On 4 January 2026 I landed in France for a two-semester university exchange that would keep me here until 3 January 2027. A full year. And before I could even think about croissants, apartments or French phone plans, I had to sort out the one thing that makes all of it possible: the right visa.
If you're an Australian dreaming of more than a quick holiday in France, this is where your move really starts. Here's what I wish someone had laid out for me in plain English.
The 90-day rule every Australian should know
As Australians, we're lucky. We can stay in France without a visa for up to 90 days in any 180-day period under the Schengen rules. That's perfect for a long holiday, but it's not enough to study, work or properly live here.
For anything longer, you need a long-stay visa, and timing matters. You apply through the French consulate system in Australia before you leave, and you can't switch from a tourist stay to a long-stay visa once you're already in France. So if you're thinking "I'll just arrive and sort it out later," please don't. That plan doesn't exist.
The main long-stay visa options for Australians
Which visa you need depends on why you're coming. Here are the ones most Australians look at.
Student visa. This is the one I came on. The long-stay student visa (VLS-TS étudiant) is for anyone enrolled full-time at a French school or university for more than 90 days. If you're coming on exchange like I did, your home university and your French host university will usually guide you through the paperwork. A nice bonus: student visa holders can work up to 964 hours a year, which helps if you want a part-time job while you study.
Working holiday visa. This is the big one for younger Australians. You can apply from 18 up until the day before you turn 36, and it lets you live and work in France for 12 months. You'll need to show at least AUD 5,700 in your bank account when you apply. If you want to live here, travel and pick up work along the way, this is usually the simplest route.
What you'll need for a working holiday visa. According to the official France-Visas checklist for Australians, you'll need:
- A valid passport issued within the last 10 years, with at least two blank pages, and valid for at least three months after your visa ends. You'll scan the identity page and every page with visas or stamps.
- An ID photo.
- A bank statement showing at least AUD 5,700.
- Health insurance for the full 12 months covering medical, hospital and repatriation costs. This is mandatory.
- A confirmed return booking, or a signed statement that you'll leave France at the end of your stay.
- A medical certificate and proof of a clean criminal record, if the agreement between France and Australia asks for them. Check the current checklist when you apply.
The visa fee is €99, paid in the currency the consulate asks for. If you aren't an Australian citizen but live in Australia, you'll also need to show proof of your residence (a VEVO check, and a visitor visa isn't accepted).
Visitor visa. This one suits people who want to live in France without working. It lasts up to 12 months and can be renewed, but you need to show you can support yourself and agree not to work here, which is why it's popular with retirees and people with their own income.
Work visas and the Talent Passport. If you have a job offer from a French employer or a specialised skill set, there are work visas and several types of Talent Passport. These are more involved, and your employer will often help.
Extending or switching your visa
Staying on as a student. If you're continuing your studies in France, for example with another year or a new course, you can apply to renew your student residence permit online through the ANEF website, the same site where you validated your VLS-TS. You'll need proof of enrolment, your transcripts and proof that you have at least €615 a month to live on.
Changing to a different residence permit. You can also apply from inside France, through the same ANEF website, to change to some other kinds of permit. The main ones are:
- Employee or temporary worker, if you have a job offer. Your employer has to apply for a work authorisation for you.
- Job search or starting a business, usually only if you've completed a French master's degree or licence professionnelle. Exchange students finishing an Australian degree generally won't qualify.
- Talent passport, for qualified professionals, researchers, founders and artists who meet its conditions.
- Private and family life, based on a relationship such as a PACS or marriage.
Apply before your current visa runs out. Most prefectures ask you to apply two to four months before it expires, and while your application is being processed you'll get a receipt that keeps you legally in France.
The working holiday visa is the exception. You can't switch to it from inside France. You have to leave and apply from the country where you live, which for most of us means going back to Australia. You then go through the whole process again: an online application, an appointment where you hand over all your paperwork in person, and a wait for your passport to come back with the new visa, exactly the same way you applied for your student visa.
