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Visa application requirements for France

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A visa for France is a document, a stamp in your passport or a sticker in your passport that shows that you are authorized to enter or leave France for a specific purpose. A French visa does not necessarily guarantee the holder to admission. French visas are subjective to permission for entering or leaving France from an immigration official at the time of the actual entry into France. A visa is typically issued by the embassy or consulate of France in your home country.

A visa for France does not give you the absolute right to enter France. It gives you only the authorization. An immigration official when you enter France always has the final right to decide if you are allowed to enter or not. A visa can also be revoked at any time.

Individuals from certain countries may not require a visa for France, such as when certain countries have reciprocal visa treaty arrangements with France.

French flag, SourceThe visa for France always has various conditions of stay. This can be, among others, a limit on the maximum period of stay, the dates of validity, validity for amount of visits, the purpose of the visit and more.

A visa for France generally gives non-citizens clearance to enter France and to remain there within the various conditions mentioned for the specific visa.

A visa application obtained in advance at one of the embassies or consulates of France around the world gives the government of France a chance to consider your individual or specific circumstances, such as the reason for applying, the details of any previous visits to France and your financial security—substantiated proof that you have the required funds for your visit. 

Sometimes a visa can be applied for through a visa service company which specializes in the issuance of visas for France and other international travel documents. When this is the case, the embassy or consulate of France in your home country can inform you about the possibilities to use such an authorized visa service company.

In the case that there is no embassy or consulate of France in your home country, you may be required to travel to a neighboring country which does have an embassy or consulate of France and try to apply for your visa there. Sometimes it is also possible to apply through mail.

Who Requires a Visa to Enter France?

The type of visa required to enter France depends on the duration of and reasons for the planned stay, except in the following special cases:

  • For stays of less than or not exceeding 90 days (3 months), you need to apply for a short-stay “Schengen” visa;
  • For stays exceeding 90 days (3 months) you need to apply for a long-stay visa suited to the duration of and reasons for your stay.

Once the visa holder has entered the French territory, no visa modification or change of status may be obtained. In addition, exercising a salaried occupation is subject to specific procedures that require getting a work permit prior to applying for a visa.

In terms of French overseas territories, the rules applicable may differ from those applying to the territory of metropolitan France. Applicants are required to specify their destination and flight details very accurately.

If you are a national of a European Union (EU) Member State other than France, of the European Economic Area (EEA) or of Switzerland, or a family member of a national of an EU Member State other than France, the EEA or Switzerland, specific provisions of EU law apply:

  • Nationals of EU Member States, the EEA or Switzerland are not subject to the entry and stay visa requirement, whatever the duration of their stay;
  • Members of the family of a national of Member States of the EU, EEA or Switzerland (spouse, children under 18 or dependent children, dependent parents) are subject to the same regulations governing the movement of persons as other foreigners of their nationality. Family members of a Union national who does not require a short-stay visa, or holding a residence permit for family members of Union citizens, do not require an entry and stay visa, whatever the duration of their stay.

Short Stay Visas (less than 90 days in the Schengen Area)

A short stay visa is for a stay in the Schengen Area lasting less than 90 days or a succession of stays totaling less than 90 days in any period of 180 days.

The Schengen Area is the area comprising 26 European countries that have abolished passport and any other type of border control at their common borders, also referred to as internal borders. It mostly functions as a single country for international travel purposes, with a common visa policy. The Area is named after the Schengen Agreement. Countries in the Schengen Area have eliminated internal border controls with the other Schengen members, and strengthened external border controls with non-Schengen states. The Schengen area encourages the free movement of goods, information, money and people.

Twenty-two of the twenty-eight European Union (EU) member states participate in the Schengen Area. Of the six EU members that do not form part of the Schengen Area, four – Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus and Romania – are legally obliged and wish to join the area, while the other two – Ireland and the United Kingdom – maintain opt-outs. All four European Free Trade Association (EFTA) member states – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland – have signed the Schengen Agreement, even though they are outside the EU. In addition three European microstates – Monaco, San Marino, and the Vatican – can be considered as de facto within the Schengen Area as they do not have border controls with the Schengen countries that surround them; but they have not officially signed documents that make them part of Schengen. The Schengen Area currently has a population of over 400 million people and an area of 4,312,099 square kilometers (1,664,911 sq mi).

For short stays in the Schengen Area, European regulations specify the list of countries whose nationals are exempt from visa requirement to enter the Schengen Area.

Exempt from visa requirement for France’s territory in Europe are:

  • Citizens of the EU, the EEA and Switzerland;
  • Nationals of the following countries, whatever the reason for their stay: Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, Nicaragua , New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Holy See, Seychelles, Taiwan (passport bearing identity card number), Uruguay, Montenegro, FYROM and Serbia; bearers of biometric passports only
  • Nationals of the following countries: Australia, Brazil, USA, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea Venezuela. If you are gainfully employed, the exemption only applies if you can produce a work permit;
  • Holders of a valid residence permit for France.

Certain nationals remain subject to short-stay visa requirements in the following cases:

  • Nationals of the United States: journalists on assignment.

Long Stay Visas (over 90 days in Metropolitan France)

Orly Airport in Paris, SourceOnly nationals of the following countries are exempt from entry and long-stay visa requirements: Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA), Andorra, Monaco and Switzerland.

Information about French Overseas Departments (DOM) and French Visas

The following visa requirements apply for those wishing to travel to the French territories listed below:

  • Réunion
  • French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique (the three French Departments of the Americas)

Short Stays in French Overseas Departments

A short stay is a stay under 90 days in an Overseas Department. A visa is waived for citizens of:

  • Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Bosnia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand , Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis San Marino, Holy See, Seychelles, Taiwan (passport bearing No. identity card), Uruguay, Montenegro, FYROM, Serbia.
  • Nationals of the following countries: Australia, Brazil (except for French Guiana), Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, United States, Venezuela. This exemption does not apply in the case of gainful employment in an overseas department.
  • Bearers of passports of the Hong Kong special administrative region (People’s Republic of China) and the Macau special administrative region (People’s Republic of China). This exemption does not apply in the case of gainful employment in an overseas department.

Long stays in French Overseas Departments

Citizens of the following countries are not required to have a long-stay visa for the French areas listed above: Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, Monaco and Andorra.

Other Territories of the French Republic Located Overseas

The following visa information is for the other territories of the French Republic located overseas, which include:

  • French Polynesia
  • New Caledonia
  • Wallis and Futuna
  • Saint Pierre and Miquelon
  • Mayotte
  • French Southern and Antarctic Territories

Short Stay Visas for French Territories

A short-stay visa for traveling to the countries listed above is waived for the citizens of the following countries:

  • Albania, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Brunei, Bolivia, Bosnia, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Solomon Islands, Israel, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Malaysia, Mauritius, Micronesia, Monaco, Nauru, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Papua New Guinea (only for New Caledonia), Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Holy See, Western Samoa, Seychelles, Taiwan (passport bearing the number of the identity card), Tonga, Tuvalu, Uruguay, Montenegro, FYROM, Serbia.
  • Nationals of the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, United States, Venezuela. This exemption does not apply in the case of gainful employment in those regions.

Also exempt are bearers of passports of the Hong Kong special administrative region (People’s Republic of China) and the Macau special administrative region (People’s Republic of China). This exemption does not apply in the case of gainful employment in those regions.

Long Stay Visas for French Territories

Citizens of the following countries are not required to have a long-stay visa when traveling to the above-listed regions: Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, Monaco and Andorra.

Submitting and Processing French Visa Applications

Regulations on entry to and staying in the French territory differ whether you hold a regular passport, a diplomatic passport or an official duty passport. Your passport must be valid long enough to cover your stay in the Schengen Area. Application or “visa” fees are payable upon submitting your application; these application fees are not refunded if the visa is refused. When the visa application is being processed, certain formalities such as the making of appointments or submission of the application may be entrusted to service providers. You should allow additional costs for this. Information is available from the relevant French consulate.

You must tell the visa official the precise reasons for your journey to France. This is because the type of visa required to enter France depends on both the length of your stay and your reasons for entering. Exceptions to this include:

  • Stays equal to or shorter than 90 days, the visa to be issued is a short-stay visa, often known as a “Schengen visa”; 
  • In stays of longer than 90 days, the visa to be issued is a long-stay visa appropriate to the duration of and reasons for your stay.

The information on your applications must be accurate, because:

  • Once you are in France, you cannot have your visa modified and you cannot change your immigration status;
  • In addition, exercising a salaried activity is subject to specific procedures that require getting a work permit before getting a visa. This applies to all employees, including artists and sportspeople.

In the French overseas territories, the rules applicable may vary from those applied in Metropolitan France. When applying for a visa, you must carefully specify the destination and details of your flight.

What Documents Will You Need to Apply for a French Visa?

To apply for a Schengen short-stay visa, you are required to present one visa application per person, including the following items:

  • A passport which is valid for at least 3 months after the date of the requested visa;
  • [A visa application form] duly completed and signed;
  • A maximum of 3 photographs meeting requirements;
  • Application fees. Visa application forms for a child under 18 years of age must be signed by a parent or legal guardian.

Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, SourceIf any of the items you provide do not fulfill the above criteria, consular personnel will not accept your application and will ask you to present items which do. If you insist on submitting your application anyway, your application will be recorded but a visa will not be issued and the other items in the application will not be studied.

When applying for a French Visa you will also need to include the following proof:

  • Proof of the purpose of your stay in the Schengen area;
  • Proof of your means of support during your stay and accommodation;
  • Proof of travel and repatriation insurance;
  • Guarantees of repatriation to your country of residence (return ticket or adequate personal means to purchase one);
  • For children under 18 years of age, specific proof;
  • Any documents helping to convince the consular authority of your intention to leave the Schengen area once your visa expires.

Certain diplomatic and consular authorities that issue visas on ordinary passports may include more detailed information taking local specificities into account.

The consular authority will accept your application as provided by you and will make his/her decision on the basis of the guarantees and proof attached to your application. If you have failed to attach the proof included in the list, the consular authority will assume that you are unable to do so unless you effectively explain why such proof was omitted in a separate letter attached to the application.

How Much Does a French Visa Cost?

Application fees for a French Visa are:

  • 60 Euros for a short-stay visa (one or more stays totaling less than 3 months over a period of 6 months in the Schengen Area) except for nationals of certain countries who benefit from a special rate agreed with the European Union (Bosnia, Moldavia, Russia, Ukraine, Georgia).
  • 99 Euros for a long-stay visa.

These application fees are not refunded if the visa is refused.

How Much Time Is Required to Process My French Visa?

Processing times for French visas vary according to the nationality of the applicant and local conditions of the issuing department. For more information, please consult the consular website. For certain types of visas that require verification or consultation with the French authorities (visas for a stay of more than 3 months in France, adoption visas, for example), response times may be much longer.

Visa Appeal Procedure

You may appeal against a decision to refuse you a visa by applying to the Commission de Recours Contre les Décisions de Refus de Visa d’Entrée en France (Board of Appeals against Decisions to Refuse an Entry Visa to France) within 2 months of the date of notification of the refusal. If your visa is refused, you may also submit a new visa application immediately and at any time.