You’ve started a new life, you’ve made new friends, or maybe you’re only halfway through your France bucket list. Simply put, your working holiday in France is coming to an end but you aren’t quite ready to leave. The good news is that you can extend your working holiday by another 12 months if you are Canadian!
There are two ways to apply for an extension: the first is to return to VFS Global (a third party company that receives applications on behalf of French consulates) in Canada, and the second option is to apply at your prefecture in France. The choice depends entirely on your timing and personal situation, but make sure to read the pros and cons of each at the bottom of the article.
Both methods described in this article are only possible for Canadian citizens. Other nationalities are not eligible to extend their working holiday in France.
Option 1: Return to VFS Global in Canada
If you opt for option 1, simply follow the same steps as your initial application. You will fill out the online application form and then attend your appointment at the VFS Global centre to submit everything. Your dossier will be processed by the Consulate of France. Once your application is approved, you will receive another Working Holiday Visa sticker in your passport, not an APS (autorisation provisoire de séjour, explained below in option 2).
The application does not have to be submitted before the expiry of your first Working Holiday Visa; there can be a break, long or short, between your two working holidays. However, in either case, you must submit your application before your 36th birthday.
If you are a resident of Quebec and have already exhausted your allowed absence within the last 7 years, then you can just provide your previous RAMQ attestation as proof.
Option 2: Apply for an APS at your prefecture in France
Translated literally, autorisation provisoire de séjour means temporary residence authorisation. Since French administration uses very specific terms for its various permits, we will continue referring to it as the APS. Avoid using any unofficial English translations when communicating with administration as it may cause confusion about the exact permit at hand.
The APS is a document that allows a foreign national to temporarily stay on French soil. You can apply for it even if you have a already turned 36 years old (source). Like the Working Holiday Visa, the APS authorizes holders to stay for a set period while also granting open work authorization. It is a separate document, not a sticker in your passport.
Unlike in option 1, your APS application must be submitted prior to the expiration of your Working Holiday Visa. There cannot be a gap.
Here is the part of the official bilateral accord where the APS is provisioned for.
How do I apply for an APS?
You should read these stories of Canadians who were able to obtain their APS. They contain lots of helpful information on this often stressful process.
Your application must be addressed to the local prefecture of your department (i.e. the administrative centre of the French department where you reside). Each prefecture operates independently. Some are by in-person appointment only, while others ask for the application to be mailed.
Three or four months before the expiration of your visa, contact your prefecture to ask them what the application steps are. It is important to explicitly ask for an autorisation provisoire de séjour of 12 months rather than asking for a renewal of the Working Holiday Visa, which is not possible at the prefecture.
According to previous working holiday makers, some prefectures are harder to reach than others so don’t wait too long.
What documents do I need?
Follow the instructions given to you by your prefecture. In general, you should be prepared to provide:
- Your passport (photocopy)
- Your Working Holiday Visa (photocopy)
- Proof of residence dating from no longer than 6 months ago (e.g. utility bills or statement of rental insurance)
- Proof of funds equivalent to €2500 (e.g., bank statement, work contract, pay slips)
- Proof of private health insurance
- 3 recent ID photographs
If you live with roommates and bills don’t have your name on them, your prefecture may be able to accept those of your roommate’s or the landlord’s along with his or her ID.
As for health insurance, usually you can renew it one or two months prior to the end of your coverage. Contact your insurance provider for more details.
We’ve been recommending
Globe WHV insurance since 2005. They have already insured thousands of working holiday makers, to France and elsewhere.
SOS, my prefecture isn’t responding to me!
It is very possible that your prefecture will not adequately respond to your inquiries via email or telephone. Don’t worry, you are far from being the only one to have encountered this.
In this case, based on our own experiences, we advise that you send by email and post (no earlier than 2 months before your WHV expiry) a letter to your prefecture explaining your situation and what exactly you require of them. You should specify that you want an APS of 12 months as outlined in the Franco-Canadian accord for youth mobility, not a renewal of your Working Holiday Visa. Also ask for an appointment, since it is not possible to enter the prefectural bureau without an appointment confirmation (the security agent will not let you in).
Attach a copy of your passport and visa. Be sure to leave your contact information too. Ideally, you will be contacted via email and invited to an appointment to submit your full application.
If you have to mail important documents, it is recommended (but not required) to opt for tracking and confirmation of delivery.
The day of your appointment at the prefecture
Don’t be surprised if your appointment is set for just a few days before the expiration date of your Working Holiday Visa – this has been the experience of many past WHV holders.
Once you’ve submitted your papers, usually the agent at the service counter will give you an application receipt (un récipissé de dépôt de demande). This paper serves as proof that you are waiting for your real APS document and it gives you the same rights to live and work in France during the waiting period, even if your first Working Holiday Visa expires during this time.
You will then either receive your APS by mail or go back to the prefecture to pick it up. The service agent will tell you which method applies.
If in person, make sure during pick up that all the printed information is correct before leaving the service window. If you see an error, flag it right away.
And there you have it!
We remind you again to remember to read
these stories from past Canadians who successfully obtained their APS.
Other frequently asked questions
Which method is better?
There’s no right or wrong answer, it just depends on your timing and personal situation.
Pros of the APS method: 1) You don’t have to pay for a flight to Canada. 2) Some employers are more familiar with the APS than the Working Holiday Visa, which can facilitate your job search, if applicable. 3) There is no application fee. 4) As an APS holder, you may try to apply for a social security number through CPAM (but this is neither mandatory nor guaranteed). 5) With the APS, you will be issued a numéro d’étranger, which can make it easier for you to switch to another status via ANEF at the end of your second year.
Cons of the APS method: 1) Prefectures are not very responsive. 2) A lot of prefectural employees aren’t familiar with the rights of WHV holders, so you will need to practice lots of patience and perseverance.
Pros of the VFS method: 1) You already know what to expect, because the steps are the same as the first time. 2) VFS agents are very familiar with the Working Holiday Visa and know exactly what to do.
Cons of the VFS method: 1) It is very difficult to secure an appointment at VFS. 2) As a WHV holder (1st or 2nd time), it is not possible to apply for a social security number nor access public health insurance. 3) VFS charges an application fee.
Where can I print my documents and ID photos?
If you don’t have a printer at home, you can go to Corep. They have 50 locations in France, including Paris, Lille, Bordeaux, Marseille, and more. Alternatively, some local public libraries may allow members to print for free. For the ID photos, you can find any photo booth. They are dotted around all major cities, including in train stations and malls.
Français
English
(67) Comments
Hi Jackson,
As others mentioned, this is a super helpful article! Thank you for taking the time to be so thorough.
I am heading home for December and am going to try renewing my PVT with VFS (my current visa expires Feb 27 2026).
I had a couple of questions:
1. The application asked, “have you stayed in france for longer than 3 months, and what was the duration of your stay”. Initially I tried to put in the date of my first visa which expires in Feb 2026, but it won’t allow this option. Should I put until todays date or omit it?
2. For place of accomodation, I already have an appartment. Do I need to still provide contact information
3. In an extentuating circumstance if my second WHV expires, is there still an opportunity to meet with the prefecture for APS. Or do they cancel eachother out
Understand if the first two questions are a bit specific, any amount of advice is helpful.
Thank you so much again and all the best!
Alexandra
Hi Alexandra.
1. Just put the current date, and then during your VFS appointment ask the associate if that’s correct. If not, they will help you edit the form.
2. If it’s not a mandatory field, then you don’t have to.
3. Are you asking if it’s possible to do WHV + WHV + APS, for total of 3 years? Technically the Franco-Canadian accord only allows 2 years of working holiday. But it’s not impossible that a misinformed prefecture employee could approve the third year anyway… I can’t speak from experience on this.
Hi Jackson,
Thank you for the quick and helpful response. You’re right, I am sure VFS can help if there are issues with those parts of the form.
As for the WHV+APS, was just curious. Most of my friends went down the APS method, so wanted to be sure.
Thanks again for the super helpful resource.
Alexandra
Hi Jackson,
I hope you are well!
I have recently renewed my WHV in Paris and I was wondering if it would be possible to share my experience in here since I really benefited from these stories/experiences when I applied for the renewal.
Thank you very much !
Janice
Hi Janice. Of course, that would be super appreciated! I just sent you instructions via DM.
Hi Jackson,
Thank you for all the helpful information. I need to return to Canada before renewing my WHV but I just want to be 100% sure that I can re-apply through VFS Global after a break (in my case 4 months). I couldn’t find any examples in the comments of anyone who has done it this way. Have you confirmed people have been able to successfully renew this way? Or is there anywhere on the french government website that confirms this? I am just nervous about returning to Canada, getting stuck, and having to find a different method to return to France.
Thanks!
Hi Noah. Yes, I personally know a Canadian who did this. If you want, you can click the link in the article to read the Franco-Canadian accord. Nowhere does it say participations must be continuous.
Hello Jackson! Thank you for this article. I just have a question about “3 recent ID photographs”. Do we just need 3 copies of the same photo and are there any requirements with size, etc?
Hi Jas. Yes this chapter explains the requirements https://pvtistes.net/en/dossiers/working-holiday-visa-in-france-for-canadians/2/
But it’s also possible that your préfecture won’t ask you for them. It depends on each one.
Hi there! I’ve been sending emails since the beginning of July trying to get an APS in the Hauts de Seine Prefecture and have not yet received a reply. My visa expires beginning of October, but I have just seen that there is a place to submit documents online (specifically for Canadians trying to renew their visa vacances-travail) on the prefecture’s website. Has anyone gone down this route to try and get it approved online first and received the appointment to pick it up after? I’m hoping this is a quicker easier process rather than having to contact the embassy!
Can you please share the link?
https://www.hauts-de-seine.gouv.fr/Demarches/Etrangers-dans-les-Hauts-de-Seine/SEJOUR/SEJOUR-prefecture-de-Nanterre/Renouvellement-de-titre-de-sejour/Renouvellement-immigration-professionnelle
Here is the link, and the demarche for Canadians is in section 10.
Let me know what you think!
Thanks Helena. It’s not the process that RianeF from 92 went through (link below), but maybe that’s just because they didn’t know about your link, which seems to be the better route! If I were you, I would certainly give that a shot first. Please share back with us on how it goes, to help others. https://pvtistes.net/en/stories/stories-canadians-renew-whv-france/
{{like.username}}
Loading...
Load more