Potential solution for a leisurely cruse to the med?

[steve yates]

I've been looking at how to do this, and it seems to me that by applying for a 12 month tourist visa (visiteur sejour) your schengen allowance then starts OUTSIDE France, and time spent in France is not counted. Anyone know if this is correct?
I quote from the french visa website "
Long-stay visa
For any stay in France exceeding 90 days, you are required to apply in advance for a long-stay vis. In this instance your nationality does not exempt you from requirements.

Whatever the duration of your planned stay, the duration of your long-stay visa must be between three months and one year. In order to extend your stay beyond the period of validity of your visa, you must apply for a residence permit at a prefecture.

During its period of validity, the long-stay visa is equivalent to a Schengen visa, enabling you to move around and stay in the Schengen Area outside France for periods not exceeding 90 days over any period of 180 consecutive days, under the same conditions as if you held a Schengen visa. "

If this is indeed so, our original plan of ambling down the Atlantic coasts to the med could still work. Presumably we could wander down the brittany coast, then our schengen clock starts ticking when we reach spain, and as we explore the rias and head down portugal, to turn into the med and along the costas and balearics, exiting to the french coast before the 3 months ends. Then spend 3 months in the french med to have a new slate for italy, croatia and greece. Once there we have turkey , montenegro and tunisia to explore on our alternate 3 months. If needs must and we dallied on the trip down, we could leave the boat at Gib and fly home or elsewhere, or go thefrench alps for 3 months until the clock resets and we can carry on from Gib in spanish waters.

This all hinges on the schengen 90/180 only applying outside france if you hold a 12 month visitor visa of course, but that is how it reads to me. I would be ecstatic if anyone knows for sure that this is indeed how it works. Vice versa, it's back to the planning board if anyone knows for sure it does NOT work like that.?

 

[Graham376]

Assuming of course France would grant a long stay visa for tourism.

 

[steve yates]

Of course, but they do have them specifically for tourists, as opposed to students or contractors; you just have to show eveidence of funds to live on, medicl coverage (presumably new ghic will cover that) and prrof of accomodation (the boat) They are not averse to long stay tourists immersing themselves, as long as they are not working scamming or using state resources.

 

[Forty_Two]

Assuming of course France would grant a long stay visa for tourism.

They do & I believe Steve is right in his idea from my own research. The only thing that i am not sure about is whether the visa is multiple entry. I think it is but have not spoken to anyone yet.

 

[syvictoria]

I hope that this does prove to be a good working solution, both for those going round the coast and also inland through the canals. Is anyone in a position to confirm that a boat (without a permanent berth) is acceptable in terms of proof of accommodation?

 

[st599]

I suppose you could get berth bookings in advance for your route if the boat AND marina bookings are required.

Does the French Tourist Visa require you to register with the Prefecture? Quite a lot of Tourist Visas are pre-long-term residency solutions so you may need to keep turning up to a Police station.

 

[Forty_Two]

This is from the France-Visas official website for the non work long stay visa:
Long-stay visa | France-Visas.gouv.fr

"For any stay in France exceeding 90 days, you are required to apply in advance for a long-stay vis. In this instance your nationality does not exempt you from requirements.

Whatever the duration of your planned stay, the duration of your long-stay visa must be between three months and one year. In order to extend your stay beyond the period of validity of your visa, you must apply for a residence permit at a prefecture."

During its period of validity, the long-stay visa is equivalent to a Schengen visa, enabling you to move around and stay in the Schengen Area outside France for periods not exceeding 90 days over any period of 180 consecutive days, under the same conditions as if you held a Schengen visa."

Of course we effectively have a Schengen Visa anyway. No need to register in France unless planning on staying longer than visa allows. Needs two visits to French Embassy probably the biggest pain.

Edit: from that wording it seems it must be a multiple entry visa to allow Schengen visits from France

 

[steve yates]

They do & I believe Steve is right in his idea from my own research. The only thing that i am not sure about is whether the visa is multiple entry. I think it is but have not spoken to anyone yet.

I think it must be as it specifically mentions "enabling you to move around and stay in the Schengen Area outside France for periods not exceeding 90 days over any period of 180 consecutive days"

 

[steve yates]

oops, just saw you posted similar above.

 

[Forty_Two]

oops, just saw you posted similar above.

No problem ?
What we need is a volunteer to have a go but no chance whilst we're not going to be allowed in for some while i reckon ☹

 

[Tomahawk]

Given that nearly half the French population are saying they will refuse the vaccine for various reasons..

Who here wants to visit galloping lurgy land?

 

[st599]

This is from the France-Visas official website for the non work long stay visa:
Long-stay visa | France-Visas.gouv.fr

"For any stay in France exceeding 90 days, you are required to apply in advance for a long-stay vis. In this instance your nationality does not exempt you from requirements.

