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Last Updated: February 3, 2022
Within the first three months following arrival to France on a long-stay visa, you must register with the government in order to make your stay legal. There are a couple of steps to validating a long-stay visa, and the procedure you follow depends on the type of visa that you’ve been granted. For the type of visa that I got, a long-stay visitor visa, you need to pay a tax and go to a medical exam. Seems easy, right? Read on…
Online Payment
The validation process is now initiated online (as of August 1, 2019). This website is accessible in French, English, and Chinese. Personally, I recommend using the French version of government websites, because the English translations are not always very clear.
Fill in your visa and contact information, pay the fee online (by selecting and buying the appropriate timbre fiscal électronique), and then get immediate confirmation via email. They send you a downloadable PDF stating that your visa has been validated. I am so impressed with France landing squarely in the 21st century on this one. Step one was surprisingly easy and painless, minus the money paying part, of course! I paid a tax of 250 euros ($278) for my long-stay visitor visa.
➡️ If you are eligible to exchange your foreign driver’s license for a French license, you generally have one year to do so after validating your visa online: How to Exchange Your American Driver’s License in France.
Obligatory Medical Exam
If you’re staying in the country for more than 3 months, you may be required to have a medical exam. Nothing to worry about, but you do have to wait for the Office of Immigration to notify you of your appointment. The sooner you complete step one of the validation process, the sooner you will be contacted. I suppose the amount of time you have to wait also depends on your location in France, the time of year (holiday/vacation season, etc), whether France is currently on strike, and how lucky you are. I pulled the short end of the stick on all of these points. Paris—probably one of the longest waits, I paid the tax in October and nothing gets done over the holidays (Toussaint and Christmas/New Year’s), the literally indefinite transportation strike, and do you see that dark cloud hovering over my head? Remember when I tried to open a bank account…? Yea, dealing with French administration is hard enough, but my luck doesn’t make it any easier.
Getting the Appointment
After about three months of waiting for notification of my medical exam, I decided to give them a call. Quand même. The website for L’Office de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration (OFII) is quite uninformative. I mean, it has information, for sure. But no information that you’re actually looking for. For example: How long is the expected wait to get a medical exam appointment? What should you do if you haven’t gotten an appointment yet? Which office will you be expected to report to? To whom should you address your questions? You know, the basics.
I ended up calling an office located in Paris that seemed the most logical based on where I’m living. For about twenty minutes, I waited on the phone, listening to “OFII Paris, Bonjour et bienvenue. Nous allons vous répondre dans quelques instants. Hello and welcome to OFII Paris. We will take your call in a moment.” This entire message played on a loop, with only a few seconds in between. So. Fun. I put them on speaker phone so that I could get on with my life while I waited.
When someone finally picked up, I explained that I had gotten my confirmation by email but hadn’t received a medical appointment date yet. The lady I spoke to was not very pleasant, helpful, or articulate. She started by asking me for my date of birth, which didn’t seem very logical given that she didn’t have any other information on me yet, not even my name, but I went along with it. Then she asked if I had a number… Ummm, phone number? Number on my visa? Passport number? Number from 1-10 of how frustrated I currently am that you just keep asking for my number!? I finally won the guessing game when I asked if she wanted the reference number on my visa validation confirmation PDF. Maybe that was obvious, but maybe if she said numéro de référence, I might have gotten there a little sooner and saved us both time and needless frustration.
Well, she plugged in that information and told me right away—Il faut juste attendre. (You just have to wait.) At first, given her quick response, I thought she meant that I needed to wait for her computer to tell her things. But when, after a lengthy pause, she asked—Vous comprenez? (Do you understand?)—I realized my mistake. Any idea how much longer I’ll need to wait? Il faut juste attendre. But, how long does it usually take to get an appointment? Il faut juste attendre. So, to confirm, you have all required documents, but you don’t know how long it will take? Il faut juste attendre. I might have been talking to a robot. Not sure.
My appointment convocation arrived by email 3.5 months after paying the tax. The appointment was about a month in the future. According to the convocation letter, you can reschedule the appointment if the date does not work for you, but honestly, I suggest clearing your schedule and making it work! For the record, I do not think that my phone call in any way shortened my wait time, but at least it confirmed that they had my name on file. Dealing with French administration is all about celebrating the little things.
Documents Needed
According to the convocation PDF, here’s what you need to bring to the appointment:
- Convocation (appointment letter)
- Passport
- Vaccination records
- Recent lung x-rays
- Hospitalization records
- Glasses, if needed
- Maternity records
If some of the records don’t apply to you or you’ve never had a chest x-ray, don’t worry about it! I additionally brought my health insurance card, but was not asked about it.
Did this guide help you? Say thanks with a cup of coffee!
OFII Montrouge
I believe everyone in Paris is sent to the OFII located in Montrouge, just outside of Paris. You can use a regular metro ticket to get there. My appointment was scheduled for 8:30 in the morning. I arrived 15 minutes early, but was not let in until 8:25. The doorman called out appointment times, which seem to be scheduled on the hour and on the half hour. I was among the first few people from my time slot to enter. In between letting people in, the door remained firmly closed with the doorman conveniently inside, out of earshot.
