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rebel heart · 09-08-2013, 12:00

Just curious if anyone's had any experience with France and their "long stay visa". Just tourist status, not trying to work there.

The form looks simple enough.

And I'm talking about France itself, not French Polynesia.

savoir · 09-08-2013, 13:35

Seen this ?

Long stay visa for non professional purpose "visitor visa" - Consulat Général de France à Washington

goboatingnow · 09-08-2013, 18:24

To my knowledge , its hard for cruisers to successfully get this visa.

Dave

Boatguy30 · 09-08-2013, 18:34

In 2005, the accepted practice was to get the 3 month visa from the embassy in Panama. We managed to not have to pay the bond in the Marquesas, but others did. Was a matter of where and when you checked in. We cleared at Ua Pau about 10 days after arriving in Marquesas. We then were told to check out of Tahiti but were given the impression it as OK to stop a few places Moorea, Bora Bora, etc. We therefore spent about 4.5 months "legally" on a 3 month visa. my wife even flew home unexpectedly a few days after our passports were stamped out of Tahiti with no issue and was given a standard 2 week tourist visa or something when she got back with no outward plane ticket. I was prepared to sail to Raratonga single handed to meet her if needed it things got cocked up, but no worries.

The Tahitian officers are generally more easy going than the French one. The French embassy folks in Panama were a PITA to all Americans in the Bush years. Not sure about now. learn French if you can, it will make your stay more enjoyable.

My advise is not to rush thru FP, it is some of the best cruising with no security issues or hassles.

rebel heart · 09-08-2013, 18:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by savoir

Seen this ?

Long stay visa for non professional purpose "visitor visa" - Consulat Général de France à Washington

Good info for sure, thanks for that. The part that sucks is that we need to apply in person at our home country of residence, which since we use St Brendan's Isle means we'd need to stop in Florida.

The plus side is we have three months from getting there to figure it out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

To my knowledge , its hard for cruisers to successfully get this visa.

Dave

Do you have any details on why? The form looks pretty straight up. We've got some French citizen friends in and around Paris who would let us use their address if it came to that. If we need to not appear as "cruisers" I'm fine with that.

goboatingnow · 10-08-2013, 07:16

remember, firstly the long term visa typically requires proof of residence, i.e. rental contract, house purchase.

Secondly, you can expose yourself to French tax, which has a knock on effect, with VAT being assessed on your boat. ( and light dues etc). You can use the Transfer of Residence procedures to avoid that, but that is only practical on a genuine residence transfer.

I have one direct cruiser friend who tried it and backed away and anecdotally , several who ran foul of one of the other provisions.

There was a few threads here on CF, of people looking at it, but to my knowledge, no first hand successful application

The long term stay visa in France , was never really designed for what you have in mind.

The other question is why do you want it in the first place.

dave

rebel heart · 10-08-2013, 08:03

Quote:

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

remember, firstly the long term visa typically requires proof of residence, i.e. rental contract, house purchase.

Secondly, you can expose yourself to French tax, which has a knock on effect, with VAT being assessed on your boat. ( and light dues etc). You can use the Transfer of Residence procedures to avoid that, but that is only practical on a genuine residence transfer.

I have one direct cruiser friend who tried it and backed away and anecdotally , several who ran foul of one of the other provisions.

There was a few threads here on CF, of people looking at it, but to my knowledge, no first hand successful application

The long term stay visa in France , was never really designed for what you have in mind.

The other question is why do you want it in the first place.

dave

Interesting on all of that. I've heard the French bureaucracy is somewhat Byzantine.

Regarding why, we've got friends there including a sailing friend where the wife is French and the husband is American. My wife wants to stay there for a bit and I'm quite fine with southern France.

My wife speaks French and with having local contacts maybe we can make something work. Good point about the VAT though and other vessel duties we'd need to consider.

I wonder if people hop to Algiers or Morocco to reset a French clock, as it were.

goboatingnow · 10-08-2013, 08:12

Quote:

I'm quite fine with southern France.

an exquisite part of France, Ive spent a lot of time there

dave

barnakiel · 10-08-2013, 09:01

Get married locally. Great food too!

b.

Katiusha · 10-08-2013, 15:46

If you do figure it out, can you reply to this thread or PM me? We spent three months there this year, but it would be lovely to spent more next time.

On the other hand, my other half says that three months at a time is just enough as it's quite expensive (and we anchored and ate on the boat most of the time).