Long stay visa help? Spain? France?

[tgrimmett]

In addition to what Rimica has mentioned, I can say that my wife and I recently went through the process in the U.S. and the French consulate in Boston was very easy to work with (no awkward questions about multiple wives either!). We explained the process in a recent video on our YouTube channel, in case you want to check it out. https://www.youtube.com/c/lifefourpointzero

It does help to have all of your paperwork in hand ahead of time. I emailed the consulate several times to make sure I understood what was required.

We were also told that with the Long Stay Visa that we requested, long séjour temporaire, it does not require a visit to a local OFII office in France. We'll find out for sure when we get settled there.

Good luck!

[Pinto]

Morning all, hi Rimica,

thank you for your post - it is most helpful. It is also most timely, because only a few days back I finally bit the bullet and emailed the French Embassy in Sydney Aust. with some questions that I just couldn't get any clarity on.

Below I will post my questions and their answers (answers in Red). I had been putting off contacting them because the reviews from people approaching them are just plain dreadful. But, eventually, I had to do it.

Just before I post the questions and answers -- a couple of comments on your post.


"I was told that the Dutch visa is a lot simpler to get according to my daughter who is in the travel business. You may inquire that way as it is valisd across Europe."

The answers so far from the "French Embassy - indicate to me that for me - the only way to go would be to have a French Long term visa (LTV) - rather than a Dutch one or German or other - why?

Because one can only be in the 'other Schengen countries' for 90 (presumably out any 180) - this would mean that if eg. I had a Dutch or German LTV - that I would be stuck there for more than 3 cold months - which wouldn't work for me -- and, also I don't want to spend a long time in The Netherlands - Germany would be fine - but, it's just too cold for a long time there - so, 3 months in Germany would be fine - then, pop back to France and continue swanning around in the canals and along the coast etc. until the next year - then, maybe Greece for 3 months etc. etc.

(hope that made sense).

As to the multiple wives thing -- well, I am feeling very sad for any French women that will read that part of the post -- they must be devastated at the news - I have no idea how Canadians are treated, but, we Aussies are naturally attractive to French women - and, the mere thought that they cannot by law have a chance at some time share with us, would be very distressful for them - but, I am afraid they will just have to bear up and get in line.


Ok - here are the responses from the Embassy

"Hi,

I have a few questions regarding Long Term Visa (LTV) which I cannot find answers for on the website please ?

1. When a LTV is granted - and I enter France - is there any other administration process that I have to do for the Visa ? — I have read about "Carte de Séjour" ???? - is this something that I have to do once in France ? —
- apologies - I wrote this in ’French and the spell check is translating it - I have no idea if this is correct —
"C a r t e d e S é j o u r"

It will depend of your stay and the content of your visa application.

2. Is it possible for me to apply from the UK or another European country ? I will only be a resident of Australia.

To apply for a long stay visa for France, you must stay at least 91 days in France, during your long stay you cna travel in the others Schengen countries up to 90 days .

3.After a year is up - do I just apply for extension ? and, how long before the year is up would I need to apply for extension ?

It will depend of the king of long stay visa, the answers will be given during the interview.

4. Can I travel to other Schengen countries whilst I have the Long Term Visa ?

5.Am I correct in that I will have to travel to Sydney for an interview ? - I reside in Tasmania.

Correct, you have to book an appointment online and come with a complete visa application; We invite you to visit our website.




You can see from their responses that they leave themselves a LOT of room for movement on the day --which will bring a dilemma for me - should I wear the cute little black dress for the interview or should I just be bold and appear in a yellow bikini straight up?
After all - they are French


Again - thank you for your post - it was most helpful.

Have a great day

[flyingfin]

[QUOTE=hellosailor
Now, speaking of overstaying and borders, the border patrol folks have been boarding commercial busses in south Florida. The courts have ruled that they can operate within 100 miles of the border, and that's going to go all the way around to the USSC on this issue again, as Florida's governor [/QUOTE]

WOW, where are the moderators??? Posts like this need to be deleted instantly, as some people just cant wait to pull the wheel hard off course

[Pinto]

thank you tgrimmett


the picture is becoming clearer now - even though both reports are from outside Australia -- ie. Canada and the US.


I don't know who should be offended more - Canadians or Americans where the Canadians are asked to sign off that they won't have multiple wife plans - but, it's ok for yanks apparently

I always did wonder about Canada

God knows what they will ask Australians to abstain from?

