Immigration · Study

How soon after arriving in France must I validate my student long-stay visa?

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You must validate your VLS-TS student visa online within 3 months of arriving in France, otherwise it stops acting as your residence permit.

A long-stay visa marked VLS-TS only becomes a valid residence permit once you complete the online validation step after you land in France. This must be done within the first 3 months of arrival through the official ANEF online portal, and a validation fee applies.

Missing this deadline can leave you without legal residence status even though you hold a visa. Validate it early, keep the confirmation, and do not wait until close to the deadline, because problems with the online process can take time to resolve.

Official source

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How soon after arriving in France must I validate my student long-stay visa?

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