Apply for your France Schengen Visa online

No. A standard Schengen visa strictly covers European territory. If you want to visit French overseas territories like French Polynesia, Réunion, Martinique, or Guadeloupe, you must apply for a separate, specific national visa for that territory.

If you're staying with family or friends in France for a private visit, you must submit an official attestation d’accueil (certificate of accommodation). Your host must request this from their local town hall (Mairie) for a €30 fee and mail you the original validated document to include in your application.

The required daily amount depends on your lodging. You must prove you have €65 per day if you hold a hotel booking, €32.50 per day if you hold an official attestation d’accueil from a private host, or €120 per day if you don't have pre-arranged accommodation.

A circulation visa is a multiple-entry Schengen visa valid for 6 months to 5 years for frequent travelers. To qualify, you must prove a legitimate need to travel to France regularly for business or tourism and demonstrate a clean immigration track record with previously issued visas.

Yes. Because there aren't any border controls between France and the Principality of Monaco, a valid short-stay Schengen visa issued by France automatically authorizes you to enter and stay in Monaco.

You can apply up to 6 months before your intended travel date (9 months for seafarers). The absolute latest you can submit your file is 15 calendar days before departure, though applying at least 4 weeks in advance is highly recommended to avoid peak seasonal backlogs.

If you've been granted a biometric Schengen visa within the last 59 months, you generally don't need to provide new fingerprints. The consulate can retrieve your digital biometric data directly from the central Visa Information System (VIS).

The digital Entry/Exit System (EES) replaces manual passport stamps. When crossing the French border, you must register your biometric details (a facial photo and fingerprints) at a dedicated digital kiosk at your initial port of entry.

Yes. There aren't any age exemptions for this visa; every traveler, including infants, must have their own individual application and visa sticker. For minors, the application form must be signed by both parents or legal guardians, and you must submit the child's birth certificate along with a notarized parental consent letter if they're traveling alone or with only one parent.

If you're remaining in the international airport transit area for less than 24 hours without clearing immigration, you only need an Airport Transit Visa (Type A) if your nationality is on the required transit list. However, if you plan to leave the airport, change terminals requiring border clearance, or have a long layover where you clear immigration, you must obtain a standard short-stay Schengen Visa (Type C).

Unlike an electronic visa, the Schengen visa is a physical sticker affixed directly into your passport. After you attend your mandatory in-person biometrics appointment at the embassy, consulate, or official visa application center, your passport will be kept for processing and later returned to you via courier or personal collection with the visa inside.

The standard processing time is 15 calendar days from the moment your application reaches the French embassy or consulate. However, it can take up to 45 days during peak seasons or if additional document verification is required. We recommend applying at least 2 months before your trip.

The Schengen Visa is for travelers who are not visa-exempt. The ETIAS (launching late 2026) is a digital travel authorization for citizens of visa-exempt countries (like the US, UK, and Canada). If you currently need a visa to enter France, you will continue to need a Schengen Visa.

If denied, you'll receive an official refusal letter detailing the specific reasons. The most common grounds for denial are insufficient financial means or unverified accommodation proof. You have the right to lodge a formal written appeal within 15 days of receiving the refusal, or you can choose to fix the issues and submit a completely new application.