Checking In
There was no line outside the building—just a small mob of people who rushed the door every time it opened a crack. If you do not have an appointment, you will not be let in. The doorman was very strict about this, and I really sympathized with the people who probably felt they had to show up at the office to get information after not getting answers online or by phone. He pointedly kept telling them that they needed to call or email for an appointment, which is such a joke. He also said (in English) that he spoke no English, and then kept repeating the same instructions in French, pointing at the sign on the door.
I’m sure his job is not easy, but he showed no compassion or civility whatsoever. If the system worked better, people wouldn’t just be showing up at the door trying to get answers to their questions. On a related note, it would be helpful for the people who work in the immigration office, especially the first person you make contact with, to be able to speak English. The system is complicated to navigate even for those with a good command of French.
Back to getting in the door… You’ll need to show your appointment time and passport in order to enter the building, so it’s best to print out your convocation form. After a quick security checkpoint, I handed my convocation letter to the woman at the reception desk. She stamped it and added it to a pile. One girl entered the building by showing her convocation on her phone, but I’m not sure how that worked out for her at the reception desk. Then, you are directed to have a seat in the salle d’attente (waiting room). Within the waiting room, there is a vending machine with coffee and a pumping room. There is a bathroom down the hall.
When I entered the waiting room, there was no one there from the 8:00 time slot, and I took this as a good sign. They must be running on time! Excellent. Minor detail—in my time waiting outside, I hadn’t seen anyone exit the building…
Stations 1 & 2
At 9:15, a woman came in with a small stack of papers—our convocation forms. The first people from my time slot were called, and it was all people who got there after me… What?! (bad luck acting up again) At 9:30, I was called up with a small group of people to go wait in the next area. It was kind of like a wide hallway. There were two rows of chairs placed down the middle, with their backs together. Kind of like a musical chairs setup, but much less fun, because there was no music. Hanging from the ceiling were numbered signs designating different stations. Each station was manned by a couple of doctors. This setup had the potential to be efficient, but I think there just weren’t enough doctors working.
The first station was a check-in with the woman who brought us in. She was kind and patient and spoke English. We were asked to have our passport and phone number ready. The woman asked me a few questions regarding insurance, marital status, and pregnancy. At the next station, a doctor checked my weight and height. Then I did an eye exam. One of my eyes is clearly showing its age, but the doctor said it wasn’t serious. Everything was going very well so far!
Station 3
The third station was a chest x-ray. The doctor brought me over to a small closet sized room. There were several at the end of the hallway that then opened into a larger room where the x-ray machine was located. It kind of felt like the holding pen where a bull is kept before they are released into the arena. The male doctor who would be doing the x-ray asked, in French, if I spoke English or French, to which I responded (in French), “both” and the doctor who brought me over responded, “French.” Naturally, this doctor decided he would speak to me in English. Ok, fine. He retreated back to the bigger room, closing the door on the way. I was left in the closet to strip from the waist up, tie up my hair, remove jewelry, and cover myself while I waited. Finally, the door leading to the larger room was opened and I was summoned in.
While I appreciated that all the doctors seemed willing to speak English if needed, this guy’s English was not good. It made an awkward situation more uncomfortable, because he could not explain very well how I needed to position myself. He kept repeating directions that didn’t make sense in English and ended up having to physically push me into position. Apparently, your chest needs to be flat against (read: touching) the machine, with your hands behind your back, holding a little lead apron.
Please note, this is my second time going to an immigration medical exam in France, and this was not how it went down last time. On another note, I also question a male doctor overseeing this procedure. For me, it was mostly the fact that the procedure was unnecessarily drawn out due to poor communication that I was uncomfortable, but I wonder about women who, for religious reasons, cannot be undressed in front of a male outside of their family. This doesn’t seem like best practice on France’s part.
Station 4
Afterwards, I was so excited to go back to my closet, put my clothes on, and leave behind my feelings of vulnerability! When I left that little space, it was 10am. I had only sat for a couple minutes before I was moved on to the next station. The final station! This doctor asked about vaccines. It’s easiest if you bring a copy of your vaccination record and just hand them over for the doctor to interpret, but if don’t have a record, it’s no problem. If you are missing any vaccinations according to French standards, you will receive a sheet informing you of which vaccinations you are missing and where you can go to get them for free.
The doctor also asked about medications, took my blood pressure, listened to my lungs and heart, and told me the x-ray was fine. The last time I did a medical exam in France, I got to keep a full-size print out of my x-ray, and I’m absolutely gutted that I didn’t get one this time, because we’re really in need of decoration in the apartment… There must have been some budget cuts!
She returned my convocation to me along with two certificates stating I had completed the medical visit. You need to get them stamped at the reception desk on the way out. One is for your records and the other is to be brought to the préfecture when and if you renew your visa or apply for your first carte de séjour. In the meantime, the visa sticker in your passport functions as a titre de séjour (residence permit).
Final Remarks
Aside from the unhelpful doorman, whose demeanor made me nervous about what I might encounter during my appointment, and the radiologist, everyone was pleasant and professional. Despite the numerous negative reviews on Google about this establishment, the experience as a whole was not as bad as I was expecting. Walking out the door at 10:13, I was also satisfied with how early I was able to leave. Then again, I figured I would be spending literally all morning there, because that’s how little faith I have in the system. It helps when your expectations all around are very low!
UPDATE! Now that I’ve changed my status to the carte de séjour vie privée et familiale (CdS VPF), I have additional requirements with OFII.
