Useful information concerning immigration and administrative procedures in France
Although your first three months in the country don't require any administrative steps, you will need to request a visa past 90 days spent in France in the last 180 days. Check out our article for more information.
If you are an American citizen, hold an American passport, and would like to live in France in the short or long term, you should know that you won't need a visa for your first three months in the country.
However, you will need to request a visa past 90 days spent in France in the last 180 days.
Depending on the motive that you give to your local "préfecture", the administrative steps you'll need to take will differ depending on which visa you apply for.
In certain cases, administrative procedures may be done online on the website https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/.
In Paris, here are the websites where you request different visas :
Work or visitor visa : https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/pp-1ere-demande-immigrationpro-visiteur
Family member visa : https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/pp-1ere-demande-membre-famille
Parent of French children visa : https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/pp-1ere-demande-pef
Young adult visa : https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/pp-1ere-demande-jeune-majeur
Spouse visa : https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/pp-1ere-demande-conjoint-francais
FYI : Not very "préfecture" allows you to complete your visa application online. Please contact your local prefecture in advance to make sure what administrative steps you need to take.
For other motives, such a humanitarian or exceptional reasons, you will need to apply for a visa directly at your local "préfecture", depending on where you live. You will need to make an appointment directly at the "préfecture".
It is worth noting that it is sometimes complicated to contact the majority of the "prefectures" in the Île de France area online as their websites are often under maintenance or down. If you can't make an online appointment, you will need to contact a lawyer. It is highly suggested to take a screenshot of your computer screen in order to prove that on the given date you weren't able to make an appointment everyday that you try to log on to the "préfecture's" website even if it's for a two month period.
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