Temporary residence card "visitor" of a foreigner in France
Verified 01 June 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Are you a foreigner and would like to stay in France for more than 3 months as an inactive person? You can get a temporary residence card visitor. It allows you to stay in France for more than 3 months without being able to work. It concerns in particular foreigners who come to exercise religious functions in France. The card is issued under resource conditions. It is valid for 1 year maximum and is renewable. We present you the information to know.
Step-by-step approach
The regulations are different depending on your nationality:
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You are European
If you are European, you cannot obtain a temporary residence card visitor.
You do not need a residence card.
However, if you want one, you can ask an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen residence card as a pensioner or inactive.
You are Algerian
If you are Algerian, you can not apply for the residence card "visitor" but you can get a 1 year certificate of residence visitor.
Other situation
If you are not European or Algerian and you want to come to France for a period of more than 3 months, you can apply for the residence card « visitor ».
You must meet the following 3 conditions:
- Have sufficient resources to live throughout your stay
- Have health insurance covering the duration of your stay
- Do not work in France whether as an employee, trader, self-entrepreneur, craftsman, liberal profession etc.
The minimum amount of resources required for a single person is €1,477.93 net monthly, over 1 year.
This can be your own resources (annuities or pensions, real estate income, etc.) or those of a family member. You can present bank certificates, sureties or proof of income provided by creditworthy persons.
Please note
Family allowances are not taken into account, as they are paid for the maintenance of children.
Housing conditions are also taken into account in the assessment of your resources, and possibly the sureties provided by creditworthy persons (your family in particular).
You can ask for this title if you are:
- Dependent parent of your children who are legally resident in France
- Partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent (having less than 1 year of common life)
- Religious (priest, imam, etc.) and that you come to exercise your functions in France.
Warning
The prefecture may refuse to deliver you your residence card if you have not complied with an obligation to leave the country (OQTF) or if you have committed any of the following acts:
- Forgery and use of false documents
- Misdemeanors severe or crimes (drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, procuring, working conditions or undignified accommodation, among others)
- Violence against elected officials, public officials or security agents.
You must submit the following documents:
- Long-stay visa or valid residence permit (unless you have a "long-term resident - EU" issued by another member country of the European Union)
- Proof of civil status (unless you already have a residence card): full copy of birth certificate with the most recent information
- Proof of nationality: passport (pages concerning civil status, dates of validity, entry stamps and visas), or other documentary evidence with photo (consular certificate, identity card, consular card, certificate of nationality, etc.)
- Proof of address less than 6 months old
- Declaration on the honor of no polygamy in France if you are married and come from a country that allows it
- Proofs of your resources reaching an annual amount equal to €17,735.19 (bank certificates, sureties of solvent persons, pension vouchers for pensioners, etc.)
- If you are cared for by a third party: documents justifying sufficient resources of the guarantor, certificate of financial support and identity card of the guarantor
- Attestation on the handwritten honor not to work in France
- Certificate of health insurance covering the duration of your stay
- Medical certificate issued by theOfii: titleContent (to be delivered at the time of the delivery of the title)
- Proof of payment of the tax on the residence permit and the stamp duty (to be submitted at the time of issue of the permit)
- e-photo : enter the e-photo code (provided by the photographer or the authorized booth on the photo board). If you don't have an e-photo yet, you can locate a digital photo and signature service.
- Signed copy of the commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
You must submit your card application on the Internet, at the earliest 4 months and at the latest 2 months before the end of validity of your residence document (VLS, VLS-TS or residence permit):
When you submit your application for a residence permit on the internet, you will immediately receive a dematerialized certificate of deposit.
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Your request is accepted
If your request is accepted, you are summoned to the prefecture for the issuance of the title.
The card is given to you by the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) of your home.
Your request is denied
If the prefect has notified you of the refusal
The prefect's decision is yours notified by reasoned letter (explicit decision). Except in exceptional cases, this refusal shall be accompanied by a obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) determining the country to which you will be returned.