Interesting process – glad it all worked out- did you ever get bank account opened
I am also glad it all worked out, unlike my bank account, which continues to be a source of frustration. I’m meeting with a new bank this week.
I was intrigued by the suspense of your medical exam…..thank goodness it all worked out and fairly quickly! Good for you!
I like that you used the word “suspense” here. Maybe if I thought about my exorbitant wait times and paperwork pitfalls in terms of “building suspense,” my whole perspective would be more optimistic! Thank you for reading 🙂
Did you not have a second appointment with OFII? I heard that the medical appointment is first and then you have a second one where you have to sign a form about taking a cultural integration course and possibly a language class if they don’t assess you at A1 level. Did you not have to do the second appointment because you had already done it in a previous time in France?
I also have a weird question. You said they ask you about pregnancy at the medical appointment. Have you heard anything about what happens if you say that you are pregnant? I’m not pregnant, but there is a possibility I could become pregnant before we move there in September. And I’ve heard you can’t apply for the national health insurance until you’ve been living there for 3 months. But if you’re pregnant before then, do they expedite you getting on to health insurance? I know it’s a really weird question, but I can’t find any info anywhere about that scenario. We’ll be moving from Korea, and I’m on the national health insurance here, but I have to give it up once we move, and I have not had private insurance from the US in at least 6 years
Hi Emilie,
The language assessment and culture/civics classes are not a requirement of the visitor visa, which is what I currently have. I can look forward to that when I change my status! haha However, they are a requirement of the Visa VPF (Vie privée et familiale), which is likely what you’re applying for.
If you’re pregnant at the time of your medical exam, I don’t think they will be able to do your x-ray. When you get your convocation, you should contact them and see how best to proceed.
Yes, you have to have lived in France for at least 3 months before applying for health insurance through PUMA (Protection Maladie Universelle). If you have a job, your employer would start the ball rolling for health insurance right away (no 3-month wait). They usually issue a temporary number quickly, sometimes within a month. This also depends on where you are living. I can really only speak to Paris. If you feel it is necessary, you can call or go to your local CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie) and explain your situation. It’s definitely worth a try. Sometimes, it’s all about who you talk to.
You might want to consider getting private insurance to tide you over in the meantime. When applying for my visa, I had to show that I had health insurance. Is that the case for you?
I totally forgot about being pregnant with an x-ray. We have to get it done here in this country every 2 years for the national health insurance exam. I wonder if I get it translated they’d accept my last results, which were from December. This might be TMI, but the whole time I’ve been here in this country I’ve had an IUD, mostly because this country is really strict with abortions and my work contract isn’t super flexible if we had a baby and we have no other family here, so I just didn’t want to risk it. But I’m getting it removed right before we leave, so my chances of being pregnant increase a lot after that.
And luckily, because of confinement, probably one of the only good things about it, lol, my husband was able to land a job in France with just doing Skype interviews. And it’ll be a CDI contract. And Im pretty sure they offer a mutuelle with the contract that I can possibly use, I think, so hopefully we’ll be all good there. But I’ll try to check through the other options just in case.
But also, you’re experience with the OFII in Paris makes me rather want to use my mother-in-law’s address to get my convocation, lol, so that I don’t need to go to the Paris facilities. We’ll be staying with her for our first 2 weeks anyways for our voluntary confinement after we get in from our flight. And we don’t have our own apartment yet so we kind of have to stay with her.
Congratulations to your husband for landing a job! I’ve heard health insurance is processed a bit faster for those who are employed, but it might also be a myth 😂
If you’re on Facebook, I recommend joining the group called “Strictly Santé France.” It’s a very active group, and there might be someone in a similar situation who could let you know how the process was for them 🙂
I tried to get info from that FB group, but it was so confusing, even on there, lol, mostly British people right now trying to figure things out with Brexit. But I went down the rabbit hole of the advice section on the Ameli website, and supposedly the thing about my husband now having a job and my health insurance being processed faster is actually not a myth.
https://forum-assures.ameli.fr/questions/1418197-rattache-compte-mari
The original was from 3 years ago, but I found this one from a question that was asked only 3 months ago, so supposedly it still applies. I have to have my husband give me power of attorney over his bank account though for me to be able to sign up, I have no idea how that’s gonna work with me being a US citizen, but I guess it won’t technically be my bank account, it’s still my husband’s but the national health insurance will be able to refund to that account. Then I guess whenever I eventually get my own bank account (not looking forward to that as a US citizen, lol), I guess I can change the bank information for the refunds.
You know my husband was gonna wait till we got to France to start applying for jobs, but I pushed him to start looking 6 months before we left because I was a little nervous about moving there without him having a job, it’s an immigrant mentality I guess. But I’m so glad I did, because there is so much more now we can do to set things up just because he got it, lol
Oh, yes. There’s a lot going on with Brexit. I am in Facebook groups for French health insurance and visa/residence cards, and I feel like the British have been taking over both groups! 😅
Thanks so much for sharing this info that you found on Ameli. It can be difficult to sift through their forums!
That makes sense about the bank account. They need to be able to reimburse you. I have a couple of blog posts about opening a bank account in France. I was able to open one very quickly with LCL (I walked out with my bank account number that day, and it was active a couple of days later.) and lately, I’ve heard that HSBC is good with Americans as well. I’m not sure what your timeframe is for getting to France, but maybe you could call them before leaving to set up an appointment for as soon as you arrive, just in case the power of attorney thing doesn’t work out.
