If you’re planning a trip to France, you might need either a short-stay visa (C-type visa, known as a Schengen visa) or a long-stay visa (D-type visa).
Our team of visa experts, with over 10 years of experience, has created a straightforward guide. It breaks down the different visas and eligibility criteria, helping you get ready for your time in France.
Fact: More than 79.4 million visitors visited France in 2022, making it the most visited country in Europe.
To apply for a Schengen visa to France, follow these steps:
Not everyone travelling to France needs a visa. Whether you require a French visa depends on your nationality. Refer to the information below to find out if you need to apply for a visa.
You will have to apply for a visa when travelling to France if you are:
You are exempt from applying for a visa to enter France if you fall into any of the following categories:
For those exempt from a visa, check out the required documents for entry into France. It’s always good to be prepared!
If you’re planning a short visit to France, lasting up to 90 days for tourism, visiting friends and family, or business, you should opt for a short-stay visa, often called a C-type or Schengen Visa.
For visits to non-European territories (DROM-COM), France provides a short-stay national visa.
On the other hand, if your visit has different purposes or extends beyond 90 days, you’ll require a long-stay visa, commonly referred to as a D-type visa.
A France Schengen visa is a standardized visa with a uniform application process. While there is only one type of visa, it can be granted for the purposes as listed below:
If you plan to visit France’s non-European territories (DROM-COM), you need to apply for a Short-stay national visa.
It’s important to note that none of France’s territories outside Europe are part of the Schengen Area. These territories include:
If your intended stay in France or in French non-European territories (DROM-COM), exceeds 90 days, you’ll need to obtain a French long-stay visa.
The visa duration should fall within the range of three months to one year. To prolong your stay beyond the visa’s validity, you must request a residence permit at a French prefecture.
Long-stay visas in France are categorized based on the duration of the intended stay.
This visa allows you to stay in France for a maximum period of 4 to 6 months. It is a temporary authorization granted for specific purposes, including:
While your visa is valid, there is no need to apply for a residence card at the prefecture. However, upon expiration, you must return to your country of origin.
The VLS-TS, or a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit, not only grants entry into France but also allows individuals to reside in the country for a period ranging from 3 to 12 months, eliminating the need for a separate residence permit application.
Various types of VLS-TS are available, including:
To learn more about long-stay visas, please visit the official website of the French government.
Remember, having a visa doesn’t guarantee entry; you must meet specific entry requirements outlined by French border officials. Ensure you fulfil these requirements before planning your journey to France.
You can determine where to lodge your French visa application through the official French government website. Simply select your country of residence, and it will direct you to the relevant embassy, consulate or visa centre, which will accept your application.
Residents in all other European countries not mentioned above have to submit their French Schengen visa applications to the French embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
| Botswana, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda,Zimbabwe | The French Embassy |
| Guinea-Bissau | The Spanish Embassy |
| Kenya | The Vanuatu Embassy |
| Somalia | The Kenyan Embassy |
| Burundi | The Belgian Embassy |
| Eswatini | The Mozambique Embassy |
| South Sudan | The Ethiopia Embassy |
| Sierra Leone | The Guinea Embassy |
| Seychelles | Mauritius Embassy |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | Portuguese Embassy |
| Eritrea | Italian Embassy |
Residents in all other African countries not mentioned above have to submit their French Schengen visa applications to the French embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Armenia, Bangladesh, Georgia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan | The French Embassy |
| Afghanistan | The Pakistani Embassy |
| Timor-Leste | Portuguese Embassy |
| Turkmenistan | Italian Embassy |
Residents in all other Asian countries not mentioned above have to submit their French Schengen visa applications to the French embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
Residents in all other South American countries not mentioned above have to submit their French Schengen visa applications to the French embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| Cuba, Mexico, Saint Lucia | The French Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Costa Rica, Guatemala, Trinidad and Tobago | The Spanish Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Honduras | The Deutsch Embassy |
| Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Saint Lucia Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
Residents in all other North America and the Caribbean countries not mentioned above have to submit their French Schengen visa applications to the French embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
| Residents of | Submit the application at |
|---|---|
| New Zealand, Vanuatu | The French Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Kiribati, Solomon Islands | The Vanuatu Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
| Samoa, Cook Islands | The New Zealand Embassy or Consulates in these countries |
Residents in all other Oceanian countries not mentioned above have to submit their French Schengen visa applications to the French embassy or consulate in their country of residence.
You must complete the online application form and print it to submit it with the other documents. You must also create an online account to start the application process and book an appointment to submit your application.
Once you submit your French visa application form, you will be redirected to the next page, through which you can make a visa appointment with a visa centre or embassy/consulate — you have to make an appointment so you can submit the downloaded application form along with all other required documents.
Click on the link “page of your place of residence”, where you will be able to choose the country from which you will apply and continue with booking the appointment. Select your country of residence from the list, and make an appointment with the relevant visa centre or consulate.
Let’s say you are applying from India and you live in Kolkata. Just select your residence, and you will know where you have to book your appointment. Click on Book an appointment and follow the instructions of the visa centre.
After you book your appointment, go back to your application, check the box as seen below and click on “Send to the visa center” to submit your application form.
You will be redirected to this final page, where you can download the application form to submit as a physical copy along with your other documents.
