Sonny Bill Williams is a step closer to joining French rugby club Toulon after collecting his travel visa in London today.

A French Embassy spokesman said that the former Bulldogs rugby league star picked up his visa at the French General Consulate.

“His visa has been handed to him,” the spokesman said.

Williams had flown to London on his Samoan passport, meaning he needed a visa to enter France.

He landed in London on Monday but immigration officials at Heathrow airport stopped him transferring to a flight to France because he did not have a visa.

After being escorted into the consulate in the upmarket London suburb of South Kensington through a secret entrance to avoid the waiting media, Williams met deputy consul general Jean Paul Bossuge.

Bossuge, a former rugby player, personally handed Williams his visa and chatted with the New Zealand-born star who then chatted happily with consulate staff.

“(Bossuge) wanted to meet the player in person and shake his hand,” the spokesman said.

“He was also met by seven members of staff who wanted to shake hands with him. A few of them were rugby fans.”

The spokesman refused to reveal what type of visa was given to Williams or if he revealed when he planned to travel to France.

“It’s an individual confidential procedure,” he said.

“He was granted the visa but I will not get into the technicalities of which visa it was.”

Williams flew out of Sydney at the weekend, reportedly enroute to Toulon in the south of France for talks about a two-year, $3 million deal with the city’s rugby club.

The move sparked outrage within the NRL and amongst Williams’ fans.

The Bulldogs and NRL are attempting to impose an injunction to stop Williams from breaking his five-year contract with the club.

© AP 2012

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