There are some situations where a non-EU citizen may not be required to have a visa to enter France for a long-term stay (stay of more than 3 months).
However, these are exceptions to the rule which, in almost every situation, non-EU citizens must have a valid visa prior to arriving in France for a stay of more than 90 days.
This also applies to any resident permit card (carte de séjour) applications except for those listed below:
Family members of EU citizens
Family members of European citizens (such as spouses and dependent children) can apply directly for an EU family member card, but ONLY if they are citizens of a country eligible for the Schengen visa exemption.
Spouses of French citizens
Spouses of French citizens can apply directly for a carte de séjour vie privée et familiale after 6 months of communal life in France, but ONLY if their marriage took place in France, and this route necessarily implies that they will be in an irregular situation for a certain period and will have to pay an additional fee.
Parent of a French child
The parent of a French child residing in France but, as with the preceding situation, the parent will be in an irregular situation for a certain period and will have to pay an additional fee.
Refugees, stateless, and protected persons
Refugees, stateless persons, and beneficiaries of international subsidiary protection.
Subsidiary protection is granted to any person who does not meet the criteria for being recognized as a refugee but for whom there are serious grounds to believe that he or she is exposed to one of the following serious risks in his or her country of origin such as death penalty or execution; torture, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; for a civilian, a serious and personal threat to his life or well-being owing to violence regardless of their personal circumstances and resulting from a situation of internal or international armed conflict.
In every other situation, an appropriate visa is required prior to arriving in France for staying long-term.
Click here to learn more about French visas.
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