France

If you want to Visit France as a tourist, you can get a tourist visa whose validity is 90 days i.e., 3 months. But in order to arrive in France you need a Tourist Visa. Your tourist visa to France will be deemed as Limited Territorial Validity Visa and you can travel to other Schengen countries by virtue of this Visa.

Do you need a Tourist Visa to France?

If you are a national of Monaco, Switzerland or Andorra, or any country from the European Union then you need no Visa to travel to France. But if you do not belong to one of these countries, then you must procure a Tourist Visa to France inevitably.

Before considering a visit to France, considering visiting VisaMint Overseas Services in order to get all your doubts clarified for visiting France.

Making the application at the right time is one of the most important things you need to consider. If your tourist visa application is submitted earlier, the processing too happens faster. It is better you make it six months prior to your arrival in France.  If that was not possible owing to many reasons, you can submit your application two weeks before you plan to go to France.

Where should I submit my application?

To submit your application to obtain a Tourist Visa to France, you need to apply your application at one of the following places:

• The consular section of the French embassy in your country.
• A French consulate in your country.
• A third party visa-processing center, to which France has outsourced visa submission in your country.
• The French embassy/consulate/visa processing-center in a neighbouring country, to which French authorities in your country of residence have outsourced visa submission.

What if you want to visit the Schengen region too?

You will then need to make separate application for individual countries. This might sound apparently complicated but not so much. You just need to mention in your application what all countries you want to visit during your stay in France. You need to mention the country’s name and the number of days quite specifically.

Your application needs to be made in the embassy of the country where you intend to stay for the longest.

Here is the process to apply for the French Tourist Visa

Any immigration process has complex documentation. It might frighten you in the beginning, but if you follow the steps procedurally, it isn’t complicated at all. Here are some necessary things you need to do:

• Fill in the French Tourist Schengen visa application form.
• Compile all the required documents.
• Book an appointment.
• Pay the visa fees.
• Be present for the appointment on time.

Document Checklist:

• Completed French Tourist Visa Application Form. Make sure you complete the right form, and the information you provide is correct.
• Two passport-style photos. They must be no older than three months.
• Your valid passport. It must have been issued within the last 10 years and valid for a minimum of 3 months after the end of your planned stay in France. The passport must have at least two blank pages in order to be able to put the visa sticker on it.
• Copies of older visas. If you have ever held any visa to any country in the world, submit copies of those visas.
• Travel Medical Insurance covers a minimum of €30,000 for your entire stay in France and the Schengen.
• Certificate of criminal record of the home country– showing that candidate has no open crime case involvement
• Proof of paid visa fee.
• Travel Itinerary. This is a document that shows what you will be doing in France, when you will arrive and when you will leave, and includes proof of arranged transportation as i.e. plane tickets booking and hotel booking.
• Proof of Accommodation in France. It can be a hotel/ hostel booking, or a letter of invitation if you are planning to stay over at friends or relatives.
• Means of subsistence. Proof that you have the financial means to cover your whole stay in France and other Schengen countries if you are planning to. This could be: a bank statement no older than three days covering the last three months or a scholarship certificate stating how much you will be receiving during your whole stay.

You need to book an appointment for an interview if you are over 12 years of age. You can book your appointment either in France Embassy or in your regional France Consulate.  The fee is 80 Euros per applicant. If the Visa stamped in your passport says Schengen Countries, then you can go around the Schengen region with the French Visa which is valid for three months.