This article is about the Long-stay Visitor Visa Application experience at VFS Mumbai shared by “Ankur M. Raval”. The article has been published with his permission, along with a few important additional information.
If you would like to contribute with articles about your personal experiences, feel free to write to me at the following email contact@prasanthragupathy.com
Short-stay visitor visa is for stays upto 90 days and long-stay visitor visa is for stays above 90 days.
They are not the same and the documents required are different.
If you are planning for a family visit less than 90 days, you can apply for a Short-Stay Visitor Visa. The following article explains this topic in detail. Short-Stay Visitor Visa Application Experience – VFS Hyderabad
Summary
- Who can apply for a long-stay visitor visa?
- Application Summary
- List of documents submitted
- Cover Letter for Long-stay Visitor Visa from applicant
- Cover Letter for Long-stay Visitor Visa from host
- Health Insurance for long-stay visitor visa
- Long-stay Visitor Visa received
- Online validation of visa after arrival
- Sources & References
Who can apply for a long-stay visitor visa?
The official answer from the France Visa website.
In addition to the documents listed below, I would highly recommend adding an Attestation sur l’honneur. The document should explicitly mention that the applicants will not engage in any kind of professional activity during their stay in France. The visa will be used strictly for visiting the family.
Application Summary
Sharing my experience of application “Long term visitor visa”. I recently successfully applied for a long-term visitor visa for my mother and she received a 1 year multi-entry visa,
- Type of visa applied: Long-stay visitor visa
- Duration of your stay: Long séjour / Long stay (> 90 days)
- Why are you making this trip?: Visitor
- Visa main purpose of stay: Visitor [adult]
- Applied at: VFS Mumbai
- Applied on: 10th August 2023
- Visa received on: 14th August 2023
- Visa processing time: 4 days, including weekends
- My situation: Holder of multi-year resident permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle) – Passeport Talent – salarié en mission
List of documents submitted
- Completed and signed Long Stay visa application form.
- Copy of titre de séjour of host
- Birth certificate of host
- Birth certificate of the parent
- Visa Insurance covering the duration of stay
- Savings account statements of Sponsor (host) for the past 1 year (they only requested 3 months’ statements, after verification of file)
- Copy of contract de location from the host (rental agreement)
- Copy of last three rent receipts
- Copy of last three salary slips
- Motivation letters from parent and host
- Passport copy of host (they asked me lately on the phone and I sent it via e-mail)
Cover Letter for Long-stay Visitor Visa from applicant
To,
Consulat Général de France
Ambassadeur de France
Mumbai, Inde
Tél : +91 (22) 66 69 40 00
10/08/2023
Monsieur l’Ambassadeur,
Subject : Request to grant long stay France visa
I, XXX (Indian Passport Holder with No. YYY) was living with my son and family in India. I am a housewife and I am not engaged in any financial activities in India.
To live together and to support my grandchildren, I am requesting you to grant us a long-stay visa. By this letter, I also assure you that we won’t engage in any professional activities.
My son, ZZZ (Indian Passport Holder with No. UUU) has been working on visa passport talent: employee on mission since MMYYYY. He holds titre de sejour valid till DD/MM/YYYY. His family including his wife and 2 kids have also joined him in France since MM/YYYY.
Now, I am missing their presence and to support myself emotionally, I would like to visit them and enjoy my time with the grandchildren. On the other hand, I am getting older too and need their mental support too.
All the costs including travel and accommodation in France and all other expenses during my stay will be sponsored by my son.
With this letter, I am requesting assistance from your side to approve my long-stay visa.
Thanking you in advance for considering my request without any delay.
Sincerely,
XYZ (Full name of the applicant)
Address in India
Cover Letter for Long-stay Visitor Visa from host
To,
Consulat Général de France
Ambassadeur de France
Mumbai, Inde
Tél : +91 (22) 66 69 40 00
10/08/2023
Monsieur l’Ambassadeur,
Subject : Request to grant long stay France visa for my mother
I XXX (Indian Passport Holder with No. YYY) have been working on visa passport talent: employee on mission since MM/YYYY. I hold titre de sejour valid till DD/MM/YYYY. My family including my wife and 2 kids have also joined me here in France since MM/YYYY.
My mother UUU (Indian Passport Holder with No. ZZZ) was living with us in India. She is a housewife and is not engaged in any financial activities in India.
Now, we are missing her presence here and to support her emotionally, I would like to invite her here so that she can enjoy her here with the grandchildren. On the other hand, she is getting older too and she needs our support too.
I live in suitable accommodation where she can stay with us. All the costs including travel and accommodation in France and all other expenses during her stay will be sponsored by me.
With this letter, I am requesting assistance from your side to approve her long-stay visa.
Thanking you in advance for considering my request without any delay.
Sincerely,
XYZ (Full name of the host)
Address in France
Health Insurance for long-stay visitor visa
People who are going to apply for a long-stay visitor to France must have a good private Schengen health insurance policy for the entire duration of the stay.
This is one of most common reasons for rejection of long-stay visitor visas. So, you should avoid the regular travel insurances.
The following article covers this topic in detail.
FAQ – Which travel insurance for long-stay visitor visa?
Long-stay Visitor Visa received
Online validation of visa after arrival
You must validate your VLS-TS long-stay visitor visa within 3 months of your arrival in France.
- 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 residence permit.
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
Is it possible to share the specific Insurance provider details (Name or Website) from where the Schengen Health insurance policy was obtained, for this long stay visa application?
Hello Mahesh, FYI https://prasanthragupathy.com/2023/09/faq-which-travel-insurance-for-long-stay-visitor-visa/
Hello Prasanth
Thank you for the blog. It’s very helpful.
I have a question. For a long-stay visitor visa, is attestation d’accueil not necessary?
Is the rental agreement enough?
Looking at the long waiting period at the marine for attestation d’acceuil, it would be great if it’s not mandatory to submit this document.
Please let me know.
Thanks in advance!
Regards
Neelam
Hello,
Attestation d’accueil is required only for short-stay visitor visa.