France long-stay visa · proof of income
Pension, investment income or savings: what does the France visa consulate actually accept?
All three can qualify you for the France long-stay visitor visa (VLS-TS). But they are not judged equally. Consulates benchmark your resources against the French net minimum wage (SMIC) — €1,477.93/month as of June 2026 — and then weigh how your money is structured. Here's how the three sources compare in practice.
The three income types, side by side
Pension / Social Security
StrongestFixed monthly deposits from an official body — the exact pattern consulates are trained to approve. Fastest to evaluate.
Typical documents: Pension/benefit letter + recent bank statements showing the deposits.
Investment income (401(k)/IRA, dividends, rental)
Accepted — needs careful presentationCounts fully, but it's often lumpy or variable. Consulates judge regularity, not net worth, so a raw balance isn't enough.
Typical documents: Brokerage/portfolio statement showing regular distributions + bank statements where the money lands.
Savings only (no regular income)
Weakest pathAllowed, but a lump sum reads as less sustainable than recurring income. Consulates prefer income that clearly lasts beyond year one.
Typical documents: Bank/investment statements showing a durable balance, typically covering the full stay.
Why recurring income beats a big balance
A common mistake is assuming a large savings figure is the safest bet. In practice, consulates prefer income that demonstrates it will last: a steady €1,500/month reads as a cleaner file than a lump sum sitting in an account, because it shows sustainability beyond the first visa year. If you rely on savings alone, expect the bar to be higher — a commonly cited proxy is around €17,000 per person per year of stay, shown as a rule of thumb, not an official threshold.
France doesn't publish one fixed figure, and tolerances vary by consulate and by case — treat this as how the practice generally works, not a guarantee.
If your income is investment-based
This is where most files wobble. 401(k)/IRA withdrawals, dividends and rental income all count — but they need to look regular. The fix is to show recurring distributions over the recent months rather than a one-time transfer, and to pair a portfolio statement with bank statements proving the money actually reaches you. See the full guide to presenting 401(k)/IRA income →
See which category your file falls into
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A focused pack for applicants living on 401(k)/IRA withdrawals, dividends and investment income: a withdrawal-schedule letter template, a statement-presentation checklist, sworn-translation guidance, and bank-statement requirements by consulate. Join the list to get it first, at the early-access price.
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