After my OFII medical exam, I’ve officially been noted as ‘healthy’ enough to live in France!
So, you got your long-stay visa for France, you validated your French visa online, and you finally received a letter saying you are due to visit the OFII in the near future. I’ll share with you my experience at the OFII for a medical visit so you know what to expect!
I validated my visa online on November 15 of last year, but I didn’t receive my letter until mid-February. I was due at the OFII in Montrouge, just south of Paris, on Wednesday March 4 for my medical visit. My appointment was at 2:30pm. I left my apartment at 1:30 and it took me about 30 minutes to arrive by metro line 13. It’s a short few minutes walk between the metro and the OFII but the neighborhood isn’t very nice, so I dressed very casually and plainly for my appointment.
When I got there, there was a crowd of about 10 people waiting outside the door. I wasn’t sure what to do, so I waited behind them. I had read that there are sometimes asylum seekers at the OFII so I’m assuming that’s who these people were.
The door guard spotted me right away and called out “Madame” to me and gestured for me to come forward. He asked for my letter and passport. He verified that I was the person in the photo and ushered me inside. I went through the metal detector and used the liquid hand sanitizer available before heading to the receptionist.
This woman was very rude, but that was to be expected. Thankfully everyone else I interacted with was very kind and pleasant. She told me to wait inside a waiting room to be called. I walked in and almost every seat was taken. I assume these were asylum seekers, because I was called out about 10 minutes later while they were still waiting there.
Then I went to a different waiting room with about 6 other people. One by one we were called to the desk for the first part of the process. The “Analyses” section was where we met a nice woman who asked for our passports, a phone number, and if we had received a pulmonary scan recently.
I had not, so I was ushered into a little closet to get the scan. A doctor told me to take off my upper clothing and tie my hair up for the scan. Any jewelry should be removed as well. The other side of the closet opens up to a room where the doctor instructed me to press my chest against a machine while he took a scan of my lungs. After, you get dressed again in the little closet. This part took about 5 minutes and the doctor was very professional!
Next up was taking a vision test, and then having my height and weight noted. That part was easy but bring glasses if you need them!
Lastly, I visited with a nice doctor who reviewed the lung scans we had just done. She said everything looked normal and asked if I had any flu symptoms recently. She then took my blood pressure and listened to my heartbeat. She then asked me about my vaccination records. I told her I had all the standard ones in order to attend school in the United States and she deemed that sufficient. She provided me with a list of places where I can get vaccine boosters for free in Paris.
The doctor kindly signed my paper stating that I have been deemed healthy enough to live in France, and sent me on my way. Helpfully, she gave me two copies of my medical certificate. One was for me to keep, and the other was to give to the Préfecture at the time of renewal. After the rude receptionist stamped my two certificates, I was free to go!
The entire OFII medical visit experience took less than one hour, not including transportation. It wasn’t nearly as bad as some of the horror stories I had read online! 3 out of 4 people I interacted with were polite and friendly.
In summary, my tips for your OFII medical visit are:
- Wear basic clothing and nothing flashy. The OFII in Montrouge is in a sketchy part of town that didn’t feel very safe. Don’t draw attention to yourself by wearing nice clothing.
- Wear a top and bottom so you can remove your top for the lung scans while still wearing something on the bottom.
- Don’t wait in line if there is one outside the OFII office. Find the guard, and try to enter the building. Say you have an appointment. (“J’ai un rendez-vous”)
- Bring a folder to keep and protect the medical certificate you will receive.
Good luck!
Here are more articles from the French Long Stay Visas series:
Hi thanks for sharing
After the OFII exam do you take the certificate to a prefecture or how do you get the carte de sejour before renewing?
What’s the next step after medical exam?
Thank you
You just keep the form and bring it with you at your renewal appointment.
Hi Victoria, thanks for this Article. It’s very insightful. I never got an invite for medical examination. I validated my visa online in February of this year 2023. I still have about 6 months to go. Please how can I book an appointment for the medical examination. Could you please leave a direct link for that?
Thanks
Hi! I am unaware of how to do this. I would recommend going to the address indicated in Montrouge and asking them directly. I know that might be a pain to do. Otherwise, there is a foreigner support kiosk on Ile de Cité where you can inquire! Good luck.
I HAVE A VLS-TS FOR ONE YR. HOWEVER , PASSPORT SAYS IT EXPIRES IN MAY, VS ONE YEAR WHICH IS NOVEMBER. NO MAIL FOR A MEDICAL, AND NO ONE SPEAKS ENGLISH AT THE PREFECTURE TO GET A RONDEVOUZ.
DO I WAIT FOR NOTICE IN MAIL? I HAVE COMMUNICATED WITH AUTHORITIES WHO GIVE ME NO SITES OR INFORMATION, OTHER THAN I NEED TO CONTACT PREFECTURE, WHICH IS NO HELP, NO ENGLISH. SUGGESTIONS? WEBSITE TO RENEW THE LONG STAY ONLINE?
You can renew your visa here: https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/#/
I outline the process here: https://culturetravel.com/renew-long-stay-visa-france/
I had a memory of the chest X-ray back in 2001 or so and was trying to figure out what it was. I’m guessing it was likely the same test back then, as I had to be topless as well.
Thank you so much, I’m going to my OFII medical Appointment in Montrouge next week and was a bit worried about what to expect. Do you have a similar post for the ‘Visite d’accueil’?
Merci :)
Hi Laura! No I do not, I did not have to do that part on a Visitor visa :)
Hi victoria,
Thank you for your sharing.
May i know how do you receive for your ofii convoque(reservation) letter? By email or traditionel mail? I am still waiting mine after validation.
Thank you
I received a letter in the mailbox!
Thanks for your detailed description of what to expect. I’m applying for a long stay visa next year, so I understand that after arrival you must undergo a medical exam.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I have 2 questions:
1) For the vision test, is it just looking at an eye chart or using a machine?
2) For vaccination records, how far back do they expect you to go…childhoood? Or is just COVID-related vaccinations they are concerned about.
Hi John!
1. I don’t remember but I believe it was just an eye chart test.
2. Yes back until childhood, however I did not need proof of my vaccinations. You just say whether you are vaccinated or not. They know it’s required in most first world countries!
Hello, for the vaccinations I don’t have a “certificate” or “record book” to show them, only recently in Australia has the government has created an online centralised register so no shots that I’ve had in the past shows in that register as they are prior to the register being set up. I can obviously explain what childhood immunisations are required in Australia and say that I’ve had them but I dont have any other paper proof of that? Will that be okay? Thank you
Yes that’s what I did! They did not require paper proof.
If you have to be completely topless for the x-ray, do they give you a gown of some sort?
No. You have to press your chest against the machine.
I’ve read that outside of Paris, you get a cover. Paper gowns are x-ray friendly. Regardless, I hope they at least sanitize that surface after each person.
Dear Victoria: My husband and I want to spend a year in France..(did this before with nothing but a passport for a year in 2001) but do not want the messy job of getting a LTV….so, do you think living in France for 3 months, then to Croatia for 3 months (not a schengen country), then back to France for 3 months, then to Ireland for 3 months….then back to France….keeping our 90 days within a 6 month period precise….this seems reasonable to me….what do you think? We plan on speinding an entire year in Europe….thank you for any reply and thank you for this post.
Hi Bonnie! You could absolutely do that. Legally as long as you track your days, it should not be a problem. I do think you will realize that 3 months goes by very fast however, and moving apartments so often might be tiresome after one year. But if you don’t mind that, then I’d say go for it!! :)