France Forum

Elsie
Joined 2007
Posts: 1

16 years ago

Long Stay Visa Time Frame

16 years ago

How long does it take to obtain a long-stay visa for France? Are there people one can hire in the States who can facilitate this? (We live near New York City) We do speak some French, but probably not enough to tackle the bureaucratic-ese we will probably encounter at the New York French Embassy.

I'm asking this because my husband and I were about to put our house on the market, (No kids) put our things in storage, and move to Paris for six-months to a year. We figured there would be a fair amount of paper to obtain a long-stay visa for over three months. We are both writers in our early 60s and don't plan to get "real" jobs in France. We do have IRA accounts to draw on, as well as the money from our house.

We should have done more homework to find out how long it takes to get a long-term visa, or even if we can get one. We're now hesitating about putting the house up for sale. We could conceivably sell it, need to get out in three months, and not have those long-stay visas. Any advice on how to proceed and what the pitfalls are? I know we have to show income, health insurance, place to stay, etc. but it's Catch 22. We can't get a departure date, place to stay, or overseas health insurance until we sell the house and have a date, etc. etc. Any thoughts would be appreciated. We'd throw money at the problem--pay a fee to have someone to take us by the hand the way people do to get a fast passport--but we're writers not hedge fund managers. Merci.

William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
Get Quote

William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
Get Quote

Living in France Guide

Guide to Living in France covering expat life, local culture, finding a home, diversity and more.

France Forum
Join our France forum to meet other expats and talk about living in France.

Contribute
Help other expats and newcomers by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in France.

Best Places to Live in France

If you're thinking about living in France, here are the 15 Best Places to Live in France in 2023.

Healthcare in France

Expats often ask if health insurance is free in France or if you need health insurance to go to France. Here is basic information about the French healthcare system.

Cost of Living in France

Expats offer insight into the cost of living in France.

Moving to France Guide

Expats all over the world dream of someday making France their next destination. As with other countries, there is a lot of planning involved, and a lot of decisions to be made.

Real Estate in France

Real estate listings in popular cities and towns in France.

Pros & Cons of Living in France

Take off your rose-colored glasses and learn what expats have to say about the biggest challenges and the greatest rewards of living in France.

Retiring in France

Advice for people retiring in France.

10 Tips for Living in France

If you've recently arrived in France, here are 10 tips for digital nomads living in France.

Additional Information:

Visit our France Index for a Full List

William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
Get Quote

William Russell

Get a quote for international health insurance from our partner, William Russell.
Get Quote

Contribute
Help others in France by answering questions about the challenges and adventures of living in France.