Did you know, a gastronomic French meal, a social custom celebrating precious moments of an individual’s life, was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2010? Or that the Louvre Museum in Paris received 9.3 million visitors in 2014 alone? Mont Blac, Europe’s highest mountain is in the French Alps. Thanks to all these attractions, France pulled in a whopping 86,861,000 visitors in December 2017 alone, according to statistics revealed by the Census and Economic Information Center.
Apart from tourism, many visitors come to France to work, study or meet friends and family. Depending on their nationality and purpose of visit, various types of visas are issued to them. However, citizens of several nations are exempt needing a visa to enter the country. You can check here whether you belong to one such nation.
If not, you will need to fill up the France Visa Application Form. A France Schengen Visa is granted to foreign nationals who wish to enter France, other French territories or any Schengen country for that matter. This tourist visa permits you to stay for up to 90 days within a period of six months.
France Visa Categories
Depending on the purpose of your travel, you will first need to choose the type of visa most suitable for you:
- France Transit Visa: To transit via France to another country.
- France Business Visa: To engage in business-related activities.
- France Visitor Visa: For Non-French and Non-EU members who wish to visit their relatives in the country.
- France Tourist Visa: For the sole purpose of tourism for a period of not more than 90 days.
- France Short Stay Study Visa: For foreign nationals who wish to stay in France for study-related activities for up to 3 months.
- France Internship Visa: For students who want to engage in professional work placements in France.
Depending on the number of countries you wish to visit within the Schengen Area and the number of times you will be entering France, the following visas are required:
- A Uniform Schengen Visa: This could either be a Single Entry Visa, with which you can enter France and other Schengen areas once, or a Multiple Entry Visa, which lets you enter France and other Schengen countries as many times as you wish to while the visa is valid.
- Limited Territorial Validity Visa: This is issued by the French Embassies and allows you to only enter France and not any other Schengen country.
Apart from these, there is the Long Stay Visa, with which you can stay in the country for more than 90 days.
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💡 Tip: Buy travel health insurance before your trip.
Check out popular travel insurance plans and choose one that suits you.
Most plans only cost less than $20 a day.
How to Apply for a French Visa
The first step in the visa application process is filling up the France Visa Application Form. Next, you will need to submit all the relevant documents. You can check the list of documents here. It is important to ensure that all documents and information provided are complete and true to the best of your knowledge. Once you’ve submitted the documents and paid the visa fee, you need to schedule an interview at your nearest French embassy/consulate. You can either do this online or by visiting the embassy for an appointment.
In case your visa application is refused, submit an appeal for re-evaluation within 2 months of the date of refusal. Otherwise, you will need to start the application process all over again. Here are the documents you’d need to apply for a French visa.
All the best!
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