Validating your long-stay visa

Students

Upon your arrival in France, you must validate your long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS, visa long séjour valant titre de séjour). You have three months to take the necessary steps. Good news: since 18 February 2019, everything can be done online!

Validating your VLS-TS visa is done online

As soon as you arrive in France, you must validate your visa. The process is entirely digital: you can do everything remotely, at home, on your computer. You must validate your visa within 3 months of arriving in France at the very latest.

To do so, visit the following website: https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr

What do you need to validate your VLS-TS visa?

You will need:

a valid email address,
infromation on your visa,
your date of arrival in France,
your home address in France,
a bank card to pay online the fee for issuing the residence permit.

What if you do not have a bank card?

Don't worry! You can buy an electronic stamp (timbre électronique) at a kiosk, at a dedicated terminal, and pay in cash.

Online validation steps

Log in on the website https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr;
Enter the information on your visa: visa number, date of beginning and end of validity, date of issue, reason for stay;
Enter the additional information: family circumstances, telephone number, email address;
Indicate your date of arrival in France and your address in France;
Pay the stay tax of 50 euros:

Done! Your visa is validated.

You will receive two emails.

A first email with your login details. You will need it to access your account. It will contain the confirmation of the validation of your VLS-TS visa.
A second email confirming the information you entered online. You can download the email of confirmation of the validation of your VLS-TS visa.

Why is it important to validate your VLS-TS visa?

You must validate your VLS-TS visa within 3 months of arriving in France. This entitles you to:

Lawfully remain in France for your visa's entire validity period.
Leave France, beyond the 3 months following your arrival, without asking for a visa to come back.