Work visa for France: documents, fees and steps

Documents requested

Passport (travel document), original and copy: in good condition, issued less than 10 years ago, with at least two blank pages and valid for at least 3 months after the expiry date of the requested visaConditions and details
To complete the online application, France-Visas requires an original travel document accompanied by a copy: in good condition, issued less than 10 years ago and containing at least two blank pages. For a long stay, its validity must extend at least 3 months beyond the expiry date of the requested visa; an exemption may be granted in the event of duly justified urgency. At the submission appointment, the service provider or the consulate keeps the passport in order to forward it to the consulate.
Work authorization granted to the employer by the French administration, to be attached to the visa applicationConditions and details
For recruitment under a fixed-term or open-ended contract, the employer or company established in France must apply for prior authorization from the French administration. The candidate attaches the authorization granted to their employer to their visa application. The exemptions provided on the France-Visas page concern contracts of no more than 90 days (sporting, cultural, artistic or scientific events, conferences, seminars, trade fairs, occasional teaching by a visiting professor, among others). France-Visas adds that the supporting documents relating to personal and professional circumstances are specified in the visa assistant.
Two recent identity photographs in ICAO formatConditions and details
France-Visas requires two recent identity photographs in the format of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to complete the online application. In addition, a photograph is scanned or taken at the time of submission, together with the fingerprint record.
Application form (CERFA) and receipt generated by the online entry on France-Visas, printed in the final paper versionThe application is completed online on France-Visas. On the day of the appointment, the applicant must print and bring their receipt and their CERFA in the final paper version.
Other supporting documents, originals and copies, suited to the applicant's personal and professional situation and specified by the France-Visas visa assistantConditions and details
The first step in the process consists in identifying, with the France-Visas visa assistant, the supporting documents to be provided and the applicable fee. The online application includes original supporting documents accompanied by copies, adapted to the personal situation and to the purpose of the trip. Documents written in a language other than French or English may be requested translated into French.

Depending on your situation

Commitment form completed and signed by the employer, if the applicant is employed in the service of a private individualConditions and details
The France-Visas “Salaried activity” page states that the employer may be a private individual for domestic employment, a company or any other organization. If the applicant is employed in the service of a private individual, they attach to their visa application the commitment form completed and signed by their employer. The questionnaire does not know the nature of the employer: the applicant checks for themselves whether it concerns them.
Recording of biometric data at the time of submission (photograph and ten fingerprints), unless data collected less than 59 months earlier are reusedConditions and details
All visas issued by France are biometric. Any applicant over the age of 12 appears in person when submitting their first application; a photograph and ten fingerprints, taken flat and digitized, are collected. The data may be reused if a previous biometric Schengen visa was issued less than 59 months ago, and the in-person appearance may be waived if the fingerprints were collected during a previous visa application less than 59 months before the current application. This situation is not among the questions asked by VisaGuideline: the applicant verifies it themselves.

Official fees

Long-stay visa — application fees 99 €
Fee to be paid in France when validating the "employee" or "temporary worker" VLS-TS, in addition to the visa fees 300 €

Steps

The employer applies for the work authorization online only; the job offer must have been published for 3 consecutive weeks with the public employment service, unless the occupation appears on the list of shortage occupations.
Once the authorization is obtained, the employer sends it to the future employee, who can then apply for their long-stay visa at the French consulate.
Use the France-Visas visa assistant to identify the supporting documents to provide and the applicable fee, then the competent body to process the application.
Complete the visa application online on France-Visas, attaching the employer's work authorization, the passport, two photos in ICAO format and personal and professional supporting documents.
Make an appointment with the consulate or the service provider of the country of submission, allowing for appointment and processing times in relation to the start date of the trip.
Attend the appointment with the complete file (CERFA and receipt): verification of the file, payment of the fees, biometric data capture, handover of the passport and copies of the supporting documents.
Track the application with the visa centre and collect the passport after notification; decision generally within 15 days, up to 45 days in particular cases.
Within 3 months of arriving in France, validate the VLS-TS online on the ANEF portal and pay the fee; the employee can start working as soon as they arrive.
Submit the residence permit application to the prefecture or sub-prefecture of the place of residence, no later than 2 months before the end date of validity of the VLS-TS.

Where to apply

France-Visas portal: online visa application form
Consulate or embassy of France, or approved service provider depending on the country, in the country where the applicant legally resides
Portal of the Digital Administration for Foreigners in France (ANEF): application for work authorization by the employer, then validation of the VLS-TS after arrival in France