Good luck with everything!
Thank you for all explained, I have one question is there any possibility for quick process after Visa validation ( Visa long séjour )
Hi there,
I’m unclear on what it is that you’re specifically asking about. If your question is in regards to health insurance, I have a blog post dedicated to that process, including an approximate timeline for different scenarios. (https://www.americaineinfrance.com/2020/08/09/how-to-apply-for-health-insurance-in-france-as-an-expat/)
In general, though, there is nothing quick about any processes in France 😅
Ellen
Hi, thank you so much for the information. I just have a question regarding the very first step. I was here in 2017 as an exchange student and when I arrived I was also asked to pay the tax and then go to their office on a certain date (an appointement they gave me) where they took my passport and gave me an official OFII stamp. This time, I was told to register online, pay… and that’s it! I just received a PDF with the confirmation on my payment but no further instructions on what I had to do three years ago. Did they change the system? I don’t know if you have a clue on this, but it seems like you didn’t have to get a second stamp on your passport, right? I’m just wondering because I don’t want to get in trouble and, like you said, there is not much information out there. Thank you!
Hi Gabriela!
Yes, the process has changed although I’m not sure what year it changed. I was in France for a school year (2012-2013), so I’m familiar with the old process of getting the OFII sticker in your passport. That is not done anymore. You’ll get the confirmation page after paying the tax online, which you should keep for your records. Paying the tax will trigger the system to schedule your OFII appointment(s). And then you’ll get confirmation sheets after your appointment(s) with OFII—just some papers to hold onto for your records. You’ll really only need to show them to someone if you renew your visa or apply for a carte de séjour. That’s it! Simple, although understandably unnerving not to have anything official placed in the passport.
Wishing you all the best during your stay in France,
Ellen
Hey Ellen,
Thank you so much for all your informative posts. After 3 days of constantly looking for answers, I think this is the only space with well written instructions. I’m not sure if you will be able to help me here but let me try.
I live in Dubai and have been to France only twice but my wife who is with me in Dubai is French so I got the VPF long stay visa stamped on my passport (was super easy to get it done in Dubai). We plan to go and settle in France and I have received a job offer for from Paris in one condition that I have all my paper work ready. I am wondering if I can go to France alone and start working with this visa as my wife still has to complete her contract in Dubai until end of the year.
Thank you 🙂
Hi Sahle,
I’m so glad that you’ve found my blog to be helpful 🙂
Congratulations on the VPF visa and the job offer! You’re already way ahead of many people who have their sights set on France.
The French government is only going to be concerned about YOUR arrival in France. As a French citizen, your wife can come and go as she pleases, barring other restrictions due to the pandemic. You are absolutely allowed to arrive in France on your own with a VPF visa, but I’ve heard that some people have been given a hard time lately at the airport when traveling without their French spouse (This is specifically Covid-related). I would recommend bringing your livret de famille and/or acte de mariage, as well as, any other documents that might prove helpful (job contract? rental agreement? copy of your spouse’s passport?). And, of course, make sure you check the news and government announcements to see if there is anything else that you need to be aware of before entering France.
Upon arrival, you’ll validate your visa as described in this post, and you are ready to work! OFII will contact you later on for the medical appointment, and since you are arriving on a VPF visa, you will also be required to have an assessment of your French ability, complete a series of civics classes, and sign an integration contract. This will take place over the course of several months. Your wife does not need to be present for any of these meetings.
At the end of your first year, if you are renewing your right to stay, you’ll apply for a carte de séjour “vie privée et familiale,” and she will need to be present for that appointment. At that time, you’ll need to present documentation that you have a “vie commune” (life together) in France. So while you’re establishing yourself in France, it would be a good idea to put both of your names on certain accounts (like the electricity bill, for example) from the beginning. It will potentially save you some headaches later on!
Best of luck to you!
Ellen
Hey Ellen,
Thank you very much for the detailed answer again. I wonder how you have answers to all the questions. 🙂
Yes I do have the family book and all the documents you mentioned above. I also checked out the Advice for foreign nationals (https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/coronavirus-advice-for-foreign-nationals-in-france/) entering France during this time. One last question, will I need a separate work permit or some kind of work authorization? Did you have to take any of those before you started working?
Thank you very much for reverting back 🙂
Hi Sahle,
I’m just a very detail-oriented person, and I’ve been going through a lot of this currently, so for now, at least, my info is up-to-date! My real secret though is that I’m in a few Facebook groups that are for expats in Paris/France. While it’s great to be able to read the official websites, what’s more interesting to me is knowing how those rules play out for real. Expat groups can be a wealth of information regarding real experiences.
Thanks for sharing that website—very helpful!
You will not need a separate work permit/authorization. You just need to validate your visa. If your workplace needs extra proof, you can show them the validation confirmation that you’ll receive in an email shortly after paying your tax online. I arrived on a visitor visa, which did not give me the right to work, but I recently switched to the carte de séjour “vie privée et familiale.” I don’t even have the card yet, but the fact that I’m on this status gives me the right to work automatically. And I know this to be true, because I just applied (and was granted!) free-lance status using my reference number from my visa validation.
Safe travels and good luck with your move!
Ellen
Hey Ellen,
Thanks again for the confirmation. Hope to start soon.
