Immigration Services in Nice, France
I practise immigration and nationality law from my office in Nice. For now, I don't take asylum applications before the OFPRA or appeals before the CNDA; I can put you in touch with a colleague who does this work full time. I do handle Dublin procedures and temporary protection.
A first consultation
Tell me where things stand and bring what you have: letters, permits, the refusal if there is one. I'll explain which procedure fits, what it will ask of you and where it tends to go wrong. If you don't need a lawyer for it, I'll tell you.
If you decide to go ahead, I prepare the file, submit it and follow it through. Some files take weeks or months, others much longer. I'll help you see when a delay is normal and when it's time to act.
Appointments are at my office in Nice or by video call.
Long-stay visas for France: applications and appeals
To live in France for more than three months, you usually need a long-stay visa from the French consulate in your country of residence. Some visas count as a residence permit for their first year, provided you validate them online after arrival. If a visa is refused, a mandatory administrative appeal comes first, then the tribunal administratif de Nantes (administrative court). I prepare the application, and the appeal if the consulate refuses.
Is this your situation?
- You live outside France and want to settle on the Côte d'Azur: to retire, study, work or join family.
- You have an income and do not plan to work in France: the visitor visa is the one to look at.
- The consulate has refused your visa, or does not answer.
- You arrived on a long-stay visa and do not know whether it has to be validated.
What can go wrong
- The visitor visa is refused for lack of resources. The consulate looks at how stable your income is, not only at the amount. I help you present the evidence that counts.
- You enter France for a short stay, planning to change status once here. That is rarely possible. Talk to me before you travel.
- The visa is not validated in time after arrival. It then stops counting as a residence permit. If this has happened, contact me quickly.
- The mandatory appeal is skipped. The court cannot hear the case directly. The deadline is printed on the refusal.
Common questions
- How long does a long-stay visa take?
- It depends on the consulate and the time of year. Allow a few weeks at least, and leave a margin before your departure date.
- Can I work on a visitor visa?
- No. The visitor visa assumes you do not work in France. To work, you need a different visa or a work authorisation.
- The consulate refused my visa. Can I simply apply again?
- You can. But if the reason for the refusal has not changed, the answer will not change either. The mandatory appeal is often the better route; I can help you choose.
Contact meI sign a written fee agreement with you before any work starts, and I accept legal aid (aide juridictionnelle). Details: legal notice.
Written by Paula Rocha Castanheira, lawyer at the Nice Bar.
General information, reviewed on . Your case depends on your decision and your file.