Paris Guide
Entry requirements
Citizens of EU (European Union) countries, and 31 other countries, including Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Norway, do not need any sort of visa to enter France, and can stay for up to ninety days. Citizens of all other countries must obtain a visa before arrival. A complete list of all French government websites, including embassies and consulates, can be found at 
www.gksoft.com/govt/en/fr.html .
Three types of tourist visa are currently issued: a transit visa (visa de circulation), valid for multiple stays of up to ninety days in a three-year period; a short-stay (court séjour) visa, valid for multiple stays of up to ninety days in a six-month period; and a long-stay (long séjour) visa, which allows for multiple stays of more than ninety days over three years, but which is issued only after an examination of an individual's circumstances. Note that it's very hard to get a long-stay visa if you've already arrived in France on a short-stay visa.
EU citizens and non-visa citizens who stay longer than ninety days are officially supposed to apply for a Carte de Séjour, for which you'll have to show a passport, birth certificate, proof of residence (eg an electricity bill or copy of a lease), details of a French bank account, evidence of health insurance (if you're not an EU citizen), and proof of adequate funds to support a long stay in France; you'll also need two stamped SAEs and three passport-size photos. Make your application at the Préfecture de Police, 9 boulevard du Palais, on the Ile de la Cité ( www.prefecture-police-paris.interieur.gouv.fr ), where there's a special counter. However, EU passports are rarely stamped, so there may be no evidence of how long you've been in the country. For further information on visa regulations consult the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website www.diplomatie.gouv.fr .