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France visitor visa with savings only (no recurring income): checklist

For applicants without a pension or salary who will live on savings for the year.

Print or save as PDF The boxes are meant to be checked on paper.

Money

• Stable balances over 6 months on accounts in your name; no consolidation transfers in the final 3 months
• Write the arithmetic on the financial summary: balance ÷ 12 ≥ €1,477.93 (aim for 1.5× or more, so roughly €27,000+ per adult for the year, plus rent and insurance); savings are accepted in practice but weigh less than recurring income
• Explain the plan in the letter: sabbatical, early retirement, income starting at a known date (with the award letter)
• Brokerage statements with a one-line note on liquidity; last two Form 1040
• Expect more scrutiny than a pension case: housing already secured and insurance already paid make the file read as settled

Papers and letters

• 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)

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

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.