Apply for the France FIP Visa
The France FIP Visa (or VLS-TS Visiteur Visa) is your ticket to happier, slower, healthier, richer life in Europe. Trade high costs and stress back home for cafés, walkable neighborhoods, a historic culture, affordable healthcare, and a slower pace of life.Â
Why Apply for the France FIP Visa?
Work-Free Residency
Live in France full-time without the need for a job or business in the country.
Family Inclusion
Bring your spouse and children under the same France FIP Visa application, only with adjusted financial requirements.
Renewable & Flexible
The France FIP Visa allows for easy annual renewal if you maintain passive income, savings, housing, and insurance.
Path to Citizenship
Become eligible for permanent residency and citizenship in just five years of meeting presence and visa requirements.
Low Income Thresholds
Qualify for the FIP Visa with US$3,500 a month in passive income, far less than many European residency programs.
Ready to Explore Your Options in France?
Who is the France FIP Visa for?
Retirees
You want a stable, affordable, and enriching place to spend your next chapter without the need to work.
Remote Income Holders
Your money comes from investments, pensions, retirement distributinos, or rental income, not active employment.
Culture Seekers
You value food, art, history, and culture enough to center your life around them. France has more than enough for you.
Passive Income
At least €3,000 a month for the main applicant, plus €1,500 extra in monthly income for a spouse and €750 per child. However, the Freedom Files recommends more qualifying income.
Savings
Show proof of at least €36,000 for a solo applicant in a credible bank, plus €18,000 extra if applying with your spouse and €9,000 per child.
No Employment
You must commit in writing not to work in France while you’re a resident.
Accommodation
You must have a lease, property deed, or utility bill showing you live at a French address.
Medical Certificate
A French doctor must provide proof of applicants’ mental and physical fitness.
Valid Passport
Your passport must be valid for your application process and first year in France.
Clean Record
You must provide a police clearance from all countries lived in during the last three years.
Health Insurance
Applicants must have a private French policy covering all risks for your stay in the country.
Nationality
Non-EU/-EEA/-Swiss citizens only.
Request Your France FIP Visa Infosheet
The France FIP Visa Process
Step 1
Eligibility Check
Review the France FIP Visa criteria, whether you qualify, and all your relocation options with a Freedom Files consultant.
Step 2
Application Prep
Once you’re ready to apply for the France FIP Visa, collect financial proof, housing docs, police certificates, insurance, and all other relevant documents for your application. The Freedom Files will help you apply for the long-stay Visa Visiteur.
Step 4
Arrival & Validation
Enter France, register with the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII), and complete the required medical exam within three months.
Step 5
Residence Card
Once you’re fully approved, you can apply for your one-year Carte de Séjour at your local prefecture. The Freedom Files will arrange all these appointments for you.
Step 5
Renewal
In order to remain in France long-term, you’ll need to renew your visa annually. Continue to prove compliance with the visa rules, and you’ll be approved with flying colors.
Step 6
Permanent Residency & Citizenship
After five continuous years of living at least 183 days a year in France, you’ll be eligible for permanent residency and, in turn, French citizenship. For the latter, you’ll also have to meet language and integration standards.
Other France Visas
FAQs About the France FIP Visa
How Much Are French FIP Visa Fees?
Government costs typically total about €400 for a solo adult. If you want end‑to‑end help, Freedom Files also offers fixed‑fee packages that cover full dossier assembly, appointment booking, application optimization and submission, and post‑arrival steps in France.Â
After the French FIP Visa, How Soon Can I Apply for Citizenship?
Five years. France allows most people to apply for citizenship after five years of continuous legal residence. You must show integration, clean records, tax compliance, and B1‑level French.Â
Will I Pay Tax on My US Income Under the French FIP Visa?
In the United States, yes. In France, potentially not. If France is your tax residence, France generally taxes worldwide income at rates of up to 50%. However, Freedom Files clients use the US-France tax treaty to avoid both double tax and also French tax on their retirement income.Â
How Long Does French FIP Visa Approval Take?
1-3 months. Most French consulates finalize Freedom Files’ FIP Visa applications in under four months, but applicants’ speed of document gathering, appointment availability, and holidays can stretch that.Â
Can My Spouse & Kids Also Apply for the French FIP Visa?
Yes. To include them as dependents in your application, however, the main applicant must evidence higher income and savings for each dependent, maintain health coverage for everyone, and show housing proof in France.Â