Updated on: April 25, 2025 | Article No: 305 | By: @rprasanth_kumar
If you invite a non-European foreign national to France for a short stay (less than 3 months), the visitor must apply for a short-stay visitor visa. The visa application requires an important document, Attestation d’accueil, issued by your local Mairie (town hall). The host in France (hébergeant) must guarantee financial support for the visitor’s stay and provide proof of adequate accommodation.
Related article: How can I invite family members to France?: Spouse, Children, Siblings & Parents
Topics Covered 📚
- Who needs an Attestation d’accueil?
- When to apply an Attestation d’accueil?
- Required Conditions and Documents?
- Where to apply? and Processing Time?
- Information included in Attestation d’accueil
- Example of signed Attestation d’accueil
- What to do in case of an Attestation d’accueil application rejection?
- Loss of Attestation d’accueil
- Final Summary
- Sources & References
Who needs an Attestation d’accueil?
The attestation d’accueil document applies to all non-European foreigners wishing to stay in France for up to 90 days on a private or family visit. It must be included in the short-stay visitor visa application.
The host in France, whether a French citizen or a foreign resident, must personally request and sign the application at the local Mairie.
Note: This attestation is not required for a short-stay tourist, a long-stay visitor visa, or other types of visa applications.
When to apply an Attestation d’accueil?
The travel period indicated on the attestation d’accueil must match the visa duration. So, it is essential to apply well in advance to ensure the original document reaches the recipient in time for their visa application.
Avoid this common error: The short-stay visitor visa will be issued based on the details mentioned in the attestation. If the attestation mentions 40 days, the visa will be issued for the same 40 days too, regardless of the details mentioned in the visa application by the visitor.
Required Conditions and Documents?
Financial Resources and Housing Conditions
- The host in France (hébergeant) must guarantee financial support for the visitor’s stay and provide proof of adequate accommodation (host’s home, hotel, Airbnb, etc).
- A medical insurance policy covering hospital expenses of at least €30,000 is also required.
- The attestation d’accueil must specify whether the host or the visitor has subscribed to this insurance.
List of documents required: Please make sure to present the original documents along with photocopies:
- Proof of identity: One of the following,
- National identity card (CNI: Carte Nationale d’Identité) of the French host.
- Passport of the EU national.
- Passport with a valid residence permit for the non-EU foreign host.
- Proof of housing status: Rental agreement or property title (titre de propriété) with a description of the accommodation. It must explicitly mention the habitable surface area in square meters (m²).
- Proof of address: Utility bills (electricity, gas, water, phone) and/or rent receipt. Documents must be less than 3 months old.
- Proof of income for the last 3 months:
- Employment contract + last three pay slips, or last three pension statements, or a KBIS business certificate or freelance activity proof and
- The most recent French income tax notice (avis d’imposition) or proof of no income tax (avis de non-imposition).
- A €30 fiscal stamp. More details in Timbres Fiscaux: Tax stamp for French resident permits. If your application is refused, this tax amount will not be reimbursed.
- For the visitor: Provide accurate civil status information (name, surname, date, and place of birth), address, and passport number. Also, photocopy of the passport for each visitor.
Note
- Flight tickets are not required for obtaining the attestation but mandatory for the visa application.
- Additional information and documents may be requested depending on the specific case.
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Where to apply? and Processing Time?
Application Process: The request must be submitted at the town hall (mairie) of the host’s residence. Most cities have a mandatory appointment system for submitting an application and this information is usually available on the local Mairie’s website. Here are a few examples,
| City | Application Process |
Mairie du 6e via appointment only | |
Mairie du 8e via appointment only | |
Mairie du 11e via appointment only | |
Mairie du 12e via appointment only | |
Mairie du 14e via appointment only | |
Mairie du 16e via appointment only | |
Mairie du 17e via appointment only | |
Mairie du 18e via appointment only | |
Mairie du 19e via appointment only | |
Mairie du 20e via appointment only | |
| Nanterre (92) | via appointment only |
| Toulouse (31) | via appointment only (34 rue Pargaminières) |
| Nantes (44) | Walk in up to 30 minutes before closing hours |
Processing Time: Processing usually takes around 1-3 weeks, though it may take longer if a home inspection (enquête domiciliaire) is required.
Information included in Attestation d’accueil
The validated attestation d’accueil must include the following information:
- The identity of the person inviting the guest.
- The passport number, identity, and nationality of the guest (and, if applicable, their spouse and minor children traveling with them).
- The address where the visitor will stay and details about the accommodation.
- The identity of the person responsible (either the visitor or the host) for purchasing travel insurance that covers at least €30,000 in potential medical expenses during the visitor’s stay in France.
This original document must be sent to the visitor and may be checked by border control authorities upon arrival in France.
