When it comes to French visa applications, you want to cross every ‘T’ and dot every ‘I’ because mistakes in your application could set your move abroad back months.

Make a serious enough mistake and your application can get outright rejected by the French authorities. It’s why visa applications are a key step in the process of moving to France.

In a recent webinar on Retiring and Moving to France, Fab French Insurance founder Fabien Pelissier revealed how one applicant saw their documents rejected because of a single photo.

The main causes of French Visa rejection

“There are as many [causes for rejections] as there are applications,” Pelissier says. But his firm, which supports more than 1,500 applications each year, regularly sees three offenders.

You need accessible money when applying

Insufficient cash

“The main reason is resources,” Pelissier says. When you submit your application, you may need to prove you are financially stable. For a Visa Visiteur, for example, you need to demonstrate to the French consulate that you have an income of more than €1,800 a month and more than €30,000 in the bank.

The money should be accessible this afternoon or tomorrow

Showing assets worth that amount won’t be good enough, Pelissier says. “It needs to be available cash. If you show them letters with the value of your property portfolio that’s not something you can instantly access. Basically, the money should be accessible this afternoon or tomorrow.”

Pelissier also advises you to make your documentation as clear as possible. “An ISA and a 401K don’t exist in France,” he explains. “You might be providing the French consulate guys with documentation that they simply don’t understand.”

This is where an application adviser can help, as they will be able to package your documentation with explanatory materials.

Your insurance must cover your whole stay

Improper insurance

Getting the right insurance may seem straightforward, but Pelissier says it is one of the most common mistakes his company sees people make.

“This morning, we had a rejection for improper insurance,” Pelissier says. “It is one of the main factors in rejections because you bought a three-month or six-month policy, or travel insurance.”

When applying for a French visa you need to purchase medical insurance for your entire period of stay. So, if you were applying for a one-year visa you couldn’t apply with only six months of insurance and the intention to get a second policy part way through the year.

You need to have a home that meets you stated needs

Inappropriate address

The final major cause Pelissier describes is more difficult to quantify. Already owning property in France shouldn’t impact your application. Although, Pelissier believes “it does make a difference at the consulate if you have bought a property in France.”

However, it does also open you up to a rejection that is difficult to battle – whether your new home is inappropriate for your needs.

“The motive for this one is a bit blurry,” Pelissier says, “it’s something like ‘We don’t think you would be staying in France, or [we don’t think you] have a stable enough accommodation’.” Essentially, the home you have purchased won’t be large enough for you or it’s not located in an area where you can do the work you claim you will be doing.

Again, this is something that your application adviser will be able to help you with.

Picture perfect

However, while those are the main pitfalls of visa applications, there are other simpler mistakes that you should avoid.

When you apply for your visa “you must provide ID pictures because this is a new page in your passport and you need pictures,” Pelissier says, “it’s an official document.” Still, despite the importance of the application, he knows of someone who, rather than go to a photo booth, sent in a selfie they had taken on the beach. “Which,” Pelissier says, “you can guess, is not visa compliant.”

The consulate won’t appreciate your holiday snaps

Don’t worry, though, Pelissier offers reassurance. His firm deals with more tha 1,500 applications every year and has been operating since 2015. “We probably see something like 20 to 30 [rejected] applications a year, mostly with people dealing with their applications themselves.” If you get help with your application, then you will likely identify anything wrong with your documents long before they are rejected.

“The consulate normally tells you something is wrong, and you have the opportunity to fix it”

“Point blank rejection is basically not a thing,” Pelissier adds. “The consulate normally tells you something is wrong, and you have the opportunity to fix it.”

This is just one of the nuggets Pelissier shared in his Retiring and moving to France webinar, for more information on visa applications, residency essentials, and health insurance, be sure to give it a watch.

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