Looking further in to that site, you get the list of documents you must show on arrival:

• A valid passport issued less than 10 years before and valid for at least 3 months after the envisaged departure date;
• A valid visa, if required;
• Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall);
• Sufficient financial means. The means of subsistence shall be assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay and by reference to the average prices for accommodation and food in the Member States;
• Your return ticket or the financial means to acquire one at the envisaged return date;
• Any document providing details on the profession or the capacity of the traveller as well as on the establishments or organisations located in France which are expecting you, if you are on a professional trip.
• You must have an insurance certificate covering all medical and hospital expenses for which you may be liable for the duration of your stay in France, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death.

And the definition of sufficient financial means:

• 65 euros per day of stay in the case of presentation of a hotel booking;
• 120 euros per day in the case of non-presentation of a hotel booking;
• In the case of a partial hotel booking: 65 euros per day for the period covered by the booking and 120 euros per day for the remainder of the stay.

That's quite a substantial sum if turning up with a 1 year visa. About 44k Euros per person.

 

[Forty_Two]

Looking further in to that site, you get the list of documents you must show on arrival:

• A valid passport issued less than 10 years before and valid for at least 3 months after the envisaged departure date;
• A valid visa, if required;
• Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall);
• Sufficient financial means. The means of subsistence shall be assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay and by reference to the average prices for accommodation and food in the Member States;
• Your return ticket or the financial means to acquire one at the envisaged return date;
• Any document providing details on the profession or the capacity of the traveller as well as on the establishments or organisations located in France which are expecting you, if you are on a professional trip.
• You must have an insurance certificate covering all medical and hospital expenses for which you may be liable for the duration of your stay in France, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death.

And the definition of sufficient financial means:

• 65 euros per day of stay in the case of presentation of a hotel booking;
• 120 euros per day in the case of non-presentation of a hotel booking;
• In the case of a partial hotel booking: 65 euros per day for the period covered by the booking and 120 euros per day for the remainder of the stay.

That's quite a substantial sum if turning up with a 1 year visa. About 44k Euros per person.

All true I'm afraid. Hopefully they will accept a boat as accommodation if cruising. I remember somewhere on the form it says you have to explain in a letter if anything is not standard so probably ok. At least that would then mean the lower figure can be used.

I am lucky that the letter i arranged from my marina proving the boat was there on 31/12/2020 & 01/01/2021 also states my berth can be used as a residence for any visa or residence application. Very helpful ?

 

[Robih]

Looking further in to that site, you get the list of documents you must show on arrival:

• A valid passport issued less than 10 years before and valid for at least 3 months after the envisaged departure date;
• A valid visa, if required;
• Proof of accommodation covering the whole duration of the stay (hotel reservation and/or certificate of staying with a relative validated in the town hall);
• Sufficient financial means. The means of subsistence shall be assessed according to the duration and purpose of the stay and by reference to the average prices for accommodation and food in the Member States;
• Your return ticket or the financial means to acquire one at the envisaged return date;
• Any document providing details on the profession or the capacity of the traveller as well as on the establishments or organisations located in France which are expecting you, if you are on a professional trip.
• You must have an insurance certificate covering all medical and hospital expenses for which you may be liable for the duration of your stay in France, as well as medical repatriation costs and expenses in the event of death.

And the definition of sufficient financial means:

• 65 euros per day of stay in the case of presentation of a hotel booking;
• 120 euros per day in the case of non-presentation of a hotel booking;
• In the case of a partial hotel booking: 65 euros per day for the period covered by the booking and 120 euros per day for the remainder of the stay.

That's quite a substantial sum if turning up with a 1 year visa. About 44k Euros per person.

Interesting. The only real stumbling block is that it seems not to recognise the value/assurance of the GHIC (formerly EHIC)?

 

[Lightwave395]

Given that nearly half the French population are saying they will refuse the vaccine for various reasons..

Who here wants to visit galloping lurgy land?

Me, me, me, I'm safer at my boat than I am walking along the seafront here

 

[st599]

Interesting. The only real stumbling block is that it seems not to recognise the value/assurance of the GHIC (formerly EHIC)?

And needing 44 grand in the bank.

 

[Forty_Two]

And needing 44 grand in the bank.

24k with your floaty hotel & that is for 12 months

 

[syvictoria]

Who here wants to visit galloping lurgy land?

Is there an echo in here...?

 

[Graham376]

Interesting. The only real stumbling block is that it seems not to recognise the value/assurance of the GHIC (formerly EHIC)?

Maybe because the requirements are aimed at third country citizens who wouldn't in most cases have one? Could well be we would be exempt from the health insurance requirement.

 

[lustyd]

If needs must and we dallied on the trip down, we could leave the boat at Gib and fly home or elsewhere, or go thefrench alps for 3 months until the clock resets and we can carry on from Gib in spanish waters.

That would depend on Gib's status when the dust settles. They're joining Schengen so might not be as good an option as you think depending on how VAT rules land