What the official times say
France-Visas publishes no fixed statutory turnaround for long-stay visas. Consulates commonly process complete dossiers in roughly 2–6 weeks, varying by consulate, category and season. Applications must be submitted between 3 months and 15 days before travel.
In peak season — roughly May–August, and to a lesser extent December — add 1–3 weeks for both appointments and decisions. An incomplete file pauses the clock entirely until the missing documents arrive. Expedited processing is not a standard service for long-stay visas.
Lead times that catch people out
- FBI background check: 10–14 weeks by mail direct from the FBI, versus roughly 3–7 business days through an FBI-approved channeler — use the channeler
- State apostilles: 1–2 weeks in most states; some offer 24–48 hour expedited service, others by mail can run 4+ weeks
- Birth and marriage certificate apostilles: 1–3 weeks, with the same variability
- Certified French translations by a sworn translator (traducteur assermenté) for most official English-language documents
- Official stamped bank statements: allow 1–2 weeks
- Academic transcripts and diploma authentication: 2–3 weeks, longer if the institution is slow
- Medical examinations, where your category requires one: 1–2 weeks for an appointment
A timeline that works
- 5–6 months before travel: start collecting documents, the FBI check first
- 3–4 months before: submit apostille requests, book any medical exam
- 2–3 months before: book the consulate appointment as soon as your online dossier is ready — slots vary widely by consulate and season
- 6–8 weeks before: submit the complete application at the appointment
- 2–3 weeks before: follow up if there is no decision
The visa fee is €99 for most long-stay categories and is not refunded on a refusal. The post-arrival validation tax is a separate, later cost that is easy to miss because it is not part of the consulate application.
Official · france-visas.gouv.fr