Visas: Visiting France for less than 91 days

The Authors/Les Auteurs::

Anne de GOUVION SAINT-CYR, Esq. 
Member of the Paris Bar
22, rue d'Artois
75008 Paris
Jonathon Wise POLIER, Esq.
Member of the Paris and New York Bars
4, rue de Marignan
75008 Paris 
Telephone: (33) 43 59 01 51
Fax:  (33) 1 43 59 01 52		 Telephone: (33) 1 47 23 41 51
Fax:  (33) 1 47 23 37 93
E-Mail:  anne.gouvionsaintcyr@wanadoo.fr
 E-Mail: j-polier@paris-law.com
http://www.paris-law.com

As all Americans who have traveled to France in recent years knows, one does not need to obtain a visa before traveling to and though France as a tourist. The actual administrative rule is that the tourist's visit may not last for more than 90 days.

Upon entering France, the tourist is deemed to have been granted a short-term visa (visa de court séjour) even if the boarder control officer fails to stamp the passport.

A businessman or woman enters France for a brief time to consult with a French client or prospective client can enter using this tourist visa so long as he does not receive pay or conduct business. But, installing oneself in an office is not a permitted activity and if a labor inspector happens by and finds you there, both the executive and the company may have serious legal problems. Please remember that a disgruntled employee in the office may blow the whistle.

(A executive who visits a suppliers factory or negotiates or signs a contract in France is reminded that such acts may give French courts in personam jurisdiction over his company by application of the American concept of "long-arm jurisdiction".)

See also tips for staying out of visa troubles

If you read French, the visa application forms for both short and long-term visits and check lists of documents that may be required for various categories of visas are available at http://www.diplomatie.fr/venir/visas/

Index of Articles on Issues of French-American Business Law

DISCLAIMER

The information provided here and on the other pages linked hereto is intended for educational purposes only, and is not legal advice. Particular situations require particular analyses that can only be provided by legal professionals who specialize in the relevant fields and who know all the details of a situation. Also, a presentation such as this does not establish the attorney-client relationship that is necessary in any rendering of legal advice. Finally, one should be aware that the law is a chameleon-like beast that changes its colors frequently, and what holds good today may be reversed by tomorrow. The comments herein should then be read in that light.
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