I somehow ended up in one of the many government websites and all the process you have mentioned is clearly stated there. Check it out, it downloads as a .PDF and can be really helpful.
https://www.gouvernement.fr/en/coming-to-france
Scroll down to: Read more > Living in France – Preparing for your arrival in France
Hope it helps someone.
Thank you again,
Sahle
Hey Sahle,
No doubt, there is some helpful information for getting settled in France on this website that you shared. However, when it comes to administrative procedures, I’m quite wary of PDFs, as they tend to not be updated very regularly. The one that you’ve directed me to dates to September 2016, and I can assure you that some things have changed since then. For one, they describe the old procedure for validating your visa!
I also try to steer clear of websites in English, even if it’s a government website. Why? For the same reason I avoid PDFs. They’re not updated as regularly, and I’ve seen discrepancies between the English and the French versions. The English version can be a great starting part, but I would suggest verifying all information on the French websites, if you’re able to, or find a blog that’s done it for you. 😉
These are a few of the websites that I use when looking into administrative tasks:
https://www.service-public.fr/
http://accueil-etrangers.gouv.fr/
https://www.demarches.interieur.gouv.fr/
https://www.prefecturedepolice.interieur.gouv.fr/ (This is the Paris Préfecture)
Aside from the second one on the list, you can see when an article has been last updated. I usually cross-reference all of these websites when doing my research.
It’s been nice messaging with you!
Ellen
Thanks for your experience. Can i go to france and validate my visa online , pay the taxes and have confirmation PDF and then go again to my country or i should wait until have appointment with ofii and get the stamp on passport?? Thank you
Hi Ahmed,
Yes, generally speaking, you can arrive in France, validate your visa, and then travel outside of the country. You’ll want to make sure you keep the confirmation PDF with your travel documents and stay on top of the latest Covid travel restrictions.
OFII no longer stamps passport. After your appointment(s) with OFII, you’ll receive confirmation sheet(s) from them which indicate that you have fulfilled your requirements. You will need these papers in the event that you renew your visa and/or apply for a carte de séjour.
Ellen
Thanks ellen for your replay. i ask about if there any penalities or problems to me if i don’t complete OFII requirements as i will not stay in france after that but may be need to travel every 2 months to france. is this will be against law and will i have problems if i not go to complete ofii requirements and apply next year for new visa ?
Hi Ahmed,
The OFII appointment(s) are compulsory and a condition of your visa. Therefore, if you do not complete the requirements, it is likely you will have trouble later on.
The type of visa you’ve obtained dictates how many appointments you’ll have. For example, on the visitor visa, you’ll only have one appointment—the medical exam. When you receive the date of your appointment, if you are unable to attend, you can reschedule. That would be my recommendation.
Ellen
Hey Ellen,
How have you been? I finally made it to Paris. Thanks for giving me the confidence to use my family visa to enter the country alone. They only asked for my wife’s passport copy at the airport although I had all the other documents you had mentioned. I started working too but haven’t received my contract yet (seems like they take their sweet time). However, my company has fixed me up with a relocation agency to do the visa validation and to get my carte de séjour. Seems like for family visa, I will not be getting a physical card until one year but the paper which I received from online validation will be the document for one year and I can use it to open bank account and everything. With the help of a letter from my office I managed to include my name along with my wife’s in our new rental agreement.
The OFII in Clichy is much responsive than the one in Paris. Has called the one in Paris by mistake and waited for 10min until they answered. The Clichy OFII office answered the phone in one ring and gave all the information needed although it was my wife who spoke in French. I am expecting my appointment anytime between 1 and 2 months. Applied for it the day I landed. Going to open my bank account now. Wish me luck. Hahahaha.
Bonne journée.
Sahle
Hi Sahle!
So nice to get an update from you 🙂
Yes, that’s right, you’ll just have the visa for your first year and then you can apply for a physical card when your visa is about to expire.
I’m glad to hear the OFII in Clichy has been responsive for you. That definitely helps. A 10-minute wait is nothing on the Paris phone line. I once waited half an hour on hold. Good thing I’m stubborn. I eventually got through!
Good luck with your bank appointment!
Ellen
Hello Ellen.
Thank you for your valuable updates They have been absolutely helpful.
I’m from Nepal and currently in VPF visa.
I have my medical and Contract sign appointment at OFII on Jan 18th and 28th.
I have some issues about the immigration procedures. Hope you can help me to figure out.
Because of this new curfew news and lockdown rumour, I’m bit confused about this procedure as I have to leave for Nepal after the OFII rdz.
1. Do you think I can attend the Immigration appointment as they said, and take the mandatory civic courses later ( in May ) after I come back, so that I can show that I am determined to follow the administrative steps?
2. Or, I should reschedule the whole appointment after I come back from Nepal?
3. Have you heard of any experience of people who had to reschedule only civic courses and could do it without trouble ? Or, the bureaucracy people will be very cold towards such issues and will not let me renew my visa?
4. Would there be a problem later to enter to France and also to renew my visa?
I highly appreciate your response.
Thank you.
Sanee
Hi Sanee,
I’m so glad you’ve found my blog to be helpful 🙂
That’s great that you already have your appointments for the medical exam and the contract appointment. Definitely go to both of these appointments.
