Visa D “Visitor” and French Residence Card for a Wealthy Indian Citizen

Rahul Sh. is a successful entrepreneur from India and owner of a chain of premium hotels in New Delhi and Mumbai. He approached GARANT.in to organize a long-term stay with his family in France. His priority was to provide his children with an elite European education and create a stable base in the EU amidst the restrictions Indian citizens face on migration.

Why not citizenship?

India bans dual citizenship. This means that Rahul could not afford to lose his Indian passport, which is needed for business and tax returns. Therefore, the D visa and subsequent processing of a residence permit card, and in the future a French permanent residence card, was the perfect compromise between stability and retaining national citizenship.

Client's goal

To obtain a D visa of the “Visitor” category with the subsequent application for a French residence card (carte de séjour temporaire) for the whole family: Rahul himself, his wife and three children. Among the tasks:

• legal residence in Nice in his villa, access to medicine, infrastructure, and European standard of living;
• enrollment of the children in an international school with a British program;
• visa-free travel in Schengen countries;
• no business or work commitments in France.

Case preparation and submission of documents

GARANT.in formed a third-country filing strategy - at the time of the application, Rahul and his family were in Dubai and had local resident cards. The filing was done through the French visa center in Abu Dhabi, which allowed them to avoid returning to India and speed up the processing.

The entire preparation of the case was under the full legal supervision of GARANT.in. The package included:

• certificates on sources of income (business reports, investment portfolios);
• bank statements for the last 12 months;
• proof of own housing in Nice;
• international medical insurance policies;
• motivation letters on behalf of both spouses;
• certificates of no criminal record.

All documents were translated, apostilled, and notarized.

Obtaining a visa and moving to France

Ten days after submitting the documents, the D visas were approved. The family flew to Nice, where, with the help of a GARANT.in lawyer, they activated their visa and applied to the prefecture for resident cards.

Registration of residence cards in France

GARANT.in organized in advance the entry into the Prefecture and the accompaniment of the client:

1. Collection of the package on French territory (including new income and residence certificates).
2. Passing the biometrics with the whole family.
3. Receipt of a récépissé for 3 months.
4. After 6 weeks - issuance of residence cards for 1 year.

Results

• The whole process - from the first consultation to receiving the residence cards - took less than 2.5 months.
• The children were assisted in enrolling in a prestigious British-medium private school.
• The family legalized their status in the EU, retaining their Indian citizenship.
• French bank account opened, health insurance and tax registration secured.

Reviews

“France has always been our dream but we didn't know how to get there without risks and loss of citizenship. GARANT.in didn't just help - they built everything turnkey. The level of care, attention, and accuracy is amazing. Thank you for your honest approach and accompanying us every step of the way” - Rahul Sharma.

French D Visa Visitor Visa is a strategically smart solution for Indian citizens who cannot give up their passports but want to live in Europe. With the reliable support of GARANT.in, the process becomes a confident, consistent, and profitable relocation decision with the prospect of permanent residence without legal pitfalls.