Long stay visa for french polynesia

[clamshack]

Have you tried to reach out to an agency that specializes in visas? They charge more than you would by doing it yourself, but you will likely get better results.

As an example we used an agency for a Russian Visa in 2017. They knew that sending our application to the consulate in San Francisco would get better results than Houston, which was physically closest.

At least you could call one in Mexico and/or Panama City and see what they have to say.

[Montanan]

FP short stay visas are similar to Schengen rules, for up to 90 days during a rolling 6 month period.

Reference link: Order of 29 December 2011 on the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners into the territory of French Polynesia

https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/...11/2021-07-22/

Specifically as to residents/citizens of Australia:

CATEGORIES CONCERNED
BY THE VISA WAIVER

Exemption: Except for a stay of not more than three months in order to carry out a remunerated activity in French Polynesia and only if the following conditions are simultaneously met:

-a work permit is required by the regulations of French Polynesia to carry out this activity;


-and the foreign national is not able to present this work permit when crossing the border. In addition to Australian nationals, this visa exemption also applies to nationals of Norfolk (a territory associated with Australia), who hold an Australian passport.

Further reference:

Vous êtes ressortissant d’un pays qui ne fait pas partie de l’Union européenne / Documents nécessaires pour un long séjour (supérieur Ã* 3 mois) / Conditions d'entrée des étrangers en Polynésie française / Accueil des étrangers / Démar

Documents required for a long stay (more than 3 months)

If you are a national of a country that is not part of the European Union
Updated on 13/10/2021

You must present your valid passport valid for at least 3 months from the date on which you planned to leave French Polynesia, containing at least 2 blank sheets, issued less than 10 years ago.

Pay attention to the validity period of your passport!

Few countries have a consular representation in French Polynesia. Also, the renewal of your passport during your stay may require travel to your country of origin or to a country with a consular representation able to renew your passport. Consequently, it is advisable to bring before your arrival a passport that will cover your entire planned stay in French Polynesia.

You must hold a valid long-stay visa (VLS) or a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS/TS) expressly mentioning its validity in French Polynesia, applied for before your arrival in French Polynesia at the consular post (embassy) or prefecture of your place of residence. It is advisable to apply for the issuance of the long-stay visa at least 3 months before the scheduled date of arrival in French Polynesia.

Spouse of French nationals and/or holder of a valid residence permit in metropolitan France

As soon as you are a national of a country that does not belong to the European Union, you must hold a long-stay visato enter French Polynesia for a stay of more than 90 days to be requested from your prefecture of residence or consular post.

Depending on the reason and duration of your stay, you must attach to your application for a long-stay visa the required supporting documents (accommodation, resources, medical and hospital insurance, repatriation guarantee, supporting documents relating to the nature of your stay, etc.).

Within 2 months of your arrival in French Polynesia (or at the latest when your visa expires), you must contact the services of the High Commission of the Republic in French Polynesia to request the issuance of a valid residence permit in French Polynesia.

Examples of supporting documents relating to the nature of your stay

For a visitor stay: certificate not to exercise any professional activity as well as a certificate of reception signed by the person who proposes to insure your accommodation, validated by the town hall of the municipality where the accommodation is located. The form of the certificate of reception must be collected from the town hall of this municipality.

For a family or private stay: family record book, birth certificates, marriage certificates, PACSand any proof allowing to assess the reality and stability of the personal and family ties effective in French Polynesia

For a work-related stay: employment contract to obtain a work permit for the job in question issued by the government of French Polynesia before your arrival on the territoryGo to the section "Other formalities in French Polynesia"

For a stay related to studies: you will have to provide a certificate of enrolment in an educational institution in the territory, an internship agreement or a certificate justifying the benefit of a European Union programme. It should be noted that the stay of minor children for the purpose of schooling is subject to special instruction by consular posts.


Additional Reference link:

Conditions d'entrée des étrangers en Polynésie française / Accueil des étrangers / Démarches administratives / Accueil - Les services de l'État en Polynésie française


Conditions of entry of foreigners in French Polynesia
Updated on 09/10/2022

The regulations governing the entry of foreigners into French Polynesia are different from those applicable in metropolitan France and other overseas departments and collectivities.

Any entry into French Polynesia is thus subject to control by the Directorate of the Border Police of French Polynesia.

A foreign national who does not comply with the conditions of entry and stay applicable to him is liable to refusal of entry and re-routing to his country of origin or a country to which he is admissible.

Entry into French Polynesia may also require customs declaration procedures.

In each of the 2 sections below, you will find the documents to present for the most frequent situations.

