The matters discussed here are taken from the official site of the French Public Service . The site explains clearly all the legal matters that you have to deal with while living in France. It's a site not only for foreigners but also for the French. It's your guide to survival, so to speak, but then you need to speak French to understand it.

Here I give only the most important and the basic needs to gain legal entry to France, getting a carte de Séjour and carte de Résident.
(Note: If you are planning to come to France, it's best advise to go to the French Consulate near you and ask for the desired infos.)

Getting to France
To enter France you need to apply for a visa in the French Consulate in the Philippines. Depending on your case, you will apply either for a transit visa, tourist visa or business visa .

Unlike other countries, there is no fiancée visa in France. French authorities are strict in delivering visas. One obvious reason is that half of the Filipinos in France do not have legal papers or have overstayed their tourist visa.

In applying for a visa you will need to provide proof of funds (meaning large funds...), a return ticket, the address of your sponsor, a bank statement from your sponsor, a medical certificate, etc... To find out more click here . Note that requirements vary depending on how long you will stay in France, what's the purpose of your visits, etc.

Staying in France
1. Carte de Séjour (Long-term Visa)
Visas are usually issued for three to six months. If you intend to stay longer you will be required to apply for a Carte de Séjour (Long-term visa). The Carte de Séjour allows you to stay in France for up to one year and work legally. With this carte you can travel and work and live in any country of the Shengen Accord:

This means that if you have the carte de Sejour or Carte de Resident you can go to these countries without visa and border check-up.

However, to go to Ireland, England, Switzerland, etc. you do need a visa. But once you have a Carte the Sejour, the processing is easier, although you still need to provide so many papers.

2. Carte de Resident
The issuance of Carte de Resident basically follows the same rules as the Carte de Sejour, but it is harder to get and you will need to provide more papers. You will have to stay several months in France. It is issued for 10 years, and basically entitles you to the same rights than French in France. Except that you cannot vote.