You can form a litigation before the administrative court (within 48 hours, 15 days or 30 days depending on the type of OQTF). The use of a lawyer is not mandatory.
No response from the prefect on your request
If the prefecture has not replied after 4 months, this is an implicit refusal.
You can then train within 2 months from this refusal :
- One administrative appeal (ex gratia before the prefect and/or hierarchical redress before the Minister of the Interior)
- And/or a litigation before the administrative court. The use of a lawyer is not mandatory.
You have to pay €350 (tax of €300 + stamp duty of €50) by tax stamps.
Proof of payment of the stamp duty is requested when the card is handed over.
If you submit your application after the deadline, except in cases of force majeure or presentation of a valid visa, you will have to pay, in addition to the cost of the card, a visa fee of regularization of €180.
You can buy the tax stamp on the internet or at a tobacco office:
On the internet
You can purchase your tax stamp using an online service:
Purchase on the internet of the tax stamp - Title for foreigner
Payment is possible with the following credit cards:
- Credit card (CB) and e-credit card
- Visa
- Mastercard.
However, payment by Paypal or American Express card is not accepted.
The electronic stamp can be issued on two supports:
- PDF document with a 2D code that can also be scanned directly from a phone or tablet by the service responsible for receiving your request
- SMS containing the 16-digit identifier of the stamp that will be accepted by the agent responsible for processing your file.
In a tobacco shop
You can buy a tax stamp from a tobacco office, if the business is equipped to be able to edit them.
Warning
Do not buy a fine stamp by mistake.
This « visitor » residence card is valid 1 year. It is renewable.
Approach
You must submit your card renewal application on the Internet, at the earliest 4 months and at the latest 2 months before the end of validity of your residence document (visa, VLS-TS or title).
Warning
The prefecture may refuse you renew your residence card if you are in one of the following situations:
- Failure to comply with an obligation to leave the country (OQTF)
- Having committed forgery and use of forged documents
- Have committed offenses serious or crimes (drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, procuring, working conditions or undignified accommodation, among others)
- Have committed acts of violence against elected officials, public officials or security agents.
Documents to be provided
You must submit the following documents:
- Long-stay visa or valid residence permit (unless you have a "long-term resident - EU" issued by another member country of the European Union)
- Proof of civil status (unless you already have a residence card): full copy of birth certificate with the most recent information
- Proof of nationality: passport (pages concerning civil status, dates of validity, entry stamps and visas), or other documentary evidence with photo (consular certificate, identity card, consular card, certificate of nationality, etc.)
- Proof of address less than 6 months old
- Declaration on the honor of no polygamy in France if you are married and come from a country that allows it
- Proofs of your resources reaching an annual amount equal to €17,735.19 (bank certificates, sureties of solvent persons, pension vouchers for pensioners, etc.)
- If you are cared for by a third party: documents justifying sufficient resources of the guarantor, certificate of financial support and identity card of the guarantor
- Attestation on the handwritten honor not to work in France
- Certificate of health insurance covering the duration of your stay
- Medical certificate issued by theOfii: titleContent (to be delivered at the time of delivery of the title), unless you have already produced it
- Proof of payment of the tax on the residence permit and the stamp duty (to be delivered at the time of issue of the permit).
Cost
You have to pay €250 by tax stamps.
Proof of payment of the stamp duty is requested when the card is handed over.
If you submit your application after the deadline, except in cases of force majeure or presentation of a valid visa, you will have to pay a visa fee for regularization of €180.
You must pay this visa fee by tax stamps.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Administrative information by telephone - Allô Service Public
For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Please note: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their progress.
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15
- Service free
The informants who answer you belong to the Ministry of the Interior.
Temporary residence card "visitor"
Refusal and withdrawal of residence card
Contract of commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
Taxes and stamp duty payable
Refusal and withdrawal of residence card
Renewal of the residence card
List of documents to be supplied: item 59