IMPORTANT 03/31/2020: Due to the coronavirus, France has suspended visa processing until further notice. We will provide updates as more information becomes available.
Appointments to apply for the 2020 Working Holiday Visa are now available.
MARCH 2020: Appointments for March, April, and May are already fully booked. On March 1, 6 appointments will be made available for June 1; on March 2, for June 2; and so on until the end of the year. Only 6 slots will be made available each day to ensure availability throughout the year.
The visa is called the VVT (Work and Travel Visa); it allows you to work and travel in France for one year and is available to people between the ages of 18 and 35!
Thanks to the agreement signed between the governments of France and Argentina in February 2011, the WORK AND TRAVEL PROGRAM authorizes young people from both countries to stay in the other country for 12 months on an individual basis, with the aim of spending their vacation, having the opportunity to find employment, and thereby supporting themselves financially.
With this free visa, you cannot obtain permanent employment, extend your stay beyond the expiration date, or change the status of the visa.
This visa is subject to an annual quota of 900 visas.
REQUIREMENTS
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Not have previously participated in the Working Holiday program
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Applicants must be between 18 and 35 years of age on the date of application
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You may not bring dependents
- Must meet the required financial criteria
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Must have no criminal record
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Applicants must submit the required documentation at the French Consulate in Buenos Aires, by appointment, between three months and two weeks prior to the date of travel to France.
HOW TO APPLY FOR THE VISA
Schedule an appointment
The appointment is personal and individual, and must be requested exclusively online at https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/rdvinternet/html-4.00.03/frameset/frameset.html?lcid=1&sgid=74&suid=1
or via email at visas.buenos-aires-fslt@diplomatie.gouv.fr
Documents must be submitted in the same order as listed (original and photocopy):
- A valid passport with at least one year remaining, along with a copy of the photo page. By “at least one year remaining,” we mean that if you apply in June 2018, the passport must be valid until June 2019 (minimum).
- Completed “long-stay” visa application form https://www.girandoelmundo.com/formularios/long_sejour_es-14.pdf
- Two color photos, in accordance with international standards
- A letter of motivation (explaining the reasons for the trip, signed and addressed to the Consul General of France, in French or Spanish).
- Criminal record (issued within the last 3 months; no legalization or certification required).
- A medical certificate of good health with the doctor’s stamp and signature. It must be no more than one month old.
- Proof of financial means to cover expenses of at least EUR 2,500 or its equivalent in pesos ($ARS) or foreign currency.
- Accommodation reservation for the first 15 days: if someone is hosting you, they need to send an email stating that they will host you for those 15 days, or else a reservation for a hostel/hotel.
- Health insurance for the entire duration of the stay.
- Reservation or purchase of a round-trip ticket (with flexible return dates). If you are unable to present a return ticket, you must commit in your letter of motivation to purchasing a return ticket
IMPORTANT: On the day of your appointment, you are not required to have already purchased the ticket and insurance. If your application is complete, the visa office will authorize you to purchase them and send them via email. If they choose, the applicant may also present the purchased ticket and insurance on the day of the appointment to expedite the process.
This visa is FREE!
Once you have everything needed to obtain the VVT (Work and Vacation Visa)—which is everything listed above—and have scheduled your appointment, you must go to the French Consulate, located at Basavilbaso 1253, for the interview, which simply involves submitting the documents; if you submitted everything correctly, they will tell you right then and there whether your visa has been approved or if you need to correct anything.
That same day, they will be given a printed receipt, which you must bring with you on the day you go to pick up your passport if you are from Buenos Aires; otherwise, they will mail it to your home address.
The average time it takes to approve the visa is 2 to 3 days, although it can take up to 5 or 6 days, obviously, provided you submitted everything correctly and there is nothing to correct.
If you have any questions, leave us a comment!!!
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