You can also go to your account, click on the button with the magnifying glass—see below—to download your application form.
When you finish your application, you will receive an email confirming that the registration of your application in the France-Visas application has been successfully completed.
As a reminder, the registration receipt will be required when submitting your complete file to the visa centre.
The recommended time for scheduling a visa appointment is at least 15 days before you intend to travel to France, but no more than six months before. Remember that sometimes, there are waiting times for an appointment.
Each French embassy or consulate will state on its website how early it is recommended to apply.
There is no specific time how long you may have to wait until an appointment slot opens up for your application. The available appointment times depend on:
Waiting time may range from a few days to a few weeks.
In order to obtain a French Schengen visa, applicants need to follow a standardized set of documents specified in the Schengen visa code, though there may be some variations for each member country.
To meet the short-term stay visa requirements for France, applicants must submit the following documents to the French embassy or consulate or VAC:
Except for the documents mentioned above, you must provide the following documents for specific short-stay visas:
Make sure you provide all the documents required by French authorities to avoid any chance of your application being refused.
To obtain a French Schengen visa, you are required to have a minimum amount of money, depending on your situation:
You must attend your France visa appointment (that you booked during the online application) to submit your printed application form and required documents, pay the visa application fee, and provide your biometric data. It will take about 20 minutes to complete the application at the visa center or embassy.
During the appointment, you must submit your visa photo, and they will digitally scan your fingerprints. If you have provided these within the last five years, you may be exempt, and children may also be exempt.
The purpose of collecting and storing biometric data is to verify identities and prevent document fraud. This biometric information is stored in the Visa Information System (VIS).
When you submit your French visa application, you need to pay the visa fee. The fee for a French Schengen visa is €90 .
If you apply through a visa application center, you might have to pay an extra EUR 30-40. Payment methods vary by location, so it’s a good idea to check which payments are accepted ahead of time to make sure you can pay.
During the appointment, you will be interviewed briefly; questions will be about your travel plans, the purpose of your visit, and other relevant details. Answer all questions truthfully.
Yes, generally someone else can apply on your behalf if you are unable to do so yourself. You would have to provide them with an official letter of authorization. However, you may still have to appear to submit your biometric information.
This is not the same as when a visa application center or tourist agency, which is authorized to submit applications to French embassies on behalf of the applicants, applies for you.
Once you submit your application, you will need to wait at least 15 working days for your visa to be processed. Please keep in mind that this processing time can take up to 30 days or more.
You can track the status of your France visa application through the official France visa website. Simply select the location in which you submitted your application, and you will be redirected to the relevant tracking tool.
If you receive your visa, you can travel to France within the dates specified in the visa sticker. Your visa can be issued for single, double, or multiple entries. The consular authorities which process your application will decide how long you can stay; visas are issued for a maximum of 90 days but may also be issued for a shorter period.
If your French visa is refused, the reason why it was refused will be stated on the decision letter. Afterward, you have two options on how to proceed:
The visa fee is non-refundable, as it covers the costs associated with processing your application, regardless of whether your application is approved or denied.
Depending on which location you submitted your France visa application, you will either be asked to collect your passport personally or they will courier the passport back to you. The French embassy, consulate or visa application center will let you know how to proceed. If your passport will be sent to you via courier, you will likely have to pay the courier fees yourself.
Once you have collected your passport, you will see the dates during which you are allowed to enter France on the visa sticker. You must enter and depart the Schengen Area within those dates. When you arrive in France, you must have the following documents with you, which you have to present to the Border Police:
If you want to travel to French non-European territories, you will be issued a specific short-stay national visa because a Schengen visa will not allow you to enter these territories. The visa permits a stay of up to three months, indicating the territory of the intended stay.
However, if you belong to one of the categories listed below, you can enter without a visa:
A Schengen France visa is typically valid for a maximum of 90 days within a 180-day period. However, it can be issued for a shorter duration depending on the decision of the consular office. You can use our Schengen short-stay calculator to correctly count your days.
As a holder of a French Schengen visa, you are generally allowed to visit Monaco without the need for an additional visa.
You can request an extension of your visa, but only for specific reasons. Please note that there is no guarantee that your visa will be extended.
If you exceed your visa’s allowed stay in France, you could face serious repercussions such as fines, deportation, entry bans, or even arrest. You must follow your visa’s rules to avoid these consequences.
Yes, you can visit other countries within the Schengen Area with a France visa (unless you have a Limited Territorial Validity Visa). However, your primary destination must be France, and the days spent in other Schengen countries will count towards your 90-day limit.
If you meet specific criteria and entry requirements, sometimes, you can visit other non-Schengen countries with a France Schengen visa.
No, you cannot work in France with a Schengen visa. This visa is typically for short-term visits, tourism, business, or other non-employment purposes.
No, you cannot travel with a Schengen Visa to a French non-EU territory. While both are under French jurisdiction, French non-EU territories are not part of the Schengen Area. Therefore, a Schengen Visa issued by any Schengen member state does not automatically grant you entry to these territories.
Other information:
Your personal data during the visa application process is protected and stored in accordance with Articles 13 and 14 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation).
If you have any concerns about the security of your data, you can contact the Federal Foreign Office Data Protection Commissioner as follows:
