- France Visa Application requirements: Who Needs to Apply
- France Visa Types and Fees
- What Documents to Prepare for France Visa Application?
- Where and How to apply For France Schengen Visa?
- Reasons for refusal of a France Schengen visa
- FAQS
- Conclusion
France is a real dream for thousands of tourists all over the world. Famous tourist attractions like Provence, the Cote d’Azur, the Champs Elysees, and the Eiffel Tower attract people from different parts of the world and make them think about spending another weekend in this beautiful country of love and enjoyment. The refined and multifaceted region, saturated with the aromas of croissants and cheeses, is a desirable tourist destination at any time of the year.
One of the most well-liked locations for a romantic break is France. Visitors from all around the world sightsee famous architectural landmarks, museums, cultural sites, castles, and palaces every year. The city at night, the morning aroma of French pastries on the streets of the city — this is what will forever remain in your memory. So, if you have decided to spend your vacation in France, before packing your things, you should think about getting a Schengen visa.
France Visa Application requirements: Who Needs to Apply
France is one of the countries that have signed the Schengen Agreement. In addition to the possibility of visiting the country itself (with the exception of French territories located at a distance from Europe), this status makes it easier to travel around a number of EU countries. Accordingly, a trip to France will require a special type of permit — a Schengen visa. Depending on the purpose and nature of the trip, the list of papers that must be submitted to the consulate may partially differ.
Citizens of the following countries need to get a Schengen for France: Azerbaijan, Algeria, Angola, Armenia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Belarus, Belize, Benin, Burma, Bolivia, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Bhutan, Vietnam, Gabon, Haiti, Guyana, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, DR Congo, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Zambia, Zimbabwe, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Cape Verde, Kazakhstan, Cambodia, Cameroon, Qatar, Kenya, China, Comoros, Congo, Kosovo, Ivory Coast, Cuba, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Maldives, Morocco, Mozambique, Mongolia, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Papua New Guinea, Russia, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Swaziland, North Korea, Senegal, Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Suriname, Sierra Leone, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Fiji, Philippines, CAR, CHAD, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, South Africa, South Sudan, Jamaica.
In 2023, France tightened numerous entry restrictions. Currently, to enter the country, tourists need to have a reason, which can be:
- Family reunification (relatives / spouses who are citizens or residents of France live in the country).
- Transit from the EU country to the place of permanent residence.
- Residence permit in France or “passeport talent”.
- Student visa for studying at a French educational institution.
- Long-term visa issued for work, scientific activity.
- Tourism.
- Entry from the Schengen countries, as well as the following European countries: Andorra, Switzerland, Iceland, Monaco, Norway, San Marino, Vatican City, and Liechtenstein.
France Visa Types and Fees
In the beginning, it is worth clarifying that there is also a French national type visa. It has category D and is intended for long-term stay in the country (more than 3 months in six months). This may be a study visa to France, a fiancé visa, or some other type. There is also a special visa for visiting French overseas territories. We are considering a standard Schengen visa for tourism purposes.
A Schengen visa to France in 2023 is a sticker that takes up a separate page of a passport. A sticker with a Schengen watermark contains information about the recipient of the visa (photo, last name and first name in Latin, passport number) and information about the length of stay in the Schengen countries.
Type of Visa | Description | France visa fees |
|---|---|---|
Short-term permit category C | Such a visa gives the right to visit relatives living in France. In a pandemic, a visit may be dictated by the need to provide assistance and care. “Schengen” gives the right to stay in the country for no more than 90 days out of every 180 days of the entire validity of the document. | The cost of a visa is 35 euros. |
Long-term work visa D | It is issued to specialists who have concluded a contract with a French employer that involves the performance of official duties directly in France. The period of validity of the document can be from 1 to 3 years. | The consular fee is 116 euros. |
Student visa | Citizens who have confirmed enrollment in a French university or other educational institution are entitled to it. The document is issued for a period of 1 year, in the future it can be extended. | To obtain a visa, you must pay a consular fee of 105 euros. |
Visa “passeport talent” | It is issued to foreign citizens with high professional qualifications, representatives of free professions, and authors and performers of works of art for living and working in France. The document is valid for up to 4 years. | Applicants must pay a fee of 200 euros to the French Immigration and Citizenship Office when the permit is issued |
What Documents to Prepare for France Visa Application?