Keep in mind that at the contract appointment, you will also be tested on your language ability. If they think you need it, they will assign you obligatory French classes. You might have to fulfill a certain number of hours. Generally, you won’t have to do these classes if you have a level A1 in French, which is fairly basic.
At the end of this appointment, you will discuss and establish dates for your first two civics classes. Usually, these classes are scheduled a couple months in advance. It would probably be fine for you to ask that they be in May.
There are four classes total. You won’t get the date of the third until you attend your second class and you won’t get the fourth date until your third class. These classes are often spread apart by a few weeks or months. Rescheduling classes is also possible if need be.
The OFII appointments, language classes (if required), and civics classes are a condition of your visa, but your visa is already valid (meaning that you are allowed to leave the country and come back). It became valid when you arrived and paid the tax online. You should complete all of these requirements before renewing your visa. However, if you do not, you can still renew, but you will likely be granted a temporary (1-year) carte de séjour (residence permit). You won’t get the 2-year card that is typically received until you finish the requirements.
I hope that answers your questions. Welcome to France!
Ellen
Hello Ellen.
Thank you so much for taking time to reply me. I really appreciate it. I made up my mind to go on both and will be leaving on 29th to go to Nepal. I hope they are nice and will allow me to take my civic courses in May 😌
Sanee.
I hope they’re accommodating with you. Best of luck, Sanee! And safe travels!
Ellen
P.S. I’d love an update on how it goes, if you think of it 🙂
Hi Ellen! This blog post is a blessing! I have been in turmoil trying to navigate French bureaucracy and this post has been like a large dose of sunlight.
I am American with a visiteur visa type “D.” The dates on the visa in the passport are March 1, 2020 – March 1, 2021. I live in 84 (Vaucluse) and believe my OFII is Marseille although various GOVERNMENT websites will cite it could also be Avignon or Montpelier.
I was told on the phone (by either the prefecture or OFII – I dont remember) in March 2020 that my visa would be extended by 6 months due to the pandemic (only to learn last week that this is probably not true).
I was finally able to enter France for the first time mid October 2020 (after a few attempts – unsuccessful bc of COVID).
About OFII: I paid my taxe de sejour Dec 9, 2020. I believe that is relevant in regards to OFII – is that correct? Is the payment of the taxe de sejour connected to the OFII contacting me?
I had no idea there were doctors at the OFII. I thought I just had to go to an OFII certified doctor.
I have spent many hours trying to reach anyone at OFII to answer my questions. Yesterday, for example, my phone was in constant call mode, from 8:30 am until noon. Calling all three OFII offices on automatic redial for hours. Not one time did anyone pick up the phone. (Wanna talk about getting demoralized??)
The list of requirements to renew the Titre de Sejour does not include a medical exam, amazingly. However on other govt websites, that requirement is always included.
Do you think I should continue to be concerned about OFII or should I just show up for my appointment with the items on the list my prefecture attaches to the renewal formulaire? I am concerned that at my appointment (which is two weeks after expiration of my visa) they will reject or delay my renewal because of this (impossible to fulfil) requirement. If they delay renewal – I imagine that if I return to the US I will not be able to come back to France because I no longer have a visa de long sejour.
If you have some time to let me know your thoughts I will be so grateful. Im really in a bind, doing all that I can to comply. It feels like the procedure is totally kept in the dark and yet lack of compliance to the secret requirements means serious and difficult consequences.
Hi Jill!
Ok, now I understand why you’re trying to get this dealt with ASAP. I didn’t realize that you entered France on your one-year visa later than originally planned.
So, you already took care of the first step which was to validate your visa by paying the tax online. This is connected with OFII and triggers them to call you in for your medical appointment which, on the visitor visa, will be your one and only appointment with OFII. In my experience (and I’ve been in and out of France a lot—I’m currently dealing with them for a third time), it can take a couple of months to hear from them. When I arrived pre-Covid in 2019, I didn’t receive an email with the appointment until 3.5 months after paying the tax. The appointment was scheduled for a month after that. So far, you’ve only been waiting about 5 weeks.
From this website (http://www.ofii.fr/ofii-en-france), it looks like Marseille is where your OFII is located. I assume that’s one of the numbers you’ve called—04 91 32 53 60? On Google maps, I see that there is also an OFII in Avignon and maybe that’s a number you’ve tried as well—04 88 17 87 30? I certainly know how frustrating it is to not get through. I once spent half an hour on hold before someone picked up in Paris. I recommend sending an email to marseille@ofii.fr Here’s where I found that: https://lannuaire.service-public.fr/provence-alpes-cote-d-azur/bouches-du-rhone/ofii-13208-01
Your appointment at the préfecture being two weeks after the expiration of your visa is generally not a problem. It’s very difficult to get an appointment before your visa expires, so this is a common occurrence.
You still have a bit of time before your appointment and it’s quite possible that you’ll hear from OFII before then. There are a lot of discrepancies between préfectures and paperwork requirements. On top of that, it comes down to the agent in front of you who’s collecting your paperwork. I did have to hand in my medical exam certificate when I went to the préfecture to renew but I’m sure there are other people who will tell you that no one asked them for it.
Worse case scenario, you haven’t heard from OFII at all, you should still go to your préfecture appointment. (Please note: This is based on my experiences and does not constitute professional legal advice.) If they ask for your medical certificate, you can show in good faith that you did everything you could to make it happen:
– make a copy of the entry stamp in your passport that you received upon arrival in France
– if you have any records which show why you delayed your arrival (cancelled flights, etc) this might be helpful, too
– print out the sheet confirming you validated your visa online (you should have gotten an email after paying your tax)
– print out screenshots of your call records to OFII
– print out emails you sent to OFII
And then hope that the person in front of you is nice!
