Long-term visa to France for Russians

France is on the list of countries that signed the Schengen agreement, therefore a Schengen or French visa is required to visit this country. A long-term visa to France is issued if your trip is scheduled for more than 90 days. Such a visa makes it possible to stay only in France, it is not Schengen.

Long-term visa to France is issued to the following categories of citizens: students, students, entrepreneurs, teachers, artists. Also here you can include visas of the bride or groom. As soon as a Russian citizen arrives in France, he must ask for a foreigner's identity card at the place of his stay in the prefecture, according to which he will have the right to live and work on the territory of the country. This certificate gives its holder the opportunity to freely move around the EU countries.

Types of long-term visas to France

A visa with a long period of validity (equivalent to a residence permit)

Since 2009, it has become possible to obtain a visa that allows you to stay in France for more than three months without having to contact the prefecture for the entire duration of this document. A long-term visa for France of this kind is available to the following categories of citizens:

• Spouses of French citizens;
• Students;
• Persons who leave for a long time at the invitation of relatives;
• Persons who are going to work for hire;
• Persons who provide family support - to the governors, etc.

Questionnaire OFII

A long-term visa to France, equivalent to a residence permit, requires an OFII questionnaire attached to the applicant's file. This application form should be sent immediately after receiving the visa or upon arrival in France. The application form, approved in the consulate, must be sent by registered mail to the regional office OFII.

After that, the representative OFII will contact the applicant for the registration procedure. It is compulsory (if, after three months, registration is not carried out, then the holder of such a visa will be considered an illegal resident). A long-term visa to France of this kind gives its holder the right to travel all over the Schengen area, but on condition that the duration of the trip does not exceed three months.

Visa to France by invitation

Do I need a visa to France if the trip is planned for a marriage with a French citizen / subject? In this case, the applicant must file a request for a short-term visa, and after registering a marriage, he must return to Russia and receive a long-term visa equivalent to the residence permit.

Citizens who go to France on an invitation to work or just stay, should get a visa. To obtain it, you need the following documents:

• two photos;
• The original invitation, certified by the city hall at the place of residence of the inviting party (if the inviting party is your relative, then you do not need to certify the document in the mayor's office, but in this case you need confirmation of your relationship: birth certificate, marriage certificate (copy), etc.) .

This package of documents is mandatory when receiving a visa by invitation. Also, another package is required that relates specifically to the very fact of the trip. Namely:

• Valid foreign passport;
• The passport of the citizen of Russia;
• Certificate from work;
• A statement on the status of the bank account, etc.

Good luck!