FAQ about the mandatory WHV insurance

Hi Jackson!

I’m applying of the WHV to France very soon, and it appears I will be unable to get the medical certificate or criminal record check in time. I see that you’re saying they’re not necessary, which is great news! However, the VFS appointment says I need them, and when I call they say it’s required. I’m wondering how to navigate this at my appointment?

Is it still true that I won’t need these documents? I’m having difficulty finding another government source stating that these aren’t required, I’m hoping to bring this with me as a reference to my appointment. Do you know where I can find this section of the agreement?

Thanks for the help!

Hi Farhang. If you are Canadian, then these are not required. You can read point 5 of the following article to understand why https://pvtistes.net/en/tips-applying-working-holiday-canadians-france/. I (and many others) got the WHV, and was never asked to show either document.

If you contacted VFS customer service, it’s possible they provided contrary information. They are outsourced employees in a third country (neither France nor Canada), so they may have just been reading the checklist back to you. In any case, VFS only takes the applications and forwards them to the French consulate for processing, so they don’t actual have any decision role in assessing applications.

Hi Jackson!

I had a question about the insurance cover and cover letter… I currently pay for Cigna Global Worldwide that renews on May 9 2026… I also bought a return flight on May 6 2026 as that was the cheapest option.

I can’t renew my insurance early of course, and it was so expensive that I don’t want to buy another cover… is it ok to state in my cover letter that I would like to spend part of 2026 in France and then stay longer than I intended? I will obviously renew my insurance in May of next year and I would only stay as long as my visa permits (I’ve had the Aus and England WHVs too and I’ve never overstayed and would never either).

Hi Safia. I don’t fully understand your question. What is your situation exactly? You are on your first WHV and want to apply for a second WHV next year? What cover letter are you talking about?

Hi there,
For the cover letter portion of the application how much information did you share about your itinerary and how thorough was your cover letter?

I currently don’t have an exact itinerary besides cities I’d like to visit and I’m afraid my application will be denied if I don’t share enough information.
I plan to write a basic cover letter stating: purpose of travel, intent to leave and financial means of support throughout the stay. Is there any other vital information that I should include(thorough itinerary, etc)?

Itinerary is not required. It’s enough to just explain your interest in France. But they don’t need to know your exact plan. Most working holiday makers don’t even have one themselves!

Hi, I’m currently in the process of waiting for a VFS appointment slot to open up.
The only thing I’m unsure of is do I need to bring proof of accommodation to the VFS appointment or can I book my accommodation once I’ve been granted a visa and in my hands?

Multiple tutorials are giving me varying instructions. Some say to book inward plane ticket/accommodation to show proof at the VFS appointment, some don’t. As I would like to buy a plane ticket AFTER I have my VISA in hand like you suggested, I’d like to preferably do the same (if possible) for my accommodation.

Besides the required docs that are on the registration form that France-Visas gives me is there anything else I need to bring as proof in order for a WHV Visa to be granted? (Accommodation, inward plane ticket, etc)

Thank you very much for the help!

Hi. If you look at your official checklist, neither proof of accommodation nor France-bound plane ticket is listed. I myself didn’t present either of them when I applied. The housing address is for reference purposes only and is not binding in any way.

Thanks for the reassurance! Appreciate the help.

Hi,

I am applying for the WHV from Toronto Ontario, I am in france right now for vacation waiting for my appointment at the VFS to get my WHV.

I finally found on appointment in Montreal because I never find any in Toronto.
I took that appointment but I saw after that on my application it says that my VFS is Toronto, can I still use Montreal to get it ? Do I need to change in my application and put Montreal instead of Toronto ?

I am going to fly back to Canada just for my appointment I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing

And after this appointment how long does it need to get the Visa ?

Thank you for your help !
Jorge

Hi Jorge. I’m not sure about this. I recommend that you contact VFS support to confirm. And please let us know here once you have the answer, thanks!