Points of attention

Residence permits issued outside French Polynesia do not confer the right to enter and stay in French Polynesia.

Foreigners holding a residence card issued outside French Polynesia enter and stay in French Polynesia under the same conditions as foreigners holding a residence card issued in French Polynesia.

Are exempt from the visa required for the entry of foreigners on the territory of French Polynesia, foreigners mentioned inAnnex II of the decree of 29 December 2011, to make a stay of a duration not exceeding three months in any period of six months.

[goboatingnow]

Consider also the digital nomad process if suitable as France is issuing these.

[letsgetsailing3]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Consider also the digital nomad process if suitable as France is issuing these.

So you can pay French taxes?

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

So you can pay French taxes?

No that’s the point your income must be outside France.

Anyway French income taxes are reasonable especially on low incomes.

[Montanan]

As always, Noonsite is a great resource for countrey specific information for cruisers.


https://www.noonsite.com/report/obta...ong-stay-visa/

https://www.noonsite.com/place/frenc...a/formalities/

Immigration Process:

All visitors need a passport valid for at least 6 months (except French nationals).

French Polynesia is part of the European Union (as an overseas collective of France) but not of the Schengen Area Agreement and has its own visa rules. These rules closely follow those of mainland France with some exceptions that are specific to FP.

As not all border crossings are sufficiently manned, it is advisable for yacht crews to make every effort to obtain a passport stamp on entry to be able to prove their length of stay to avoid difficulties at a later stage.

EU CITIZENS

Length of stay for EU citizens is regulated by FP decree N°2010-1434 dated 19 November 2010. They do not require a visa for a stay of less than 3 months.

For stays longer than 3 months, EU citizens require sufficient income for their stay in FP (proof of funds might be requested) and also medical insurance covering them and the members of their family during their stay in FP.

Citizens of Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and Norway may have a special agreement with French Polynesia and should check with immigration authorities about permitted length of stay without a visa.

EU Citizens are permitted to stay in FP up to 18 months. This is the maximum accumulated time they may spend in FP, without being subjected to taxes and duties on the boat: i.e. they may fly out of FP then back in again, but that will neither reset the clock nor put it on hold.

NON-EU CITIZENS

Citizens of the following countries do not require a visa for stays of up to 3 months:-

Antigua-Barbuda, Argentina, Australia , Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, South Korea, Costa-Rica, El-Salvador, United States (including residents of American Samoa and Guam), Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Kiribati, Malaysia, Northern Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Nicaragua, New Zealand (including residents of Tokelau, Niue and Cook Islands), Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Christophe-et-Niévès, Salomon Islands, Seychelles, Singapore, Tonga, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Venezuela and Western Samoa.

Other non-EU Citizens are only permitted to stay for the length of their visa. This is usually a maximum of 3 months in any 6 month period.

Non-EU citizens wishing to stay longer than 3 months must have an LS visa (one year visa) obtained outside of French Polynesia. The only exception to this rule is if your spouse is an EU citizen, then you can apply for an LS visa upon arrival in FP.

Proof of Funds / Bond for non-EU Citizens:

If you have a Long Stay visa in your passport – you may or may not need to post a bond (check with an agent).

If you check-in at the Marquesas, both Hiva Oa and Nuka Hiva require a bond.

Gambiers is not demanding a bond at this time.

All non-EU citizens are required to do one of three things when they arrive in FP:

1) Post a bond for each non-EU Passport of approx US$1,700; or

2) Have an airline ticket departing FP* (*see note below); or

3) Have a Bond Exemption Letter from a registered Yacht Agent in FP, approximate cost US$2-300 per person. Note, in order to get bond exemption you must have insurance which covers the cost of you flying out in case of a medical emergency.

The rules about having a return air ticket or posting a bond seem to vary in how strictly they are enforced, whereas in the past they were fairly relaxed, so do be prepared.

* Refundable air tickets appear to be available through Air NZ. Refunds take approx. 2-3 weeks to process. See this report by an Australian cruiser who used this option to circumvent paying the bond in April 2016.

Even if a bond is paid, if plans change you may encounter difficulties.

For a list of yacht agents see Clearance Agents.

The bond/bond letter is not required by EU citizens.

Long Stay Visas (LS)

If you wish to stay in French Polynesia (FP) longer than 90-days and you are a non-EU citizen, you are required to get a long stay visa / carte de sejur.

The rules concerning long-stay visas change often. In the main (there are some exceptions – see below), applying for a LS visa must be done from your home country and your original passport surrendered. As applications can take 6 weeks or more, be sure to apply in plenty of time.

