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You can enter France on a Schengen or national visa. A French consulate considers the application within 10 to 14 days, but it usually takes longer in the summer.
There are four types of visas to France: transit A, short-term Schengen C, multiple-entry Schengen visa, and long-term national D. Which one to request depends on the duration of stay and the visit purpose.
What type of French visa to apply for?
Tourists come to France to go up to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, swim in the thermal springs on the shores of Geneva Lake, walk along the embankments of the Cote d’Azur, and try the best foie gras in the world. And before the trip, they request a visa.
What type of visa to choose depends on the purpose, trip duration and the history of visits to the Schengen Area. A tourist who travels to Schengen or France for the first time will most likely be given a visa only for the time of stay.
For transfer at the airport in France, you need a transit Schengen visa of the A category. The visa does not allow you to leave the transit zone and is valid for two days.
For the first visit to France, especially if it is the first trip to the Schengen Area, a C1 category visa is issued. The purpose of the trip may be tourism, treatment, or business meetings. Usually, a C1 visa is issued for the duration of the trip. The maximum possible stay is 90 days.
Sometimes, a short-term C1 visa is issued to leave the airport and walk around the city during a long transfer.
For numerous visits to France or the Schengen Area, a multiple-entry Schengen visa to France of categories C2, C3, and C4 is requested. The first trip must be planned to France. Air tickets must be booked or purchased.
Multiple visas are issued for three months to five years and allow you to enter France an unlimited number of times. The holder of such a visa can stay in France and other Schengen countries for up to 90 days within six months.
To stay in France for more than 90 consecutive days, you need to obtain a long-term national D visa. It is issued for three months to a year and allows you to live in France for the entire duration of the visa. It is needed by those who come to work, study or reunite with family.
A French Embassy does not always issue a visa for the period requested by the applicant. For example, you can request a visa for 5 years, and it will be issued for 2 years. The employees of the French consulate determine the period for which a visa will be issued.
Types of multiple-entry French Schengen visa
| Visa type | Validity | Duration of stay | Consular fee |
| С1 | Up to 30 days, can be issued for the duration of one trip | Up to 30 days within six months | €80 €100 fast track procedure |
| С2 | Up to 90 days | 30 to 90 days within six months | |
| С3 | Up to 1 year | 30 to 90 days within six months | |
| С4 | Up to 5 years | Up to 90 days within six months | |
| D | 3 months to 1 year | Up to 1 year | €99 |
A valid Schengen visa from one of the 29 states of the Schengen Area is also suitable for entry into France. You can also enter France with a national visa from another Schengen country.
Why apply for the C-type Schengen visa to France?
Schengen visas C are often requested for tourist purposes in France: for example, visiting sights and recreation on the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts. Also, on this visa, they come to the country for short-term study and treatment, to meet with relatives, and to marry a French citizen.
Medical purposes. To enter France for treatment, you need to request an agreement from the medical centre and make an advance payment. With prior agreements with the French clinic, a visa will be issued.
Guest visit. To come to visit, you need to provide the Embassy, along with other documents, with a special invitation, “Attestation d’accueil”. It can be written by a French citizen or a resident who has the right to stay in France for more than three consecutive months.
If you plan to visit close relatives, you must prepare documents proving family ties to obtain a visitor visa. Close relatives include spouses, parents, children, grandparents, and grandchildren.
Education reasons. To study in France at a university or in a language course, you need to receive an invitation from an educational institution and apply for a student visa.
If the study lasts no more than three months, they will issue a short-term visa, from three to six months — a long-term one. If you study in France longer, you must apply for a residence permit.
Marriage to a French citizen. A short-term tourist or visitor visa is first requested to come to the future spouse for a wedding. After marriage, you need to return to your home country and get a long-term visa equivalent to a residence permit.
Types of the long-stay D visa
A long-term national D visa is required for entry if a person plans to stay in France for more than 90 days. It allows you to stay exclusively in France for three months to one year. The embassy can issue a visa equivalent to a residence permit or one that requires an application for its issuance.
Equivalent to a residence permit. The visa is often issued for family reunification, long-term study or work in France.
It gives the right not to apply to the prefecture for a residence permit, but its owners must register at their place of residence in France. To do this, they send a questionnaire to the territorial office of integration and immigration. Demande d’attestation OFII is in charge of migration affairs.
Long-term visa, which leads to obtaining a residence permit. The visa is issued to relatives of French citizens for a guest visit; schoolchildren, artists and those who received an invitation to work from a French company.
After entering France, the visa holders apply for a residence permit. Afterwards, you can freely move around the Schengen countries. With a long-term visa, you can travel only to France.
Documents required for a Schengen visa to France
To avoid being denied a visa, you should collect a complete package of supporting documents for a Schengen visa to France.
You need to make a copy of each original, except for the questionnaire and photographs:
- 3 colour photographs on a light grey or light blue background 35×45 mm, taken within the last six months. The applicant must be photographed full face, without headgear. The face occupies 70—80% of the image area.