I was heartened to read that you had a friendly experience - I really wasn't all that worried about what would happen in my case - because usually the reality doesn't match what others tell you - but, there is a lot of bad press about the Sydney experiences of people --- but, of course -- what you don't see are the hundreds of happy customers who basically, bugger off and don't leave a comment.

I believe (read a while back - or did I read it on the Embassy site???) - that once your visa is granted - you only have 3 months to get your kit together and enter France - so, what I will do is that when I am ready to go - I will apply then.

I will be buying a boat -- ?? somewhere -- UK or Europe - so, it looks easier timing wise now - because I can get the French Visa - go to France, then, buy the boat - whether it is in the UK or elsewhere. It might involve a bit of country hopping - and, that will be a pain in the bum - but, at least administratively it's no problem. Alternatively, seeing I have 3 months - if perchance I get a UK boat - I could go there first - then, sail it across the Channel - as long as I am within the 3 months from granting of the Visa - that would work as well.

thanks again all

[Eric50]

Let me brought you some clarification about french rules and bureaucracy :

paperwork : long time tradition coming from Napoleon, in France the more they ask you paper the better they fell in term of having done their job or not.

Prefecture location : correction : they are NOT in every town, only in towns stated on an administrative point of view, officially as "prefecture". Which means you'll have only one per district, called "departement" in France, about 100 overal. There are also "sous-prefecture" cities that usually offers same administrative services but, as more and more prefecture by the way, do not open all days and few hours per day, so it can be very time consuming to deal with them. France is an old country with approximately 36000 cities (more than in the rest of Europe together !), they are trying to improve by having more and more "online services".

"Carte de séjour" is an ID / long term visa thing for people who are foreigners and intend to stay few years in France, mostly for job reason, it is mandatory to have one in order to have a work permit for example. As tourists you should not need to challenge a "carte de séjour", as this ID is usually requested for people that intend in the end to stay in the country and finally become french by asking french nationality. As Canadian or Australian I am sur you'll obtain the proper visa for long term easily, there are agreement between our countries that simplifies procedures, although you have to provide a certain amount of paperwork, references and so on.

All those references are required in a country that is litterally invaded by African people that want to obtain gain from French national social board which may be the most generous in the world, this create a huge debt and mass of fixing in term of taking advantage illegally form the social board.

There are even in Africa companies that offers "administrative packages" to illegal immigrant in order to mistify the French social board and obtain 100% payment once arriving in the country exactly same as a national that worked 40 years...One of the usual t-rick to obtain several time pension from the social board is to multiply the requests as much as you have women...as a lot of African countries still have multi-wives tradition, which is illegal in France, they use this "particularity" to several times the social aid based on number of children mostly. That is why you have this question from the French authorities.

Lucky you are as Canadian or Australian to be far from Africa and middle-east and "protected" by oceans, as it does not give you the opportunity to experiment such issue, or in a much less proportion. Another advantage you have is that you are much firm, although may be much simpler in term of procedures, on the rules for immigration than we are.

LTV : if the visa is 90 days one, you either should leave France BEFORE the end date of the visa, or renew it.

Beware of European boundaries and the famous Schengen one : the rule is simple, once you enter EU in one of the "Schengen country", you can, travel free in all the others "Schengen countries". Channel Island for example are NOT in Schengen, neither Norway (which is NOT in EU by the way). UK status is about to change soon in 1 year or so because of the Brexit, so make sure you'll know when you'll enter or leave the so call "Schengen area".

Here are some official web links, in French unfortunately (it seems that France still consider being the center of the world and that the "outside" world speaks French, my apologies for that...), but you have a "web call back button" on these pages that may be let you be in touch with English speaking contact...(on the right of the page, in purple).

Articles > Formalités générales

Wowww!!!, just discover a full English page titled "trouble free with french customs" !!! Here it is (you should read this one first) :

Articles > Trouble-free travel with French Customs

One for advises for traveller (in French..) :

Arrivée en France : conseils aux voyageurs

Another one related to your belongings (significant ones as car for example, on a tax point of view, importation / exportation...) :

Arrivée en France : justificatifs réglementaires

Hope this will help.

[Rimica]

There is a little problem in getting a visa and then buying a boat. The visa will ask where are you going to stay in France, our friends gave the marina and slip number of there boat. We had a sponsor so we gave that location to them. If you have no boat and no sponsors then you have a problem.