The French consulate in Mexico City allow non-residents in Mexico to apply for FP long stay visa, however this cannot be done more than 3 months in advance. This is a big hurdle as it allows cruisers to not
have to travel back home. [https://mx.ambafrance.org/]

SY Jacaranda spent many years in French Polynesia and they have a very useful document outlining the LS visa application process, which is regularly updated using their excellent contacts in the country.

Applying for a FP LS visa (SV Jacaranda) https://www.jacarandajourney.com/fplongstayvisa
How to Apply for a FP LS visa from Mexico (SV Migration)
Also check the official Document Checklist for Long Stay Visas (in English) from the Haut-Commissariat de la République en Polynésie Française.
Notes:

Your health insurance must cover the whole period of your LS visa, otherwise your visa will expire at the same time as your health insurance.
On arrival in French Polynesia, you must apply for a “Carte de Sejur” (temporary resident card) via a Haut Commissire. The procedure is straightforward. There are Haut Commissaire offices in Nuku Hiva (Taiohae), Papeete and Raiatea.
Early in the year, and through springtime, more people are applying for LS visas and therefore the officials in Papeete have more applications to process, and will do them on a more regular basis. Applications outside this period may take a lot longer to process (some cruisers report 13 weeks).



FYI - As to long stays on your vessel.

Ensure that you comply with all the Customs regulations as it is very likely that Customs officers will board and search your boat.

Arriving By Yacht:

Any owner or captain of a pleasure vessel arriving in French Polynesia by sea from abroad must report to the customs office of Papeete Port in Tahiti to make a declaration of entry.

If arriving at a port of entry other than the island of Tahiti, the owner/s or Captain of a vessel must present themselves to the Gendarmerie brigade at the port of entry to carry out customs and immigration formalities for entry into French Polynesian territory.

See the French Polynesia Customs website for all the details and Conditions of temporary entry of leisure vessels (admission temporaire des navires de plaisance).

Length of Stay:

On July 8, 2020 the Council of Ministers reduced the length of time that visiting leisure vessels can enter and be kept temporarily in French Polynesia without payment of Customs taxes and duties, from 36 months to a maximum period of 24 months.
It applies to any boat that entered in French Polynesia from the 9th of July 2020.
All foreign yachts that entered before the 9th of July, 2020 were given an extension that expired on December 31st 2021. Many began the procedure to import their boats (7%) so they could stay in FP, however January 2022 Customs announced that in fact the permission to stay would be extended until end of March 2022.
The decree specifies that yachts can only renew the temporary admission after 6 months outside French Polynesia waters.
See official decree
The following requirements must also be met.

The vessel’s inward clearance has been duly reported to the Customs office in Papeete.
The vessel is registered (flagged) outside the territory of French Polynesia, and the owner or master or user is a bona fide tourist and not a resident in French Polynesia.
The vessel is solely for the private use of the owner, or master, or user. Spouse or direct ascendants or descendants of the owner, or master, or user are allowed to privately use the vessel.
The vessel shall not be used for commercial activities. It shall not be loaned, rented or sold.
The owner or master or user of the vessel shall not engage in lucrative activities in French Polynesia.
If the permitted stay rules are broken, not only is a substantial fine imposed, but import taxes on the yacht also become due ( 7% tax on the value of the boat (value set by a maritime expert) – 8.5% from 1 April, 2022).
Overstaying the boat is considered a criminal offense and skippers that do so are liable to have their boat confiscated, be fined two times the boat’s value and be given a jail term of 11 days to one month.
Customs have made it clear that the law will be fully enforced.

Anchoring and Mooring – The French Polynesian Government continues to introduce restrictions on anchorages and moorings in many of the more popular islands (in particular in the Society Islands). In some places a quota system is being implemented, drastically reducing the number of yachts that can anchor and the length of time they can stay.

Unfortunately there has been an increase in menacing and threatening behaviour towards yachts, due in part to anchoring restrictions that are being placed by authorities on many popular locations.


