Whether you are planning a holiday, business trip, further education, or any other project in France, you need to apply for a France visa from India. Basically, there are three types of France visas – short-stay visas, long-stay visa and airport transit visa. A long-stay visa is equivalent to a Schengen visa. Depending on the visa type you need, you will have to fill the application, book an appointment and submit your file.
France Visa from India
As a Member of the European Union, France became a member state of the Schengen Area in 1997. Depending on the purpose of your visit to France i.e. study, work, business, etc., you will have to apply for a France Schengen visa from India accordingly. Citizens of each country that is not a member state of the Schengen Areas and doesn’t have a visa agreement with the EU need to apply for a visa to enter France. Indian passport holders can apply for a French visa from India.
France Visa Types
France visas are divided into three categories:
- Short-stay visa
- Long-stay visa
- Airport transit visa
Short-Stay Visa
This type of visa is issued to allow people to visit France for tourism, business trips, family visits, etc. not exceeding 90 days. Short-stay visas are also required simple transit through France, once you are outside ‘International Zone’ at any airport:
- To change airports to continue your travel
- If you are waiting for a transfer flight at a hotel or at a friend’s/ relative’s home
Long-Stay Visa
For any stay in France exceeding 90 days, you need to apply for a long-stay visa. In the case of a French long-stay visa, the duration of your stay must be between three months and one year. If you want to extend your stay beyond that period, you must apply for a residence permit at a prefecture.
During its period of validity, a long-stay visa is equivalent to a Schengen visa. With the French long-stay visa, you can move around and stay in the Schengen Zone outside France for a period up to 90 days over any period of 180 consecutive days, under the same conditions as a Schengen visa. A long-stay visa enables you to:
- Execute professional activities
- Stay for an extended period for personal or tourist reasons
- Pursue education
- Join family members
Airport Transit Visa (ATV)
The Airport Transit Visa allows you to stay in the international zone of an airport located in metropolitan France when you wait for the transfer flight to your destination located outside the Schengen Area.
Ordinary Indian passport holders must apply for an ‘A’ airport transit France visa. There are three types of airport transit visa:
- One-way airport transit visa: Allows one-way transit through a Schengen country.
- A return airport transit visa: Allows return airport transit through one or two Schengen countries.
- Multiple airport transit visa: Allows several transits through one or more Schengen member countries.
With an airport transit visa, you can travel from an airport in a third country and can stay in the international zone of an airport located in a French overseas department or territory while waiting for the transfer flight to your final destination located in a third country.
A Franch visa is a national visa type of Schengen visas. For additional information about visa types, you can go through Schengen visa types for Indians.
France Visa Application Process
Here is the step-by-step guide to France visa application from India:
Step 1: Identify the visa type you need
- Visit the official visa website for France.
- Click on ‘1. Do you need a visa?’ option.
- Select your nationality, age, place of submission of application, visa type, travel document, etc.
- Select the visa type and your destination to get the indicative list of supporting documents and the amount of visa fees to be paid.
- Select the purpose of your visit.
Step 2: Set up the online France visa application
- Create an account and answer the questions online. Your visa application form will be automatically filled.
- At the end of the visa application form filling process, a list of supporting and the applicable fee will be displayed.
- You will be redirected to the France-Visas page to get the necessary documents regarding appointments.
Step 3: Book an appointment
- Once you have completed the application process, you need to book an appointment to have your fingerprints and photo taken at a visa application center.
- Once your appointment is confirmed, you will receive an appointment confirmation email along with the letter of appointment.
Step 4: Pay your visa fees
Step 5: Visit a visa application center
Attend your scheduled appointment and submit your complete visa application form at the visa application center in person. You may be asked to submit additional documents by the visa center.
Documents Required
Here is the checklist of documents required for France visa application:
- France visa application form
- Original Indian passport with at least 6 months validity and blank pages
- 2 recent coloured photographs as per the visa photo specifications
- Personal covering letter (Plain paper for employed applicants and company letterhead for self-employed persons)
- Original updated bank statement for the last 6 month
- Income tax returns/ Form 16 for last 3 years
- Travel insurance (minimum coverage EUR 30000)
Kindly note: This is not an exhaustive list of documents, you may be required to submit additional documents.
France Visa Fees for Indians
Here are the France visa fees for Indians based on the category of the visa:
| Visa Category | Full rate | Reduced rate | Fee waived |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schengen visa/ airport transit visa | € 80 | €40 | Children below 6 years/ foreign spouse of French national/ foreign members of families of nationals of EU/EEA Member States |
| Long stay visa | € 99 | € 50 | Foreign spouse of the French national |
| Adopted child | € 15 | – | – |
Note: The fee in INR (Indian Rupees) is subject to the currency exchange rate.
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FAQs
A visa applicant needs to have a face-to-face meeting with the visa officer. Hence, an appointment is mandatory to avail a visa for France.
Each applicant applying for a visa should have an appointment. Thus multiple appointments should be scheduled, one for each member of the family.
Ideally, you are required to submit documents in person. However, if your biometrics are done, you can use an authorized travel representative to send the documents.
The cover letter should ideally mention the purpose of travel to France and any additional information that will help speed up the application process.
A short-stay visa allows you to stay in France for a maximum period of 90 days.
It is not mandatory to come to India to complete visa application formalities. You can apply from the country you are currently residing in.
You can apply for a visa to France from India by following the steps below:
– Visit the official website of visa for France
– Identify the visa type you need
– Set up the France visa application online
– Book an appointment
– Pay fees
– Visit a visa application center
You can check the France visa application fees here.
Yes, you can get a short-stay visa as well as a long-stay Schengen visa with an Indian passport.
