DOCUMENTS SUBMISSION

STEP 1 – Gather information on your situation

Seek information and check if you require a visa or not

This portal helps you assemble the information you will need before submitting your visa application online.

Visa for all will help you determine, depending on your situation, the visa requirements to which you are subject, as well as the submission fee and required supporting documents.

If you have lived in the Schengen Area within the past 6 months please use the Visa Calculator tool to determine the precise number of days you have remaining.

Determine which authority is approved to receive your application

In addition to furnishing important general information, this link offers pages specific to your local, so that you can access the most accurate information for your visa application.

STEP 2 – Set up my online application

Fill out the visa application form

To submit a visa application, you must provide at least the following :

A travel document (original + copy) in good condition, issued less than 10 years ago, with at least two blank pages, which is valid for at least three months after the date on which you have planned to leave the Schengen Area, or in the event of a long stay, which is valid for at least three months on the date on which the requested visa expires. However, in the event of a duly proven emergency, this final requirement may be waived.
2 recent ID pictures in ISO/IECI format (pdf)
The supporting documents (originals and copy) depending on your situation and your plan

STEP 3 – Book your appointment

Arrange an appointment with the visa application centre

Make sure you allow enough time before your departure date to schedule an appointment to have your application reviewed.

Check on the average appointment wait times to ensure that you are able to submit your application three months to two weeks prior to your departure date for a long stay visa and 6 months to two weeks to your departure date for a short stay visa.

In most cases, the consular services use external service providers to receive visa applicants and their documents. The consular services nonetheless remain fully responsible for reviewing applications and making visa issuance decisions.

STEP 4 – Submit your file

Application in person

You must attend your appointment with all the required documents. Also bring a copy of each document, including the passport and its ID pages.

The service provider (or consulate) will receive you, review your application, collect the visa fee, capture your biometric data (photo and fingerprints) and retain your passport and the copies of all your supporting documents in order to forward them to the consulate.

The visa application submission will take approximately 20 minutes at the visa centre.

Biometrics

All visas issued by France are biometric visas.

Any visa applicant aged 12 or older must submit his or her visa application in person. The following biometric data will be required: a photo (scanned or taken during your appointment), and ten individually-taken fingerprints.

If you hold a biometric Schengen visa issued within 59 months, either bearing the mention ‘VIS’ or issued after March 2016, your previous biometric data can be re-used.

Fees

Visa application fees are composed of :

The administrative costs incurred for the processing of your application. The amount paid is kept by the administration, even in cases where visas are denied.
If application fees are received by an external service provider, this provider is responsible for collecting the appropriate fees. The service charge differs by country, but may not exceed € 40 per visa application. External service providers are also authorized by the administration to offer additional services at cost.