Example of signed Attestation d’accueil
1st and 2nd pages of a completed Attestation d’accueil submitted for a short-stay visitor visa application
2nd page of a stamped Attestation d’accueil after a succesful short-stay visitor visa application
What to do in case of an Attestation d’accueil application rejection?
The local Mairie may refuse your application in the following cases:
- You are unable to provide the required supporting documents.
- The foreign national (visitor) cannot be accommodated under normal housing conditions.
- The information provided on the application is inaccurate.
- Any of your earlier attestations indicate a misuse of the procedure.
The Attestation d’accueil refusal decision may be:
- Explicit, meaning written and justified
- Implicit, if the mayor has not responded within one month. In other words, if the administration does not respond within this one month, the request is considered refused automatically as per Article R313-11 of CESEDA.
Appeal Process if refused: A rejected application can be appealed:
- Recours Hiérarchique (Administrative Appeal): The host in France can file an appeal with the Préfecture within two months of the refusal. The Préfeture may validate the request or uphold the rejection.
- Recours Contentieux (Judicial Appeal): If the Préfecture also refuses, a legal appeal can be filed before the Administrative Court (Tribunal Administratif).
Loss of Attestation d’accueil
In case of loss, a new application for an attestation d’accueil must be submitted with all required documents and a new tax stamp.
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If you’ve found my articles helpful and you want to say thanks, a cup of coffee or two is very much appreciated!. Please help keep it going!
Final Summary
- An Attestation d’Accueil is mandatory for non-European visitors staying in France for up to 3 months on a short-stay visitor visa.
- The host in France must apply at their local town hall and provide financial and housing proof.
- The application process takes about 15 days, so apply as early as possible.
- The original attestation must be sent to the visitor for the visa application and may be checked by border control authorities upon arrival in France.
- In case of rejection, an appeal can be made to the Préfeture or Tribunal Administratif.
By following these steps, you can ensure a smooth process for welcoming your guests to France!
Thank you for this post. If we get attestation de accueil, what VISA category do you go for in Short stay VISA?
Would it be Family visit or can it also be Tourism, and does it even matter?
Hello Chaithya,
Usually, this question is asked before applying for an attestation d’accueil. Please refer to my detailed explanations in How can I invite family members to France?: Spouse, Children, Siblings & Parents: https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/08/how-can-i-invite-family-members-to-france/
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hello Prasanth
Can I Invite my mother via short stay visa and book and Airbnb for 85 days? because I started working in France 1 year ago and applied for fiscal nu;ber just before a month for the 1st time and due to which i couldn’t get the attestation d acuiel. Will it be an issue in getting the visa even i book an Airbnb and i being the sponsor. I can attach a letter for not submitting the attestation dacueil.
Or Is it advisable to apply for a tourist visa, In this case no attestation d accuel is needed. and can i be a sponsor for 85days with Airbnb as accomodation ? Thanks
Hello Vijay,
Using an Airbnb for accommodation isn’t a problem but the attestation d’accueil is mandatory for a short-stay visitor visa. If not, the visa application will be simply rejected.
I have explained all these things and other options in the following article: https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/08/how-can-i-invite-family-members-to-france/
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Hello Prasanth
Thanks for the feedback. I did not submit the attestation d’accueil. I submitted the short stay visa application only with Airbnb booking for the entire stay. I received visa in 3days. For you info.
Thanks
Hello Vijayan,
Thanks for sharing your personal experience. If it was a short-stay visitor visa application, you got lucky with it. I have come across 100s of visitor visa rejections for not submitting the attestation d’accueil because it is an official requirement.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Hello,
My husband is a student in France. If I want to visit him for a short duration (45 days) with our child. What would be the best route as he does not have income in the country yet.
Hello Prerna,
Detailed explanations on https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/08/how-can-i-invite-family-members-to-france/ However, chances of rejection for people in these situation are very high. When he finds a job here, it will be easy depending on the salary.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Hello Prasanth, I have a very practical question. I have received the attestation and have to send it to my family in India. Can I fold it and put it in a smaller envelope or has it to be sent in an A4 size envelope? Thank you!
Hello Charu,
It doesn’t matter as long as the original doc is submitted during the appointment. Often people try to send it via someone travelling and avoid the possibility of the doc getting lost in post or not reaching gon time.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Hello Prasanth,
For Le Perreux city area, the list mentions to attach the rent receipt. However, i haven’t received those ever from the house Owner. Any exceptions are taken or any documentation that could compensate this ?
Also if dates of Travel are not hard set , can we procure the insurance later while submitting the visa ?
Thanks
Hello Sneha,
If you are living in a rental accomodation in France, a monthly rent receipt is a bare minimum. Regardless of the visa application, ask your landlord for the rent receipts. Its mandatory for the landlord to issue them.
