VLS VISA. I directly applied for the residence permit, as I do not have to validate it and I did not have to enter the CESEDA anywhere. Its been more than two weeks and have not got any reply. I got a confirmation pdf but no username or password to access my account. There is now way to contact them. Any help?
Hello Sarthak,
The resident permit process can take anywhere from 2 to 6 months. Please contact your local Prefecture as explained in https://prasanthragupathy.com/2023/08/how-to-contact-the-prefecture-in-your-city/