French 4 month visa - can I re-enter in the same year for 90 days?

With the normal visa waiver, you would have to leave for 90 days once your original 90 days was over. The rules may be different because of the kind of visa you have. Check with French authorities for the best answer.

There are no 'original 90 days' as I have a visa for four months. My question was, can I leave after that visa period, and return in June or July for a visit of less than 90 days?

Hi Susan. This site is great for travel advice / opinions. But for an important question like yours, I think a better source would be the US State Department or the French Embassy.

It is my understanding that you would be OK. Your visa expired on a certain date and you left the country before that. Done deal. You return in July under the automatic (assuming US citizen) 90 day Schengen tourist visa. However, you should get a more official ruling.

Here's where to start. http://travel.state.gov/visa/visa_1750.html
Only the Department of State and the French authorities can give you a valid answer.

One of my daughters spent a semester in France and faced the same questions. One important thing we learned is that if you travel to another Schengen country during the term of your French student visa, you will start the 6-month "clock" on day one of that travel. (I assume you're familiar with the 90/180 day rules.) So if you've done this and then you want to return as a tourist after your student visa expires, be aware that your 6-month clock may already be running. But our daughter was told that US citizens did have the general right to remain in the Schengen zone for up to 90 days after the expiration of a student visa. This was a few years ago and I don't know if the rules have changed. As everyone else says, check with the French embassy to find out the current rules.

I am not on a student visa. I will be on a 4 month visitor visa, and plan no travel to other Schengen countries.

Susan, it will depend on the exact category of your visitor visa to determine whether it affects eligibility for a Schengen visa waiver if you want to travel later.

Susan, you really need to check with the French Embassy for the definitive answer. Travelling back so soon after the end of your visa could raise a flag so I would definitely want to get an answer in writing from the Embassy. Alternatively, is there any way to change your visa to a longer period (e.g. from January through July) so that you cover both periods of travel?