Please set the travel dates and only then apply for the attestation because the visa will be issued exactly for the dates mentioned in the attestation d’accueil. So, what you mention in the visa application doesn’t really matter for a short-stay visitor visa. A visa rejection is highly possible if the details in the attestatio and visa application do not match.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Hi Prashanth,
You can probably add in this article that they expect 14m2 per person of space available in hosts home or airbnb etc.
We plan to invite both parents of us to our home for my wife’s delivery but we are short of area to invite them all at the same time (but we can invite 1 couple). The Marie recommended us to get airbnb for others.
However, a couple of our friends own an equally large home. While I understand that they cannot be invited under their home, I was wondering if it is possible to rent the place from them as they own the place? Does this increase the paperwork required? The trouble we have is looking for airbnb in our area, which is quite isolated, and I couldnt find much
Hello Rajesh,
Thanks for the feedback. The space required for an invited family member will depend on where the host is living in France. It can be 11-14m2 depending on the city zone. Same rules applicale as explained in Accomodation Conditions https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/06/family-reunification-how-to-bring-your-family-to-france/#5
Regarding the “friends own an equally large home”, please check with your local mairie. Some are strict and some are lenient. If you are inviting 4 people (both parents), you (host) need to be able to prove total financial resources for 7 people including the baby to be born. I hope your total montly income proof can support this situation.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Thanks for the response Prashanth.
I meant if I obtain the attestation d’accueil for 3 months example 1 déc to 1 march.
However in my visa application i write the dates of Travel as 1 jan to 15feb ( within the approved window but less) is it an issue ?
Reason : I want to take the attestation for a window of 3 months so post visa approval if any need I can replan my tickets
Hello Sneha,
This a very common question and I have explained it in 2.When to apply an Attestation d’accueil? above.
In Marie 15, it has been clarified that one can approach for an Attestation D’Accueil no earlier than 6 months before the intended travel period of the guest. For e.g., if I wish to invite someone for travel in 15 Dec, I can approach the Marie only after 16 Jun (maximum 6 months prior)
Hi Prasanth,
I went through all the comments and still have a specific question. (sorry if its redundant) I want to invite my parent’s for my phd defense which should be scheduled in May 2026 (date is not final yet) and since the short-stay visitor visa can be valid for < 90 days does it makes sense to maximize this period
(even though my parents will ideally only come for 2-3 weeks)?
1. The cost of the visa remains the same so is the decision biased by the duration of the stay in your experience?
2. For the appointment at the mairie they ask for the health insurance covering at least 30k€ do you have any advice on getting this insurance from france or an Indian travel/health insurance is better (economically)?
Hello Abhishek,
Have you checked the article covering this topic? https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/08/how-can-i-invite-family-members-to-france/ It has everything that you need.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Hello,
I had the same concern . To begin with, my Marie did not allow me to submit the application in advance but only 2 months prior to travel dates.
Additionally I discovered the need to submit the insurance along with the rest of the documents. What is concerning : there will be no reimbursement for the insurance in case the Marie refuse the attestation . How could we go about the situation please ?
Hello Senha,
If you submit a proper application as explained in the article, obtaining an attestation d’accueil shouldn’t be a problem.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Hi Prashant, I would like to bring my parents to Paris for 3 months on short term visa. I have got the attestation de accueil separately to each of them from feb 10 to July 20 for my mother and feb 20 to August 19 for my father from Courbevoie. I live with my wife and 7 yrs daughter in my 45 square meter 2 room apartment.
I want to bring them on same days with same visa appointment for 90 days from march 1st.Since I have different attestation de accueil, is it better to go with separate visa appointment on same dates or have same visa appointment to avoid any visa rejection? Initially I thought of bringing separately considering small house (looks like Marie is lenient in my case ) and hence applied separately mentioned 90 days over a 6 months period.
Is it good to mention in cover letter on why I have two separate attestation de accueil if I go with same vis appointment? I am planning to mention that initially only my mother wants to come later my father wanted too and hence applied separately.
Thanks for your advice and guidance in advance.
Hello Venu,
The visitor visa will be issued for the same period mentioned in the attestation d’accueil. So, you will not be able to have them on the exact same days in France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Hello Prasanth,
Firstly thanks for the article.
I have a question on this attestation please.
In the very first line you mention “The host in France (hébergeant) must guarantee financial support for the visitor’s stay and provide proof of adequate accommodation (host’s home, hotel, Airbnb, etc).”
I have already checked with Marie in Toulouse and they said my place is small to accommodate two more people (32.4m2 is small for three including myself: for reference to others). So not enough for attestation d’accueil. I was wondering based on your mention – if we can ask for attestation d’accueil by booking an Airbnb or Hotel? Or friend with an apartment with larger surface area?
Or it strictly need to be the place ‘I’ live?
Thanks in advance
Regards
Hello Akshay,
Ideally, having a decent sized acccomodation is the important point of the attestation d’accueil.
So, please check with the Mairie directly about Airbnb or hotel. No harm in checing before the application. Some are lenient while otheers are strict.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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