Before you buy any real estate in France, you may want to check first if you can stay in France for a period of longer than 90 days. For EU citizens and foreigners from a number of other countries, there is no visa required for a visit of up to 90 days. Citizens from other countries need a visa and may be required to have sufficient funds for their stay, proof of having a place to stay and sufficient health insurance.
As a non EU citizen, you may stay 90 days at one time, without a long stay visa, but once you are in France you can not change your status from a tourist to a resident.. You need to go back to your country of residence and apply for a "visa de long séjour".
It is possible to leave the country within the 90 days, have you passport stamped and return to France for another 90 days. Keep in mind that your total stay can not exceed 180 days in a calendar year.
As a non active or retired EU citizen, you don't need a visa to stay longer than 90 days, but you need to apply for a residence permit. As a non EU resident who wishes to retire in France, you will need the visa.
We collected some of the forms that are mentioned, they are free for you to download. For more information about visa and embassies, check with Embassy World.
To read more about visa and residency we recommend David Hampshire's book. We are very selective about the books we promote, this one is excellent.
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