I know that this must be pretty stressful, but there is only so much you can do. Wishing you all the best,
Ellen
Thank you for your quick reply! I was able to reach someone today at my prefecture, although she wasnt in the right department. The closest I’ll come to a human on the phone there. She told me I dont need a medical exam! This corresponds to the list with requiremets attached to the appointment at the prefecture. So Im now comfortable with going forward without having to worry about OFII.
I will follow your advice on the rest.
Your service here is really appreciated!
I’m so glad you were able to get in touch with someone! You must be relieved. It’s true that each préfecture can ask for documents at their own discretion (which makes the job of getting our paperwork together all the more stressful!).
Good luck with your appointment. I’d love to get an update on how it went, if you think of it.
Ellen
On Jan 18, 2021 I went for my OFII medical appointment at Montrogue. It was cool. It took 50 minutes in total to finish the medical rdv. My appointment was at 14:00, but they let me in at 13:48. I was pretty nervous.
However, I made sure I would smile and say “Hello and Bonjour” properly to every staff there so that, the Frenchie cold attitude doesn’t reach me as I was bit scared after reading many reviews. Haha
The process was nicer and faster than I had expected.
1. The lady at the door confirmed the convocation letter and passport (That’s all you need.). She was OK.
2) The guard double checked the letter and my passport, nice guy.
3) The third guy checked my bag and scans everything. He was even nicer…. Very welcoming and big smile. Not cold Frenchie type.
4) Receptionist: She was cold, no eye contact. So, I didn’t know if she was actually listening… She was there and just doing her job type.
5) Doctors and Nurses: super duper warm, nice, friendly, welcoming and speaks English. They check your height, weight, eyes, x-ray, blood-pressure and you will have a sheet of paper to fill…. That’s it.
They will recommend you the FREE medical/vaccine services in Paris, if you need any.
6) You get stamp in the papers at the receptionist.
Then, you are ready for your next Apoointment by OFII.
I was happy to have a good experience…. They are nice.
I left five stars review in Google right after I fished my medical appointment.
Sanee,
I’m so glad you had a good experience, and that’s so nice of you to have left a review on Google. As I’m sure you already know, it’s predominantly the unhappy people who take the time to leave reviews!
Thanks for the update and good luck at the next appointment!
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Thank you so much for all your information. I’m following a similar process to yours ( PACS, OFII, Change of status etc) and your blog has been incredibly helpful. I personally don’t know anyone in real life who has gone through this process so this has been life changing. Thanks so much again!
Quick question, I have my OFII appointment on 19/04 and I just realized that all my vaccination records are in my native language ( not English/ French). Do you know what happens then? Do I have to get it translated or can I get it certified by a French doctor?
Any feedback you can give me is super duper helpful! Thanks again!!
Hope you’re staying safe x
Hi Kavee,
I’m so glad you’ve found my blog and experiences to be helpful to you. It certainly can be a lot to sort through!
Bringing your vaccination records is not a requirement and some people go to their appointments without them. In the case of someone not having records or the records not being readable due to a language barrier, the doctor will simply ask you what vaccinations you’ve had. This is very informal—you don’t have to prove anything with documentation.
The purpose of this part of the medical visit is to see what vaccines you’ve already had and to let you know what additional vaccines you should get based on what is generally administered to people in France. Based on the information that you provide, the doctor will give you a list of recommended vaccines and places to get them for free.
Bring your records with you so you can reference them but don’t worry about getting them translated or anything. I think many countries use the same acronyms for the vaccines themselves, so the doctor might be able to get a good idea of what you got anyways!
I hope your appointment goes smoothly. Good luck!
Best,
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Your posts have been so helpful! We had similar experiences. I just moved to Paris in September and had my OFII appointment in Montrouge, but they transferred my information to the 13e when I told them my address (Montrouge) changed to the 8e.
How long did you have to wait to hear from OFII regarding the civic courses? Thanks!
Hi Mimi,
I’m so glad to hear that my blog has been helpful to you 🙂
In regards to the civics classes, they never actually reached out to me. I had to be proactive in contacting them in order to get my first appointment scheduled. All the information is in this post: https://www.americaineinfrance.com/2021/02/06/ofii-integration-contract-civics-classes/
Best,
Ellen
Hello, can you please tell how does the stamp that they put at the reception desk looks like? (is it the square one with a date that is on the picture?). I was in the same ofii and I was so stressed, that I didn’t pay attention what they did at the reception desk. I worry I miss one stamp.
Hi Charlie,
Yes, the blue and red square with the date in the photo is the stamp that the reception put on my paperwork.
Ellen
Hi Ellen! Thank for the explanation, your blog is amazing, it helps me so much! When you said that they gave you two certificates “one is for your records and the other is to be brought to the préfecture”. What do you mean “for your records”? I must keep one at home and bring the other one to the prefecture later?
Hi Emma!
