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Extended stays: Options
by David Applefield
All foreigners residing in France for more than three months must have either a long-term visa (visa de long séjour) allowing them to do so, or a carte de séjour. (Until the age of 18 minors may reside in France without a carte de séjour but they must still enter the country legally.) If you haven´t heard of the infamous carte de séjour (extended visitors card) required of all foreign residents, be prepared for initiation.
EU citizens, fortunately, have a relatively easy time obtaining their cards. For the rest of you, your greatest asset is your innocence, for if you knew what was in store when you started the haul towards legality-regularization-you might not do it.
If you are not an EU citizen and you want to live, study, and or work in France, the first step is to obtain a visa de long séjour (one year) or a student visa from a French consulate in your home country. In that regulations, procedures, and requirements change frequently begin the process to legally reside in France with inquiries at the French consulate nearest you. Do this before coming to France in that in many cases, procedures and visas must be obtained in your home country first, and you will be told to return home to set the process in motion.
To start, here is a list of French consulates around the world. If your country or city is not present here you can obtain a complete list (Représentation diplomatique et consulaire) by writing to the Ministre des affaires étrangres information center on 34, rue La Pérouse, 75116 PARIS, or phoning Tel: 01.40.66.60.79.
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