Securing a France Visa
Country Profile
The country housing the dream destination of many – Eifel Tower! This is probably how the majority of the people recognise France (Formal Name: French Republic). There is much more to this. The country is also famous for its culture, fashion, language, and cuisine. Also, it is known to be the tourist destination that is the most-visited in the world. The country lies at the political heart of Europe and is one of the founding fathers of the European integration. Paris is the capital of the state that is populated with 66.3 million people spread across a 551, 500 sq. Km. Area. The dominant language of the country is French, and the primary religion of the place is Christianity. The life expectancy of the men of the country is 78 years, and for women, it is 85 years. The currency used in the country is Euro.
The French economy is among the largest economies of the world. Today, France is known to be one of the highly modern countries of the world. The state has evolved from a much political crisis over the years. The current government of France is a mix of parliamentary and presidential systems. The most famous product exported to other countries is cheese and wine. About 75 million people visit France, every year. This is known to be the highest number of tourists visiting any other countries in the world.
How to Travel to France?
France is listed as a member state of the Schengen Agreement and the European Union. The country permits citizens of countries like Canada and Australia to travel in the Schengen Zone for 90 days, Visa-free, and all the EU nations for unlimited Visa-free travel. Citizens of countries like Russia, China, and all other Asian countries have to apply for a Schengen Visa. If citizens of countries that are granted Visa-free travels wish to travel for longer than 90 days, they also require to obtain a Schengen Visa. Although, EU nationals can travel for an unlimited period, if they overstay the 90 days’ timeline, they need to register with the local Mairie and apply for a long stay residence permit. Additional requirements like a 6 months validity on your passport and a return ticket would also be required.
Types of France Schengen Visa
Based on the purpose of your travelling to France, there are different types of French Visas. Be it your visit to the country, be it for studies, or be it to reside in the state permanently, you go to apply for varying France Schengen Visa accordingly. Also, the type of Visa is based on the duration of the stay as well as on the territory of France; the applicant intends to visit. As per the law, France is branched into three different territories that require distinct Visas for each, they are;
- French European Territory
- French Overseas Territories (TOM)
- French Overseas Departments or Regions (DOM)
Uniform Schengen Visa (USV)
The USV is a permit to traverse or reside in the desired territory for a maximum of 3 months (90 days) every six months beginning from the entry date for one of the Schengen Area Member Countries. A Uniform Schengen Visa holder can travel to countries like Austria, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Denmark, Malta, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Estonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Portugal, Slovakia, Italy, Sweden, Poland, and Norway. The Uniform Schengen Visa applies to the below-mentioned categories (A and C) based on the purpose of travelling.
Category A
It is for the Airport Transit Visa that permits its holder to transit through the international zone of the Schengen country airport without going to the Schengen Area. This Visa is mandatory for the inhabitants who travel from one non-Schengen state to the other by changing flights in the Schengen country airport.
Category C
It is a short-term visa that allows its holder to lodge in a Schengen Area for a specific period, based on the validity of the validity Visa. Following the holder's purpose of the travel this category Visa can be procured in the following forms:
Single-Entry Visa
This Visa permits only one entry within the term (90 days) of its holder to the Schengen Area. This condition is mentioned on the Visa sticker that is affixed to the holder's passport. Once this Visa holder exits the Schengen Area, he/she cannot revisit the place with the same Visa even if the holder has not completed the permitted number of stays at the place. The area allowed to the holder to visit is mentioned besides the ‘Valid For' tag and the number of days permitted for the stay is mentioned besides the ‘Number of Entries' tag given on the Visa sticker.
Double-Entry Visa
This Visa permits double entry within the period (90 days) of its holder to the Schengen Area. Here, unlike the single-entry Visa, the holder can revisit the Schengen region once more after the first exit. However, this number of revisits cannot exceed two, and the Visa holder cannot revisit the Schengen Area the third time even if the number of permitted stays are not completely utilised.