By the way,no sponsoring of a product here, but I deal with HSBC bank in Canada and they open a french bank account for me and that opened all kinds of doors First it was easy to get a local cell phone which are much cheaper then any other way I know (100 euro for 100gig and 2 sims) , easy to show that I am not a vagrant and avoided all kind of currency issues. Our friends who brought their US bank account statement to a prefecture in the south of France was asked to get it translated and certified as a true translation. This is something to frame for posterity.

[Eric50]

Rimica, the authentification process is usual in France for copies and translated documents.

It is usually done by the civil servant in the city hall or prefecture desk for copies by showing the original document and the copy (you'll have to explain the civil servant the purpose of the authentification otherwise they will tell you they are not doing it, in that case they have to).

For translated document, you'll have to have it certified by registered translators who are listed normally in the prefecture desks. You can probably do everything in your native country, just ask French embassy for details, they are usually more familiar with all of this than the administration in France.

Although procedures seems heavy, for having worked on 3 continents and about 30 different countries, I don't know one that let you being several months or years without a minimum of bureaucracy and registration process.

[Pinto]

morning all (my morning)

thanks again to Eric and Rimica,


On the boat buying point -- I will confirm this at the interview - but, I will either cook up a French address before hand with some friends (am working on it ) or I will pick some Port that I think I might enter - perhaps Dunkirk or Le Havre
- pick some Marina nearby and begin a relationship by phone using my highly honed social skills

It is tricky because I have been looking at boats anywhere from Scotland to England, Spain and also Germany.

Some have sold when I have been looking - even though they have been on the market for a couple of years.

So, when I leave Australia - I will have a list of boats to look at - at that time, and who knows where they will be.

The other complication is that when I go to see the boats - they might be not as they seem in the advertising and conversations - so, they just might not be suitable at all.

I just have to 'suck that up Princess' and deal with it as it happens.

The latter is why I asked the French Embassy if I could apply for the Visa from the UK or another country - as opposed to here in Australia - because the boat hunt 'might' drag on for months - and/or, I might get a boat that I want to do some work on where I buy it - and, who knows, one can easily spend a month working on a boat. I would be crazy to take on a longer term project though.

Why is this important? - Because I 'think' that I have to enter France within 3 months of the issue of the Visa. Hence, my cunning plan to overide this if necessary by entering France, then heading off to the UK or similar to buy the boat - then sail back to France etc.

Which brings up the point of having an address before I buy the boat.

Anyway - it will be what it is - something will happen and everything will work out.


I can say that I am looking forward with excitement and glee to wading my way through the French bureaucratic paperwork - with little or no French language skills (thank God for electronic translator apps )

My list of questions for the Embassy will grow as time moves on, I am sure -

I will be self funded and not be wanting work in France - so, I don't know if that means I will need a sponsor or not --- there will be many questions like this atm -- ready for them if they ask.


Onward

[Rimica]

Of course we are the guests here and we are here in France by permission of the country only. They have the absolute right to ask for anything they want. It is a good country to visit, with great boat building abilities. It just help a lot to keep your sense of humour while going through the process.

[crdaem]

What about the VAT on your boat? Doesn't a long stay visa mean that you are a resident of France and are now liable for Vat? I am in a similar situation Taking delivery of my boat in Feb 2019 and would like to cruise the Med.

[eastlands]

UK has never been a party to Schengen. Currently all EU citizens have right of entry but non EU citizens holding a Schengen visa may require an additional UK visa and time spent in the UK would not count as part of the 90 day limit.
Norway IS covered by Schengen although not an EU member.
VAT becomes due if you stay over 18 months. If in the Med you can exit the EU waters (Turkey, North Africa, Gibraltar) and restart another 18 months on your return.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by crdaem

What about the VAT on your boat? Doesn't a long stay visa mean that you are a resident of France and are now liable for Vat? I am in a similar situation Taking delivery of my boat in Feb 2019 and would like to cruise the Med.

Only if VAT was not already paid by a previous owner (and assuming the boat wasn't outside the EU long enough to lose VAT status). If VAT was already paid, the status is still VAT paid.

The difference is as a resident, you don't get an 18month temporary import on a non-VAT paid boat like non-residents get. If you bring a non-VAT paid boat into the EU, VAT is due immediately (pending some exemptions for moving your household).

[blakeredd]

It sounds like you are knowledgeable about residence permits. I have US passport only but can get a carte de séjour retraité in France and I am buying a boat VAT paid, and might put a French flag on it (with a French SASU). But I am still wondering about extended cruising in the rest of the Schengen Med. Any advice ? Thanks