Good to know

Visa endorsement: “salarié” (employee) or “travailleur temporaire” (temporary worker)Conditions and details
For recruitment by an employer established in France, the visa issued is a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit for a maximum duration of 12 months, bearing the endorsement “salarié” (employee) for an indefinite-term contract and “travailleur temporaire” (temporary worker) for a fixed-term contract. It must be validated within the 3 months following arrival in France.
Conditions the employer must meet for the work authorizationConditions and details
The proposed job must appear on the list of shortage occupations or must have been advertised for 3 consecutive weeks within the 6 months preceding the application, with no valid application received. The employer must meet its social obligations, must not have been convicted or penalized for illegal work, aiding unlawful residence or offenses against persons, and must provide a certificate of social security contributions less than 6 months old. The pay may not be lower than the Smic (minimum wage) or the collective agreement wage if the latter is higher. For a regulated profession, the conditions for practicing the profession must be met. The authorization may be refused if the recruitment project is manifestly disproportionate to the employer's activity.
Tax payable by the employerConditions and details
An employer tax is due on the foreign employee's first admission to residence for a work authorization of more than 3 months. It is paid by the employer, not by the employee. Its amount depends on the duration of the contract, the pay and the type of contract; for a contract of more than 3 months and less than 12 months, it is 74 euros, 210 euros or 300 euros depending on the gross monthly salary. It is not due for certain jobs, for example an employee recruited by a private individual for work of a family or household nature.
One work authorization per contractConditions and details
The VLS-TS or the "salarié" or "travailleur temporaire" residence permit allows its holder to carry out only the paid activity for which a work authorization was obtained. A work authorization must be requested for each new employment contract.
Visa duration and travel within the Schengen areaConditions and details
Whatever the intended length of stay, the long-stay visa has a limited duration of between 3 months and one year. To continue the stay beyond its validity, a residence permit must be applied for at the prefecture. During its validity, the visa is equivalent to a Schengen visa: it allows travel and stay in the Schengen area outside France for maximum periods of 90 days in any 180-day period.
Validation of the VLS-TS after arrivalConditions and details
The holder of a VLS-TS must validate it within 3 months of arriving in France, on the portal of the Administration numérique des étrangers en France. In the absence of validation, the holder is no longer in lawful residence and can no longer cross the border of the Schengen area again. The holder must have the information appearing on the visa, the date of entry into France, the address of residence in France and a payment card for the online fee. The Office français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (OFII) may summon the employee for additional formalities, a medical examination or the signing of the contrat d'intégration républicaine.
Residence permit at the end of the VLS-TSConditions and details
The «salarié» (employee) residence card is valid for 1 year and is renewable. It is applied for at the prefecture or sub-prefecture of the applicant's place of residence, no later than 2 months before the end of the VLS-TS validity period; a complete application file entitles the applicant to a receipt while awaiting the prefecture's response.
Submission in the country of residenceConditions and details
The application is submitted in the country where the applicant legally resides, at the French consulate (or the embassy) or at the approved service provider, depending on the country. Submission in another country where the applicant is passing through may be considered if the applicant explains why the application could not be submitted at the consulate of his place of residence (an unforeseen event, for example).
Other paid-employment situations, with other visasConditions and details
Some situations fall under other France-Visas sections, with their own visa and their own supporting documents: posting for a service provision, intra-group mobility (ICT), seasonal work (multi-year «seasonal worker» residence card), language assistant, reader or tutor of a foreign language, model, medical professions, paid internships.
Fees not refunded and exemptionsConditions and details
Visa fees are not refunded, even in the event of a refusal or withdrawal of the application. A fee waiver or a partial exemption may apply to certain categories of applicants, for example spouses of French nationals.
Service provider feesConditions and details
When the collection of applications is entrusted to an external service provider, it collects a service fee, which varies from country to country but is capped at 45 euros per application. It may also offer paid optional services.
Refusal and appealsConditions and details
Refusals are reasoned. A refusal of a long-stay visa can be contested within 30 days by a reasoned prior appeal, written in French and signed, sent by post to the Commission de recours contre les décisions de refus de visa d'entrée en France (CRRV, BP 83609, 44036 Nantes Cedex 1); this appeal is mandatory before any appeal to the administrative judge. Without a decision within two months of filing, the application is implicitly refused.
Photograph formatConditions and details
The photograph must be recent and a true likeness, measure between 35 and 40 mm in width, with a face of 32 to 36 mm from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull (excluding hair), and comply with the ICAO standard.
Caution regarding fraudulent websitesFrance-Visas invites applicants to be cautious in all transactions with companies claiming to offer assistance in obtaining French visas.

Nationalities covered

This procedure applies to 214 nationalities.

Afghanistan
Åland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Caribbean Netherlands
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
Curaçao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Isle of Man
Israel
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Macao
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
North Macedonia
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Réunion
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
São Tomé and Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Korea
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
U.S. Outlying Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Official links

The visa application process - France-VisasLa démarche d'obtention de visa - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Salaried employment - France-VisasActivité salariée - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Ministry of the Interior and Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France)Ministère de l'Intérieur et ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (France) (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Work authorization for a foreign employee in France | Service PublicAutorisation de travail d'un salarié étranger en France | Service Public (new tab) www.service-public.gouv.fr
Long-stay visa - France-VisasVisa de long séjour - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Your arrival in France - France-VisasVotre arrivée en France - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Work of a foreign national in France: residence permit - employee/temporary worker | Service PublicTravail d'un étranger en France : carte de séjour - salarié/travailleur temporaire | Service Public (new tab) www.service-public.gouv.fr
Frequently asked questions - France-VisasQuestions fréquentes - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Visa application - France-VisasDemande de visa - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Accueil | Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France (new tab) administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr

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