Staying Long-Term in France before Getting Married

Hi Annie,
You would need a long stay visa - these are good for one year, renewable in France. You should check your French consulate's webpage for the list of different types, and see which best fits your situation.
Good luck!
Julie

Hi, I'm American and met my French partner in NYC many years ago.  When we decided to move to France, I came on a one year long stay visa without permission to work.  So that's the tricky part with this type of option.  There's really no way to come to France and have permission to work unless you get a company to sponsor you for a work visa, come as a student or get married. 

During my first year here, we made sure to document our communal life together.  That meant opening a joint bank account and having my name on a utility bill.  After one year, we got PACsé -- which is a union in France similar to marriage but more casual and much easier to dissolve -- which also gives a foreigner the right to live and work in France. 

If you aren't able to qualify for the one year long stay visa, look at the requirements for getting PACsé right away. You still won't be able to work for the first year but you'd have the right to live here.

Good luck!

Thank you Julie!

Hi Karesanti,

Thank you for your feedback. It is very helpful. May I know please what purpose did you put for your long stay visa? What are the requirements please?

Thank you again!

Annie

Hi Annie,

I put something about wanting to learn about French culture and language. My partner's parents wrote a letter inviting me to come and offering me a place to stay.  You  will need someone to do that for you, it can be your boyfriend.  My boyfriend couldn't as he was living in the US at that time.

I've been here 7 years now, we're still PACsé, and I recently qualified for a 10 year long stay visa.  The first year can be a bit hard but after that it gets easier.

Hi Karesanti,

That's great! I will inform my boyfriend regarding this information. Can I send you a private message please if I have more questions in the future?

It was a bit conplicated reading about the French visas. I really appreciate your help!

Annie

Sure, no problem.

Hello po..
Saan po kayo sa pinas? I'm from Phillipines  din  po though we are not in same situation kasi Dutch yung husband ko pero andito sa France nagwowork at nkatira. But were here now in France.
I advised po na yung partner nyo po is to go to prefecture and then mag inquire xa kung among type ng visa and requirements. Base sa experience ko po is Fiancee visa ang dapat sa.sitwasyun nyu.  At ang.mga requirements normally is ang una kung may regular work bah and salary na aabut sa quota ..payslips for 3/months. Bank statements ..tax declaration ..proof of accommodation if rental or owned.. Certificate of no marriage..copy of passport. Letter of invitation. Proof of being in long term relationship gaya ng holiday pictures together even text messages or chats..mahigpit sila dito girl . 
And for you nman need mo passport..birth certificate cenomar all nso and red ribbon din. .try mo din search sa vfs global France in the Philippines andun din mga info ..sa kanila ka din nman magsusubmit ng application mo.

Hi Alma,

I'm from Manila

Thanks sa feedback. I researched about fiancé visa, it says it's no longer existing in France. They removed it back in 2015. How long have you been staying there? How's life in France for Pinays like us?^^

Yes maybe I can ask my partner to go to the prefecture.

Regards,

Annie

We moved 4 months ago. Easy LNG nman to find work as long your not picky. My friend have same situation. They end up getting married para mapadali papers nya. She comes with spousal visum for 3 months and they got married here. After that she needed to go back to apply the long stay visa dyan sa pinas.  She's back after few weeks..

I m in a similar situation now..staying in France with touristic visa, overstay for 2 months already (as I have the right to stay in the European Union not more than 90 days). I got PACSe with a Frenchman but as the laws have changed, it doesn't t give the right to stay in France long-term.  I m planning to apply for long sejour visa, and the rdv is on Jan 29th. But I consulted a lawyer and he says that I can apply for this type of visa only after living with my partner for 1 year, not less. But how can it be possible to stay here one year if I have no visa. So, I have to wait till Mai with my visa no longer valid,  prepare all papers and apply for long sejour visa in Mai. Complicated. And I can t leave the country to avoid problems on the border.

Being a romantic, I think there's a danger that the above conversation could be interpreted as a request for business advice rather than
an affair of the heart.
My answer to the first question is that if you love each other enough you will get married and come to live in France. Everything else is of secondary importance, but then I am old-fashioned. It's based on my own experience and I have never regretted it.

Hellooo..

In my experiences..

Maybe could help you.

I visited France with business visa for 3 months, thanks to my company because i can get visa schengen easily.

So after i got this visa I decided to resign from my company because i have Togo to France to meet my future.

When i arrived to France , we decided to make PACs before my visa expired.

One year passed without visa , because my visa expired, so i can't do anything here,.  Even for looking for job and get health insurances. (irregular situation).

One year passed with patient to get my first Carte de sejour because minimal have to live together for one year. and finally i got it. So i can searching job, get health insurance and of course a little holiday to European union.

Now i am happy because this is my second carte for 2 years..

If you still worry to married, get Pacs is better to save your life in France without marriage.

Easy about papers, and when someday there's a problem,  you can separate easily.

Thank you

Exactly what I say.. You have to stay in France illegally as the visa expired already...and in one year you can apply for carte long sejour. Could you tell me please, your second card is for 2 years, and the first one was for how long? And what was the city where you got it? Thanks.

And even if you get married, it s not so easy to get carte long sejour. It s always a commission who decides.

Hello....
  My first card was only for one year.
I live in Aude departement.

And to get it is so easy for me because i gave all the papers they need with arrangements .

one time with rendez vous to give papers,  one month after i get it, and same with second carte.

Oh thanks a lot for the answer, very helpful to know.

I am also waiting for my carte sejour. Situation was like this. Im Philippine national. My husband is Dutch national. We got a daugther together of 6 years old. I came in France with a multiple entry tourist visa as per advised by the lawyer. We fall on a directive order of freedom of eu movement since my husband is an Eu national and not in his own country so for that he could exercise his rights..As spouse I have derived right to stay in France as well. I thought it would go fast getting carte sejour but one month have passed have no results yet either. My child i already schooling here. My tourist visa has expired already too since u can only stay max 90 days per travel even if its multiple entry for a year..not to mention my first attempt to applied for it was denied on 2015. It was not even my first schengen visa application since i have travelled in netherlands before as well. Lets just hope whoever handles our application is in best mood cause its all.in their hands

As for insurance my husband buy me per month for 87/euro a month we just extend my schengen insurance month by month and it cost a lot per month

Hi Karesanti,
May I ask, so you got 1st 1-year-visa without mentioning about living with your partner in France? But the main purposes are something else about French culture and Language?