How to Validate Your Long Stay Visa (Visa Long Sejour) Upon your Arrival in France

VALIDATING YOUR VLS-TS VISA IS DONE ONLINE

As soon as you arrive in France, you must validate your visa. The process is entirely digital: you can do everything remotely, at home, on your computer. You must validate your visa within 3 months of arriving in France at the very latest.

To do so, visit the following website: https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr

What do you need to validate your VLS-TS visa?

You will need:

• a valid email address,
• infromation on your visa,
• your date of arrival in France,
• your home address in France,
• a bank card to pay online the fee for issuing the residence permit.

What if you do not have a bank card?

Don't worry! You can buy an electronic stamp (timbre électronique) at a kiosk, at a dedicated terminal, and pay in cash.

ONLINE VALIDATION STEPS

1. Log in on the website https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr;
    
2. Enter the information on your visa: visa number, date of beginning and end of validity, date of issue, reason for stay;
    
3. Enter the additional information: family circumstances, telephone number, email address;
    
4. Indicate your date of arrival in France and your address in France;
    
5. Pay the stay tax of 50 euros:

Done! Your visa is validated.
 

You will receive two emails.

• A first email with your login details. You will need it to access your account. It will contain the confirmation of the validation of your VLS-TS visa.
   
• A second email confirming the information you entered online. You can download the email of confirmation of the validation of your VLS-TS visa.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO VALIDATE YOUR VLS-TS VISA?

You must validate your VLS-TS visa within 3 months of arriving in France. This entitles you to:

1. Lawfully remain in France for your visa's entire validity period.
    
2. Leave France, beyond the 3 months following your arrival, without asking for a visa to come back. 

Good to know

For the first 3 months after you arrive in France, you may freely leave France and come back, even without having validated your VLS-TS visa.

After these 3 months, if you have not validated your VLS-TS visa, you will need to apply for a new visa to return to France.