I’m glad my blog has helped you 🙂
Yes, that is what I mean. In general, it’s a good idea to keep a copy (either digital or hardcopy) of everything! Here’s how I stay organized: https://www.americaineinfrance.com/2022/02/21/french-bureaucracy-tips-for-tackling-paperwork/
Best,
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
Thank you for your bog. I am an American married to a Parisian and living in Alsace. I applied for my visa through Geneva, Switzerland as I arrived in France in our new home without one. LET THIS BE A LESSON: even if you are married to a french native you must have a visa before coming to France. I was lucky to have been in Switzerland with a D visa and had only a short travel to the French embassy to apply. I took 10 days. French administration is so efficient when they are in on swiss soil.:). Now I registered my visa on 7-01-2022…. tick tock tick tock tick tock…I am waiting to get my invite for the medical exam and the convocation letter. It is 29-03-2022 and I have heard nothing. I have applied to the l’assurance Maladie on 01-03-2022 as I have been here since November. I am not sure I was eligible but it seems the only requirement was living in France for 3 months. Any Ideas on what I should do next or who I might call to check on my applications? I know that I am registered thanks to the online process. I don’t know anything the turn around time for the insurance or have any confirmation it was received.
Best,
Diane
Hi Diane,
Yes—There are many people who think that having a French spouse gives you automatic rights, but this is simply not true!
You’ll want to follow up with your local OFII to see about getting an appointment for the medical & integration contract. https://www.ofii.fr/ou-nous-trouver/
French health insurance can take a while to get sorted. All the details on eligibility, the process of applying, and an approximate timeline are in this post: https://www.americaineinfrance.com/2020/08/09/how-to-apply-for-health-insurance-in-france-as-an-expat/
Best,
Ellen
Thanks for such a detailed post – especially on a topic that there’s not much information about online.
Related to the post and also something I haven’t found elsewhere: do you know if there are medical conditions that will result in a denial (or non renewal since it’s after you’ve been there for months) or where to find that information? All I’ve found on the official website is either about the pandemic (understandably) or tuberculosis and vaccines. From the lack of information and casualness & timing of the exam, I’m guessing that it’s more to proactively get people vaccinated or treated but not sure.
Hi Swelle,
Thanks for your kind words about my work on the blog—I always try to include as many details as possible 🙂
One of the main purposes of OFII is to connect immigrants with resources and services in France. As such, I can’t imagine them turning anyone away for certain medical conditions, and I haven’t heard of that happening either.
Best,
Ellen
Thank you!
HI ELLEN,
VERY HELPFUL INFO, THANK YOU.
I WONDER IF YOU ALREADY APPLY FOR THE RENEWAL CARTE DE SEJOUR. HOW IS THE PROCCESS?
DO YOU THINK IS THIS RENEWAL WOULD BE DIFFICULT?
THANK YOU
Hi Jay,
I’m glad to hear that you’ve found my blog to be helpful 🙂
I’ve written extensively on visas and the carte de séjour renewal process. You can find articles concerning these topics by using the search feature in the sidebar or by navigating to “Bureaucracy” in the menu of my blog.
If you’d like personal guidance, you can book a call with me here: https://www.americaineinfrance.com/book-a-call/
Best,
Ellen
Hi, I realize this is an older post but given the extent of knowledge i read through I’m hoping you can provide some insight. I recently came to France as an employed scientist (my visa is a VLSTS passport talent, valid for up to 1 year). I validated my visa online using the english version of the website and thought it was quite straightforward. But at the bottom of the confirmation letter I received there was a note that said
“À votre arrivée en France, pensez à :
Effectuer vos démarches sur
https://etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr
afin d’obtenir votre couverture sociale obligatoire.”
I didn’t think anything of it until I read somewhere that validating the visa using the english version of the website sometimes carries a bug that may process the visa as a student visa (Apart from that all other info on the letter is correct). I tried contacting government officials but haven’t heard back yet, I was curious if you or anyone else was familiar with this and if it’s something to be concerned about, as i thought it may just be a standard note at the bottom of visa validation letters.
Thanks in advance for any help!
Hi Sam,
I’ve seen a number of cases where using the English version of the site resulted in the visa being registered as a student visa. It seems as though this tends to be a superficial glitch that may (or may not!) cause some minor delays/misunderstandings in other paperwork later on. Ideally, it would be great if you could get a hold of someone to make sure everything is all set on the backend, but even if you aren’t able to, I wouldn’t stress too much about it.
Best,
Ellen
I have to say, I am glad that my experience today was not like yours. My appointments were 3 1/2 hours apart in Marseille. For the chest xray in an imaging clinic I was asked to remove my bra and necklace But I was told to leave my T-shirt on and my earrings. That was a very quick appointment. I was 45-50 minutes from home and not in a neighborhood so I found a coffee shop that served food (thank goodness as it wasn’t the lunch hour yet) and whittled away the time. The second appointment was a lot of waiting, I ended up spending 1 1/2 hours there. The woman who did the administrative part of the appointment was opinionated and vivacious. She had strong opinions about things. She was loud enough that you could hear her through the door giving her opinion to others. Luckily there was a man who spoke english, he is from England, and together we made fun of the absurdity of the whole process. That helped to keep us entertained. I appreciate you sharing your experience so that I knew what to expect. Merci.
Hi Catherine,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with the OFII appointment in Marseille. I’m happy to hear that it all went well!
Best,
Ellen
Oh! And by the way, it took 8 months for my appointment date. I’ve been here for 8 months. And I just went to the appointments. Lol