The working holiday visa in France

There is an official website for visa application to France : https://france-visas.gouv.fr/

You will find all information you need to prepare your stay in France.  

The working holiday visa allows you to remain in France for one year as a tourist while letting you work. It is granted for a maximum of 12 months and is not renewable, except for Canada, which has a specific agreement.

The holder of the working holiday visa does not have to complete formalities on arrival in France. He or she may stay in France for the entire period of the visa without requesting a residency permit. A work permit is not necessary either for working, except for citizens of New Zealand and Russia.

Only citizens, aged 18 to 30 years (35 years for Canada), of the countries with which France has a bilateral agreement qualify for a working holiday visa. These countries are: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Russia, Taiwan, Uruguay.

Contact the French consular authorities in your country of residence. To obtain a working holiday visa, you must submit a request for a temporary long-stay visa or VLS-T. Check the website of the French Embassy in the partner countries to learn about the specific conditions for obtaining a working holiday visa for each of the countries.

In general, to obtain a working holiday visa, you must respect the following conditions:

• be 18 to 30 years of age (35 for Canada);
• never have already partaken of the working holiday programme;
• not be accompanied by a dependent child;
• have a return ticket;
• have sufficient financial resources for the start of your stay. The amount of these resources is specified in the agreements.