Immigration
Validate your VLS-TS
validation du visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour
What is it
An online step that turns a long-stay visa into a valid residence document, so it counts as your titre de séjour for its first year.
Do I need it
Yes, if your visa sticker is marked "vaut titre de séjour" or carries the letters VLS-TS. Check the sticker in your passport.
When
Within 3 months of arriving in France.
Where · online
Online, on the ANEF portal run by the Ministère de l'Intérieur.
Documents
Passport with the long-stay visa
Date of arrival in France
Your address in France
A means of paying the tax online
Cost
A tax is payable as part of validation; the amount is not stated on the source page.
What happens next
- You receive a confirmation of validation, which stands in for your residence permit.
- Your visa then lets you re-enter the Schengen area on returning from a trip.
Renewal
Validate your visa on ANEF →
A VLS-TS is valid for up to a year. Applying for a residence permit is a separate procedure, started before it expires.
SOURCE: SERVICE-PUBLIC.GOUV.FR
CHECKED 18.09.2026