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Checklist · France · updated October 16, 2026

France visitor visa for remote employees of U.S. companies: 2026 checklist

For Americans who keep a salaried remote job with a U.S. employer, with no French clients or activity, and want to live in France on the visitor permit.

The boxes are meant to be checked on paper.

Papers and letters

Confirm the clean case: U.S. employer, U.S. pay, no French clients, employer or business. Any French element = a work-category visa instead
Moving as a couple? Read the couple checklist for who proves what.
Sentence for the letter and the sworn statement, in the Ministry's framing: employment with a company established in the U.S., performed remotely and paid by that company, no clients or activity in France
Employer letter: position, start date, salary, fully remote, no French activity (if HR refuses, an employment-verification letter + contract + 3 pay stubs)
Do not write that your salary "is and will remain taxed in the U.S.": once resident, French tax rules apply to work performed in France (treaty art. 15); describe facts, not tax conclusions
Passport valid 3 months beyond the visa end, issued within 10 years, 2 blank pages; copy of the ID page and prior Schengen visas
France-Visas online form, signed, with its receipt; two 35 × 45 mm photos
Motivation letter (one page: who, why France, how you will live, what you will not do, ties)
Sworn statement not to exercise a professional activity in France (handwritten or hand-signed original)

Money

Monthly net salary in euros vs the benchmark (€1,477.93 since June 1, 2026; aim for 1.5×). "Net" here means after payroll contributions, before income tax.
3–6 months of statements showing the salary deposits; last two Form 1040
A cross-border tax consultation before you file (tax residence, state tax, certificate of coverage)

Insurance

Health insurance covering the whole stay (the legal requirement); in practice the consulate expects the certificate to name France, state the dates and the ceiling, and cover medical care, hospitalization and repatriation, starting on your entry date (not a travel policy)

Housing and appointment

Proof of accommodation: 12-month lease, deed, host's attestation d'hébergement with host ID and proof of housing, or a 3+ month furnished contract
TLScontact appointment booked at any of the 10 U.S. centers (the nearest works; the decision is made by the French consulate in Washington, not by the center), no more than 3 months and no less than 1 month before travel; €99 visa fee + TLScontact service fee (about €220 for a long-stay visa; check the current amount on TLScontact's fee page), both charged in U.S. dollars, Visa or Mastercard only

Timing, in one line

Book TLScontact no earlier than 3 months and no later than 1 month before your travel date (France-Visas). The decision usually takes 15 days after the appointment, up to 45 in special cases, with your passport held meanwhile. Allow extra weeks to obtain your benefit letter and the insurer's visa letter. Do not give up your U.S. housing before the visa is in your passport.

The June 2026 answer in one line

The Interior Ministry (Journal officiel, Assemblée nationale written questions, June 23, 2026, p. 5748, question no. 11730) says a third-country national living in France who is paid, and pays tax, in the home country, and who teleworks for a foreign employer with no activity for a company located in France, falls under the "visiteur" permit and is treated as non-active. Note the tax wording: once you are a French tax resident, that assumption no longer holds, which is why we tell you to describe facts, not tax conclusions. It is an administrative interpretation, not a statute; consulates keep discretion.

Free next steps

Check your income in euros · The insurance letter the consulate expects · After you land: ANEF validation

Go further

The 32-page guide explains every line above with templates ($29, instant download). The written dossier review checks your actual file before your appointment ($199, on application, answer within 24 hours).

Sources, checked October 16, 2026: France-Visas (United States page and visa assistant), service-public.fr fiche F302, ANEF, Journal officiel (Assemblée nationale, written question no. 11730). Figures change at least yearly; re-check on the official source the week you file. Practical information, not legal advice.

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