Multiple-Entry Visa
This Visa permits multiple entries within the term (90 days) of its holder to the Schengen Area. This Visa holder can visit the Schengen region as many times he/she wants to visit. Depending on the frequency of your travel to the Schengen Area, the following are the types of multiple-entry Visas:
1 Year Multiple-Entry Visa
If you are an individual who travels to the Schengen region more often and you have at least one double-entry Schengen Visa, you can avail this type of Visa. You can travel to the Schengen area as many times as you wish to, provided you do not prolong your stay to more than 90 days. You need to submit a proof of your regular travelling to the place, and you also require to mention the reason for your requirement for this Visa.
3 Year Multiple-Entry Visa
This type of Visa permits you to visit the Schengen region as many times as possible within 3 years' term, provided you do not prolong your stay to more than 90 days. You must submit proof of your regular travelling to the Schengen Area, and you also need to mention the reason for your requirement of this Visa.
5 Year Multiple-Entry Visa
For people travelling the majority of the time to the Schengen Area, this Visa is issued. You are permitted to visit 26 countries in Europe for n number of times within the 5 years' term only if you do not violate the 90 days rule. For this, you require to submit reliable proof of frequent travelling to any of the 26 permitted countries and the reason for your travelling. Also, you need to provide a shred of evidence for the reason you need this type of Visa.
Limited Territorial Validity Visa (LTV)
This type of Visa permits you to travel through the Schengen state from which the Visa was issued or in the countries that are specifically mentioned at the time of applying for the Visa. Apart from the said states, travelling to any other states falling under the Schengen region. This Visa is issued in certain conditions wherein the Visa holder fails to possess a valid travel document or in case of any emergencies, due to any international obligations or due to humanitarian reasons.
National Visa
This Visa comes under the category D and is given to individuals who wish to study, work, or permanently reside in the Schengen Area. This is a single-entry visa provided for a specific period for a sole purpose after which they need to return to their country. There is also a facility to opt for a multi-entry national visa that permits the applicant to enter and exit the country as per their wish and also traverse through the entire Schengen Area without any additional requirements for Visa. However, the individual needs to meet certain conditions to get the multi-entry national visa.
Defined Purposes of Traveling
You will undoubtedly have some purpose for your travel to the Schengen Area. Following are some of the objectives and their significance:
Airport Transit
This type of entry is for the individuals who need to pause at the Schengen country airport but do not require to enter the Schengen country. The Schengen country has narrowed the list of countries of which the citizens need to possess this Visa. But, this list varies among different Schengen countries and so there are possibilities that you need this Visa while pausing in some Schengen countries and do not require it in the others.
Transit
This type of Visa is for seafarers who need to stop in the Schengen seaport for a short period.
Tourism
This is known to be one of the most popular reasons to travel to the Schengen region. If you like to visit the Schengen countries for experiencing the culture, cuisine, and tradition, you can opt for this visa.
Visiting Friends or Family
Individuals who have friends or family members are legally dwelling in the Schengen region can apply for this visa. The applicant must submit a letter of invitation to apply for this visa.
Business
People who need to travel often to and from the Schengen countries for business purposes can receive a quicker appointment during the peak seasons of application of visa.
Official Visit
If you are travelling to the Schengen region for an official duty even if you are going with multiple people with the same travel purpose and dates.
Medical reasons
If you intend to travel to any of the member states of Schengen region for a medical treatment you can get medical care at any clinic for a continuous period of three months.
Study Purposes
This Visa purpose is confined to pupils who wish to attend any type of educational institutions for university courses for a period shorter than 90 days.
Cultural, Sports and Film Crews
This Visa purpose is primarily for the individuals residing outside the Schengen region who wish to travel to the Schengen countries for attending cultural, sports, and religious events for film crews. However, it is mandatory that the applicant must be a participant of the event and not just the audience.
Other Purposes
If your purpose does not match any of the purposes mentioned above to enter the Schengen Area, you can opt for other purposes. However, you will still require specifying the reason for your application.
How to Check Status of France Visa?
You can check the application status of your France visa depending on how you submitted your application. Let’s look at the different ways you can check your visa application status:
If you have submitted your application manually by visiting the consulate or embassy, then you can use the tracking toolInfoVISA to check the status.
