Two visas that look alike
A long-stay visa for more than 90 days arrives either as a VLS-TS — a visa that is also a residence permit, usually for one year — or as a visa marked “carte de séjour à solliciter”, which grants entry only and leaves the residence right to be issued by a prefecture after you arrive.
They are not interchangeable, and you do not pick between them. On France-Visas you select only your purpose of stay; the consulate decides the type from the legal category, the risk profile and administrative policy.
What a VLS-TS means for you
- Mandatory online validation within 3 months of arrival through the ANEF portal — track the calendar date, not a day count
- A validation tax, set by the annual finance law and raised again on 1 May 2026 — confirm the current amount on ANEF before paying
- No prefecture appointment in the first year
- Renewal at the prefecture 2–4 months before expiry
What “carte de séjour à solliciter” means for you
- No online validation and no validation tax
- A mandatory prefecture appointment — the visa is stamped “à solliciter dans les 2 mois”, the standard national deadline
- Your residence status is not secure until the card is issued
- Higher risk if the deadline is missed
Who tends to get which
Most visitor visas — retirees, the financially independent, second-home owners — are issued as VLS-TS: a low-risk category with no employment and no access to benefits.
Family-based visas — spouse of a French national, parent of a French child, family reunification — are often “à solliciter”, because marriage validity, family ties or cohabitation are verified locally. So are some salaried, self-employed and regulated-profession visas, and some Talent Passport sub-categories, where work authorisation is checked locally.
Expect a VLS-TS if you are financially independent, not working in France and not relying on family-based rights. Expect “carte de séjour à solliciter” if your stay involves employment, a regulated profession, family reunification or complex personal circumstances.