Long-Stay Visa Equivalent to a Residence Permit
The Long-Stay Visa Equivalent to a Residence Permit (VLS-TS) marked "student" (“étudiant”) is a visa which, once validated, becomes a residence permit. This visa gives you the right to work in France for up to 964 hours per year, i.e. 20 hours per week, to supplement your income.
If you have a VLS-TS marked "minor in school” (“mineur scolarisé”): you do not have to do anything before your visa expires or you come of age. When you come of age (i.e. on your 18th birthday) or 2 months before your visa expires, you need to make an appointment at the Prefecture to apply for your 1st residence permit
How to validate your VLS-TS online
If you have a VLS-TS, you need to validate your visa online within 3 months of your arrival in France. This procedure replaces the former OFII (French immigration and integration office) procedure: the OFII stamp is no longer added to your passport.
The online procedure: log on to The administration website for foreign nationals in France. Via this same website, you will then need to purchase a fiscal stamp of €60 for students and €250 for visas marked “talent passport-researcher” (“passeport talent-chercheur”) and provide the information requested.
You will immediately receive an email validating your visa - print out this email and keep it in your passport. Remember to store a copy of the electronic document. The residence permit validity period is marked on the visa. It gives you the right to travel freely in all the countries in the Schengen Area for a duration of less than 90 days for each country.
Important: if you fail to carry out this formality within the 3-month period, you will no longer have legal right of residence in France. You will no longer be able to cross borders in the Schengen Area. You will need to resubmit a visa request to a French consular post from another country.
For all types of assistance, call the national helpline 0806 001 620 or send an email to dgef-support@interieur.gouv.fr.
