France visa options for United Kingdom passport holders
Tourist / short stay
Visa-free · up to 90 days
Enter without a visa, usually for a set number of days.
Visa types & longer-stay routes for France
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals (EU/EEA/Swiss citizens need no visa). Many nationalities are visa-exempt for short stays; long-stay 'VLS-TS' visas double as a residence permit.
- Tourist
Tourist visa (Schengen Type C)
Up to 90 days within any 180-day period
- Insurance
- Required— travel medical insurance, min €30,000, covering Schengen, emergencies and repatriation
- Good for
- Tourism, family visits, short trips by visa-required nationals
- Requirement
- Passport, proof of funds, accommodation and return travel
- Business
Business visa (Schengen Type C)
Up to 90 days within any 180-day period
- Insurance
- Required— €30,000 Schengen travel insurance
- Good for
- Meetings, conferences, negotiations (no local employment)
- Requirement
- Same short-stay visa as tourism + business documentation
- Work
Work — Talent Passport (Passeport Talent)
Up to 4 years (multi-year card), renewable
- Insurance
- Required— private cover until enrolled in French social security
- Good for
- Skilled employees, researchers, founders, investors and artists
- Requirement
- Category-dependent (e.g. salary ~2× SMIC for a qualified employee; founder investment from ~€30,000)
- Work
Work — salaried employee (VLS-TS salarié)
1 year, then convertible to a multi-year residence permit
- Insurance
- OptionalCovered via French social security once employed; private cover advised on arrival
- Good for
- Non-EU nationals with a French employment contract
- Requirement
- Employer-obtained work permit + contract
- Study
Student visa (VLS-TS étudiant)
Duration of studies (validated yearly)
- Insurance
- Required— private cover initially, then French student social security
- Good for
- Students enrolled at a French institution
- Requirement
- Acceptance letter, Campus France procedure, funds (~€615/month)
- Residence
Long-stay visitor / retirement (VLS-TS visiteur)
1 year, renewable; path to multi-year then permanent card
- Insurance
- Required— continuous private health insurance covering the stay (≈ €30,000 commonly cited)
- Good for
- Self-funded non-workers (e.g. retirees); path to a residence card
- Requirement
- Signed undertaking NOT to work in France + resources at least equal to SMIC (~€1,478 net/month)
- Transit
Airport transit (Schengen Type A)
International zone only — no Schengen entry
- Insurance
- OptionalNot required for the transit itself
- Good for
- Certain nationalities passing through a French airport without entering Schengen
- Requirement
- Required only for listed nationalities (France narrowed the list from 10 Apr 2026)
A 2025 circular now explicitly bans remote/economic activity — even freelance for foreign clients — on the long-stay VISITOR visa, so France has no nomad route; use Talent Passport or Profession Libérale instead. Income figures track the minimum wage (SMIC) and vary by source; exact per-category insurance minimums are unverified (€30,000 commonly cited). Last checked: 2026-06 — confirm on france-visas.gouv.fr.
Last verified June 2026
Routes that depend on your nationality
Some of France’s long-stay routes are open only to citizens of specific countries. Here’s where a United Kingdom passport stands:
Working Holiday Visa (Vacances-Travail / PVT)
Not open to United Kingdom passport holders
Bilateral long-stay 'vacances-travail' visa; valid 12 months, non-renewable (Canada has a specific extended agreement). Standard age limit 18-30; raised to 18-35 for Argentina (AR), Australia (AU) and Canada (CA). Annual per-country quotas apply (e.g. Canada ~7,000, South Korea ~2,000, Japan ~1,800, Argentina ~1,500; Australia and New Zealand unlimited); quotas reset each January. Russia (RU) is also a treaty partner but its program is effectively suspended (French visa application centres in Russia closed 31 Dec 2025), so RU is excluded from the active list. Sourced from France-Visas (gouv.fr), Campus France and pvtistes.net, June 2026.
Visa-free isn’t insurance-free
Whatever route you take into France, your entry stamp never includes health cover. Many longer-stay visas also require proof of insurance before they’re granted. That part is on you — and it’s what we actually do.
United Kingdom → France: frequently asked
- Do United Kingdom passport holders need a visa to visit France?
- Visa-free · up to 90 days. Enter without a visa, usually for a set number of days. Always confirm with the official source before booking.
- Can a United Kingdom passport holder live or work long-term in France?
- Yes, via a long-stay visa. France has 7 documented visa types covering work, study, residence and — where it exists — digital-nomad routes.
- Do I need travel insurance for France?
- Entry to France never includes health cover, so travel medical insurance is strongly recommended. Several France visas also require proof of insurance before they're granted.
Last updated
Visa rules can change at short notice and depend on your purpose of travel, length of stay and onward tickets. Always confirm with the destination’s embassy or the IATA Travel Centre before you book. Visa-free entry never includes travel health insurance. That’s still on you.