If you have applied for your France visa through CAPAGO, then you should establish communication with the application centre directly and check the status of your application
If you have applied for a French visa by using the services of VFS global, you can click here to access the VFS online application tool.
If you have applied for a French visa through TLS, you can click here to use the TLS Contact website.
Note: The Visa application centre is responsible for briefing you regarding the application status of your visa. The centre cannot give you information regarding the success of your application in any manner.
France Visa Document Requirements
In order to apply visa for France, you will need to have the following documents:
A recent and valid passport – It must not be older than ten years, it must be in good condition, and it must be valid for 3 months beyond the date of return. Also, the passport should have two blank pages.
2 copies of ID photos in the ISO/IECI format (You can find the guidelines here)
Address proof of applicant – The address proof can include documents like a copy of the deed of the house, a lease agreement for the house, utility bills, electricity bills, water bill, cable bill, or other bills such as a gas bill.
Proof of Travel Insurance – Tourists travelling to a Schengen area are required to have proof on their person regarding medical insurance of a minimum coverage amount of 30,000. The availed insurance should cover all Schengen stages.
Proof of a Booked Round-Trip – You will be required to present a copy of your round-trip flight ticket, which should contain the details of the airline, date, and your identification details.
A Cover Letter – you should attach a statement that discloses the purpose of your visit to the document. Alongside this information, the document must contain your travel plan within France, and the additional details regarding transportation modes and hotel/residence stay.
A proof of your civil status – proof of marriage, birth certificate of the child, death certificate of wife, and another relevant photo identification.
Proof of payment of visa application fees.
How to Apply for France Visa?
While it is possible to visit a Visa Application Centre or any of the French consulates in India to apply for a visa, you can also conduct the whole process online through their online portal. There is a pre-defined process to apply for France visa on their website, so let's look at all the steps one by one:
- Figure out if you need a visa
Depending on our country of origin and your requirement, you might need to discern if you require a visa or not. You can access the visa wizard available on the online portal, which helps you figure out if you need a visa. However, if you are planning to travel or stay for long and do not have relatives in France, you will most definitely need a visa. The visa wizard asks for details like your purpose of travel, duration of stay, and specific destination to figure out if you need a visa. It provides a detailed overview of your situation and guides you about the required documents, funds, and any other necessary things you need to carry.
However, if you have lived in the Schengen area in the last 6 months, you can use the online calculator to check the number of remaining days.
- Fill your application form
If you are required to apply for a visa, the next step is to gather the required document copies to fill your visa application form. In order to submit your online application, you will need to submit a passport in good condition, recent photo identities, and all required document copies. Once your appointment is booked, you will need to visit the consulate with the required documents and fees. These are the locations of the consulate offices in India-
- Consulate General of France – Mumbai: Wockhardt Towers, East Wing, 5th floor, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East
- Consulate General of France – Puducherry: 2, rue de la marine
- Consulate General of France – Kolkata: 21 C, Raja Santosh Road, Alipore
- Consulate General of France – Bengaluru: 21 Palace Road, Vasanthanagar
- Consular Section of French Embassy – New Delhi: André Malraux Marg, 2/50 E Shantipath, Chanakyapuri
In case of the application for a short stay, you need to file your application at least 5 days before the date of departure.
- Booking your visa appointment
The next ideal step is to allocate a day that is significantly before your date of departure for your application review.In order to do so, you must check the approximate time of waiting for appointments, but an ideal time to fix the appointment is at least before two weeks of departure.The final authority of approving your visa application. In case you need to figure out the location and other necessary details for making an appointment, you can check here.
During your appointment, you must carry all the documents you are required to carry. The consulate will process your application, receive your fees, get your biometric data, and review your documents. This process takes at least 20 minutes to complete. During your file submission, you are required to pay all the necessary fees including application fees and service charge. You can check out this link to figure out this link for further details.
- Tracking your application
When your passport is ready, the consulate/application centre will contact you or send it to you by post. However, if you have not received your passport yet, you can check the status of your visa application on the online portal.