- Copy of the passport.
- If a country issues a foreign passport, it must be presented. The document’s validity must be at least three months after the planned departure date from France. The document must have at least two clean pages.
- Certificate from the place of work indicating the salary and position. The employer also issues a document stating that he is ready to provide the applicant with leave during the trip.
- Statement with minimum bank balance for Schengen visa France if the planned trip exceeds 10 days.
- Travel health insurance Schengen visa France for all days of stay, issued for all Schengen countries. The minimum sum insured is €30,000.
- Documents that confirm the purpose of the trip. For a business trip, you need an invitation from a French company and a contract with a medical clinic for treatment. Tourists provide a paid flight or railway ticket, hotel reservations, and route description if travelling by car.
- Since 2019, an application for a Schengen visa must be filled out only electronically in English or French.
Documents required for the Schengen visa to France for children
Children often travel with their parents to France. A separate application is made for each minor, and documents are added:
- Birth certificate for children under 16.
- A certificate from an educational institution indicating the address and phone number.
- Notarized parents’ consent for the departure of a child under 18 if they travel with other accompanying persons. In this case, the minor must have their own passport.
- Biometrics for children of 12 and older.
Both parents must sign the visa application if the child enters France with the mother and father. When the child is accompanied by one of the parents, they sign the visa application; for example the mother. The second parent gives written consent to the trip and notarizes it.
If one of the parents has died or it is unknown where they live, you must attach a death certificate or a certificate from the police.
Special rules for children:
- Children under 14 can travel to France without a passport. In this case, the photo of the child and the Schengen visa are pasted into the passport of one of the parents.
- Children under 6 are not required to be present when applying for a Schengen visa; one of the parents is enough.
Who passes fingerprinting to get a Schengen visa to France
Since 2015, all applicants over 12 must submit biometrics to obtain a Schengen visa; they pass fingerprinting. Biometric data is updated once every 5 years or at the consulate’s request.
Application for a Schengen visa to France
A foreigner can usually apply for a visa directly to the French consular office.
You can also apply through a partner visa centre. The service fee depends on the country and ranges from €60.
The term of the application processing is 10 to 14 days. During the holidays and before the New Year, applications may take longer to process.
Reasons for visa refusal
Visa applications can be denied for a variety of reasons. The most common is an incomplete package of documents. Other reasons for rejection are the following:
- false documents, for example, a fake scan of a flight ticket was provided;
- violation of the rules of staying in the country during previous trips to the Schengen Area. It happens if the fine still needs to be paid or the deadline for departure is overdue.
How to enter France without a visa
You can enter France without a visa with a residence permit or a second passport.
The residence permit must be from one of the EU countries, and the second citizenship — from a country with an agreement on visa-free entry with the EU.
For example, the residence permit of Austria, Portugal, Greece, Switzerland, Spain, and Malta allows you to enter France and other Schengen countries without a visa. Passports of Caribbean countries give the same opportunity.
You can obtain all listed statuses if you participate in a government investment program. Foreigners invest in the country’s economy at least $100,000 and get status under a fast-track procedure.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum bank balance for a Schengen visa to France for 10 days?
The minimum amount required for a ten-day trip to France will depend on whether you have a hotel booked or are travelling on a guest invitation.
For France, the minimum required sum for a visa is:
- €65 for each day of stay if there is a hotel reservation. For a trip of 10 days, you need to deposit at least €650 into your account.
- €120 per day is the minimum cost if a hotel is not booked. 10 days equals €1,200.
If you have an invitation from an individual, the minimum amount will be €32.50 per day. For 10 days, it will be €325.
What is an Attestation d’accueil invitation, and in what cases is it issued?
It is a private invitation for a guest visit to France. If you are planning to come to a relative or a friend with France citizenship or a residence permit, you will need an Attestation d’accueil to apply for a visa.
Attestation d’accueil is certified by the mayor’s office at the place of residence of the inviting person and sent by mail to the person who receives the visa. The usual processing time is 1 month, but the document can be made faster upon request.
How to get a work visa if there is an invitation from an employer in France?
For example, you are going to work as a teacher for less than three months. Then the inviting party will request a work permit from the French administration. The visa, in this case, will be short-term.
If the employment contract term exceeds 90 days, then a long-term visa is requested. It is equivalent to a residence permit but is labelled “temporary worker”. Status must be confirmed within three months of arrival in France.
To obtain a visa, a work permit and documents confirming professional status are attached to the application. For example, a diploma in teacher education.
Can a citizen of a non-Schengen country have a holiday in France without applying for a tourist visa?
Citizens of non-Schengen countries can enter France on a valid Schengen C visa, which was obtained in another country. For example, tourist visas can be issued by Hungary or Greece.
Holders of a residence permit from one of the EU countries can enter France without visas. Another option is that a person has a second passport from a state with a visa-waiver agreement with the EU.
How long can you visit France with a Schengen short-stay visa?
A Schengen short-term visa allows you to stay in France for no more than 90 days within six months.
