Who it’s for
For people who want to live in France without working. You must sign a declaration promising not to engage in any professional activity — paid or unpaid.
It suits retirees, people living on savings, pensions or investments, and accompanying spouses who will not be working.
What you’ll need in 2026
- A passport valid for 6+ months beyond your intended stay
- Proof of accommodation — lease, deed, or host attestation
- Financial resources benchmarked to net SMIC: €1,478/month from June 2026, up from €1,443 in January
- Private health insurance covering the full stay
- A signed declaration of no professional activity
That figure is a benchmark, not a legal floor. CESEDA requires only “sufficient means of existence”, and consulates assess case by case.
The insurance is stricter than it sounds
Basic travel or Schengen cover will not do. You need comprehensive private health insurance running the full visa duration, with at least €30,000 of medical cover, repatriation, and — the condition people miss — no exclusion for pre-existing conditions.
- Birth certificate with apostille and a certified French translation
- A clean criminal background check — the FBI Identity History Summary for US citizens
- The signed attestation sur l’honneur promising not to work in France
How the application runs
- Create an account on France-Visas.gouv.fr and complete the eligibility wizard
- Book an appointment at your regional consulate or visa centre — TLScontact or VFS
- Submit documents and biometrics, and pay the fee of about €99
- Wait roughly 2–8 weeks for a decision, longer in the June–September peak
- Collect your passport with the VLS-TS sticker in it
What happens after you land
Validate online through the ANEF portal within 3 months of entry — counted from your entry stamp or EES record, not from the date the visa was issued.
The validation tax rose from €200 to €300 on 1 May 2026 under the 2026 finance law.
- Visitor-visa holders are typically also called for a mandatory OFII medical visit — a chest X-ray and a brief screening
- The appointment letter arrives by post or email after validation, so keep your registered address current
- Waiting times for that convocation vary widely by region
Miss the 90-day validation deadline and you are in irregular status even though the sticker still looks valid — with consequences for renewal, banking and healthcare access. The Interior Ministry has indicated some technical flexibility exists, but never plan around it.
A new annual health contribution
Once your status makes you eligible for French public health cover, the 2026 Social Security Financing Law creates a mandatory annual contribution (participation financière, CSS Article L.160-1-1), estimated at €300–600 a year.
It is separate from the existing Cotisation Subsidiaire Maladie. The exact amount is set by an implementing decree that had not been published as of mid-2026 — check service-public.fr for the current figure rather than assuming you are exempt.
Remote work is the unsettled question
This visa does not permit working for a French employer or French clients. That part is clear.
Whether it permits remote work for a purely foreign employer is genuinely contested and still evolving — a mid-2026 policy clarification pointed toward some remote workers with strictly foreign employers or clients. Do not assume either way on the strength of a forum post, including an optimistic one.