So if you think you might want to stay on after your studies, work out early which route fits you, and if it's the working holiday visa, build a trip home into your timeline.
VLS-TS vs VLS-T: the jargon explained
You'll see these two acronyms everywhere, and they confused me at first. A VLS-T is a temporary long-stay visa. It lets you stay, but it isn't a residence permit. A VLS-TS is a long-stay visa that also works as your residence permit, as long as you validate it online after you arrive.
In practice, the VLS-TS means you don't need a separate residence card for your first year, provided you complete one important step after you land. It's valid for 4 to 12 months.
How to apply from Australia
The process is mostly online, which is a relief. Here's the general order of things.
- Work out your visa type using the official France-Visas website, which has a tool that points you to the right category.
- Gather your documents. Expect to need your passport, proof of funds, health insurance, and something showing why you're coming. For me, that was my university acceptance and exchange paperwork.
- Apply online at the right time. You can start your application up to 3 months before your departure date. Don't leave it until the last minute either, since appointments can fill up.
- Attend your appointment to hand over your documents and give your fingerprints.
- Wait for your passport to come back with the visa inside.
My own timeline is a good warning. I lodged my student visa application in September, and my passport came back with the visa inside in December, about a week before I flew out of Melbourne. That's three months of waiting, and a very stressful last few weeks. Nobody had told me it could take that long, so please don't assume it will be quick.
What happens at the VFS Global appointment
Once your online application is done, you book an appointment at a VFS Global visa application centre in Australia. VFS handles the paperwork side for the French consulate, and it's the moment your move starts to feel very real.
Bring everything on paper. Every document you attached to your online application, you'll also need as a hard copy. They want it all in paper form as well as digital, so print the lot and keep it in the same order as your application.
Look presentable. They take your photo at the appointment, along with your fingerprints, and that photo ends up on your visa. You'll be looking at it every time you open your passport for the next year, so it's worth making a little effort that morning.
Say goodbye to your passport for a while. VFS keeps your documents and your passport and sends everything off for processing. Your passport comes back to you in the mail with the visa stuck onto one of its pages. That also means you can't travel overseas while you wait, so plan any trips around it.
The step people forget: validating your visa
This is the part I'd underline in red. Getting the visa in your passport isn't the finish line. If you have a VLS-TS, you must validate it online within three months of arriving in France and pay a validation fee on top of the visa fee. Without this step, your visa doesn't count as a residence permit.
Validation is done on the French government's ANEF website. You'll need your email address, your visa details, the date you entered France, your French address and a bank card to pay the fee.
My advice? Do it in your first few weeks. Once you're here, life gets busy fast, and three months disappear quicker than you'd think.
For me, validating was pretty straightforward. Most of the website is in French, so keep a translation tool open in another tab, but the whole thing took me less than 20 minutes.
What it all costs
Fees change, so treat these as a guide and check the official sites before you apply. At the time of writing, the long-stay visa fee is €99, or €50 for students. Then there's the validation fee once you arrive, which has been €50 for students and higher for most other long-stay visas. French immigration fees were due to rise during 2026, so double-check the current amounts.
You may also pay a service fee to the visa application centre on top of the government fees, so budget a little extra.
What I'd tell myself before my move
Looking back on my year here, a few things stand out.
Start early. Gathering your paperwork takes longer than the application itself.
Keep copies of everything. Digital and paper. French admin loves a document, and you'll be asked for the same ones again and again.
Don't stress about perfection. Everyone finds the process confusing at first. Take it one form at a time.
Tell them when you're leaving. Put your real departure date on your application. With processing taking as long as mine did, you want the people handling your file to know exactly when you need your passport back.
Your next step
If you're planning a move, start by working out which visa fits your plans, then check the France-Visas website for the current requirements for your category. Once your visa's sorted, the real adventure begins. And trust me, it's worth every form.
Visa rules and fees change often. This guide is general information based on my own experience and official sources as of September 2026, not migration advice. Always confirm the details on France-Visas before you apply.