The Association des Voiliers en Polynesie (AVP) is concerned about the recent evolution towards restricting the conditions of stay of sailboats in French Polynesia. The DPAM (Maritime Affairs Department in French Polynesia) have informed the AVP, without showing any legal documents to that effect, that in fact, anchoring was illegal throughout Polynesia and that regulations were being drafted to confirm these prohibitions wherever required. AVP is monitoring the situation and endeavoring to work with authorities on this complex issue. This is their current report on the situation.
Reference link: https://www.noonsite.com/report/fren...ions-from-avp/

Last Update - November 14, 2019

[Montanan]

Vous êtes ressortissant d’un pays qui ne fait pas partie de l’Union européenne / Conditions de séjour des étrangers en Polynésie française / Accueil des étrangers / Démarches administratives / Accueil - Les services de l'État en Polynés

You are a national of a country that is not part of the European Union
Updated on 09/10/2022

To stay in French Polynesia, you must apply for the issuance of a residence permit from the services of the High Commission of the Republic in French Polynesia no later than two months after your arrival (or before the expiry of your long-stay visa), even if you are in possession of a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit.

If you are already staying in French Polynesia, you must apply for the renewal of your residence permit within 2 months before the expiry of this permit.

There are four types of residence permits:

a temporary residence card valid for a maximum of one year
the multiannual residence card for a maximum of four years
the ten-year resident card
indeterminate permanent resident card
These permits are issued according to the reason and length of residence for the stay.
You will find below the nature of the permits issued for the most frequent situations:

Stay motivated by the activity:

1. For a stay for professional reasons:
You must apply as soon as you arrive:

A temporary residence permit if: you are an employee and holder of an employment contract issued in French Polynesia or outside French
Polynesia you are an entrepreneur or liberal profession or exercise an independent professional activity and not subject to authorization.
Access to the section "Other formalities in French Polynesia"

A multi-year residence permit "Talent Passport" if your stay falls under one of the following situations:
highly qualified employee posted by an employer established in French Polynesia when the posting takes place within the same group
researcher for work or teaching under an agreement with an approved research or higher education organisation
Business leader and investment
legal representative employee or corporate officer of an establishment established in French Polynesia

2. For a stay for study purposes:
You must apply for atemporary residence permitmarkedStudent.

3. For a stay for another reason:
If you have sufficient resources and health insurance covering the entire duration of the stay, you must apply for a temporary residence permit marked Visitor.
This card is renewable. It does not authorize its holder to exercise a professional activity in French Polynesia.

Foreign spouses of foreign nationals holding a residence permit for professional or study reasons have access to this residence permit.

Permits issued for the reasons listed above do not allow access to the residence card.

Stay for family reasons:

1. If you are a married spouse of French French:
You must apply for atemporary residence permitmarkedPrivate and Family Life.
After one year of residence, you can apply for amulti-year residence permit.
If the duration of your marriage and that of your stay in France are at least 3 years, you can apply for a 10-yearresident card.

2. If you are the parent of a French child:
You must apply for atemporary residence permitmarkedPrivate and Family Life.
After one year of residence, you can apply for amulti-year residence permit.
After 3 years of residence in French Polynesia, you can apply for a 10-year resident card.

Access to the permanent resident card for an indefinite period:

The issuance of the permanent resident card is automatic upon the second renewal of the resident card.

Residence of foreign minor children

Foreign minor children are not required to hold a residence permit. If your child has to travel, you can applyfor a Movement Document for Minor Foreigners (DCEM).
Download the DCEM
application form This title allows foreign children under 18 years of age residing in French Polynesia to return to French Polynesia after a trip abroad, without the need for a visa. It must be accompanied by a valid passport.

[jordanbigel]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Well yes but it’s approached via the same process and requires forethought and preparation as I said next not decided just after the second martini !!!

Good point. I require at least 4 martinis before agreeing to go to any French territory...

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by jordanbigel

Good point. I require at least 4 martinis before agreeing to go to any French territory...

I usually drink when I’m leaving realising what I’m leaving

[chrisr]

well i know you all are concerned how we are going with securing our long stay visas, so pleased to say that persistence has been successful !

we're now in sweden visiting family, so decided that nothing lost to try again to apply, this time at the stockholm consulate

after cunningly hiding that my forebears have been beating the stuffing out of the french for centuries at places like agincourt & trafalgar (by using my australia rather than my british passport), the consulate here was incredibly friendly and helpful, and has accepted our visa application

the folk here did not seem overly concerned that we have no permanent residency in sweden and were happy with our explanation of situation as cruising live-aboards.

so different to the consulate in frankfurt

cannot say this will succeed elsewhere, or if you actually do have a dirt home somewhere, but can say that there seems to be considerable discretion in what individual consulates can do. so our advice : ask nicely, but don't take no for an answer.

cheers,

[letsgetsailing3]

Congratulations.


As usual, persistence pays off.

[goboatingnow]

Originally Posted by letsgetsailing3

Congratulations.


As usual, persistence pays off.

Or having family in theEU diplomatic service !!!