It is necessary to pay special attention to the issue of issuing certificates and documents for a foreign embassy. Only then the procedure for obtaining a visa will go smoothly. The package of basic documents for a visa to France must include an international passport, confirmation of financial security in the form of a certificate of the established form, photographs, and medical insurance. To apply for an entry permit to the consulate, you must first register your application in the system and make an appointment. At the specified time, the following documents should be submitted to the employees of the department:- Valid passport (for at least three months after the end of the planned trip), copies of pages with personal data and previous visas.
- 2 color photographs of the established sample.
- Proof of financial support for the trip.
- A completed application form.
- Consular fee paid.
- Covered insurance policy in the amount of 30,000 euros, including a case of COVID-19.
- Air tickets in both directions. If you are traveling by a car, attach copies of the driving license, vehicle registration certificates, insurance (green card): Schengen for motorists are needed.
Where and How to apply For France Schengen Visa?
In order to apply for France visa, you have the following options.- Visit the France Embassy or Consulate located in your country.
- A Visa Application Center, that France has contracted with.
After submitting the documents, you can check the status of your visa to France online, on the official website of VFS Global. You need to enter your registration number and last name in Latin (as in the passport). When submitting documents through intermediaries (special agencies, tour operators), you need to clarify the registration number with them. You can track a visa to France by phone through the call center — you will need to provide the same data.
Be ready to provide information about the finances in order to get the visa.
Minimum financial guarantee amount
To obtain a visa to France, the minimum amount of a financial guarantee is:
- 65 euros for each day of stay with a hotel reservation;
- 120 euros for each day of stay in the absence of a hotel reservation;
- The amount of the financial guarantee is determined by the duration of the first trip and does not affect the duration of the visa issued.
- References and bank statements do not need to be translated into French/English.
Reasons for refusal of a France Schengen visa
Currently, the main reason for visa refusals concerns requests from tourists, since at the moment entry into the republic is significantly limited. In other cases, when a trip to France is dictated by good reasons, a refusal may follow in the following cases:
- The submitted documents are no longer valid.
- Incomplete set of required certificates and confirmations.
- Lack of confirmation from the host.
- Insufficient reasons to travel on the selected type of visa.
- There is no necessary financial support for the trip.
- Intention to return home has not been confirmed.
- On previous trips to the Schengen area, violations of visa laws were allowed.
- Incomplete information about the applicant was provided.
- The visa applicant has a criminal record.
If the visa was denied, then after the elimination of these shortcomings, it is possible to re-submit documents. In this case, the visa fee is paid again.
FAQS
Are there any Coronavirus Restrictions?
- Travelers no longer need to go through any formalities before arriving in France, in the metropolis or abroad, and Covid-19 medical pass is no longer required, regardless of country or zone of origin;
- No additional justification for travel may be required;
- Travelers are no longer required to submit a sworn declaration of the absence of infection and a commitment to undergo an antigen test or biological examination upon arrival in the country.
- Similarly, in order to leave France, whether in the metropolitan area or abroad, the French authorities do not require a justification of the reason for the trip, nor a certificate of departure from the territory of the country to travel to another country.
On the other hand, foreign states are likely to retain special measures and formalities for access to their territory.
Is it long to get a Schengen visa for France?
If you did not purchase tickets/tour to France on the eve of the deadline for submitting documents, then you should not wait for it — It is better to request a visa in advance. In some cases, the consulate may consider documents for up to 30 days: if some documents require additional verification or additional data is requested.
What are the documents requirements for a France child visa?
Additionally, to the main packet of documents, you will need a birth certificate and a certificate from the place of study (for minors).
Conclusion
Obtaining a Schengen visa for France is a fairly simple and quick process if you study all the nuances in advance and take a responsible approach to collecting documents. In the article, we’ve tried to describe in as much detail as possible the process of obtaining a Schengen visa to France on our own in accordance with the requirements of the consulate. Here you’ve also found answers to the most popular questions about applying for a visa to France and recommendations on how to avoid visa refusal.
The refusal rate for French visas remains one of the lowest among the Schengen countries, which means that obtaining a visa to France is not difficult. To do this, it is not necessary to apply to visa agencies — it is not difficult to apply for a France visa on your own. The main thing is to prove the financial support of the trip and provide original documents.