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France Visa and Passport Requirements
| Passport required | Return ticket required | Visa Required | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian | Yes | No | No |
| British | Yes | No | No |
| Other EU | 1 | No | No |
| USA | Yes | No | No |
| Canadian | Yes | No | No |
Passports
A passport valid for three months beyond the length of stay and issued within the past 10 years is required by all nationals listed in the chart above except (1) EU nationals holding a passport or national ID card which is valid for the duration of stay.
If travelling from one border-free Schengen country to another however, EU nationals are not required to show a passport or national ID card. It is still recommended that you travel with your passport or ID card to prove your identity if necessary though. Note that Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the UK are not part of the Schengen area, so a passport or ID card is required if travelling to/from these countries.
EU nationals are not required to possess a return ticket or show sufficient funds.
Passport Note
The passport and visa requirements for travellers visiting Monaco as tourists are the same as for France. Monaco is not a member of the EU however, so residency and long-stay requirements differ and are liable to change. For further details, contact any French Consulate (or consular section at embassy).
Visas
Neither visas, return tickets nor sufficient funds for the length of their proposed visit are required by nationals referred to in the chart above.
Nationals not referred to in the chart are advised to contact the embassy for visa requirements.
Types and Cost
Transit/short-stay Schengen visa: €60. This typically covers tourism, business, and family visits for nationals requiring a visa.
Long-stay visa: €99.
Validity
Short-stay/Schengen visa: up to 90 days within a six-month period. It can be issued for one entry or multiple entries into the Schengen area and can be valid for up to five years.
Long-stay visa: this is a national visa that entitles you, whatever the reason for your stay, to live in France for more than three months. It is not a Schengen visa. Some categories of long-stay visa are valid as residence permits for the first year of your stay in France.
Transit
If you’re coming from a non-Schengen country transiting through an airport in France to travel to another airport in France or in the Schengen area, then unless exempt, you’re required to have a short-stay Schengen visa.
Application to
If France is your main destination in the Schengen area, apply to your local French consulate (or consular section at embassy). In the UK, the French authorities have outsourced the visa application process to a company called TLS Contact (www.tlscontact.com/gb2fr). TLS Contact charges an additional €30 processing fee (or its GBP equivalent). All Schengen visa applicants aged 12 and over must submit biometric data at their visa appointment.
Schengen Visas
France is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.
Temporary residence
Some categories of long-stay visa are valid as residence permits for the first year of your stay in France: study visas, some work visas, visas for spouses of French nationals and visitors’ visas. If you are in one of these cases, when you arrive in France, you must send the OFII form to the relevant regional delegation of the Office Français de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration, which will give you an appointment for a medical examination and payment of residence fees. After the first year (in the two months before your long-stay visa expires), you must apply to renew your residence permit at the relevant prefecture for your place of residence.
In all other cases, if you are a foreign national holding a long-stay visa marked 'carte de séjour à solliciter' (residence permit to be applied for), you must apply to the prefecture for a residence permit.
Working days
Processing times vary according to nationality and visa type. Allow at least 15 days; appointment waiting times vary from one to 10 days.
Sufficient Funds
If applying for a visa, you’ll be asked to detail how you intend to support yourself for the duration of your stay.
Extension of stay
If you need to extend your stay in France for reasons of force majeure, you must, before the date of expiry of your visa, submit an application for 'prolongation de visa' (visa extension) with documentary evidence.
Entry with children
If visas are needed, a form must be filled out for each individual applicant, including children under 18.
Entry with pets
Visitors are able to bring pets into the country from within the EU without them being quarantined, so long as the pets are first fitted with an ISO pet microchip and then vaccinated for rabies and other diseases at least 21 days (but no more than a year) prior to travel.
Our visa and passport information is updated regularly and is correct at the time of publishing,
We strongly recommend that you verify critical information unique to your trip with the relevant embassy before travel.
Embassies and tourist offices
British Embassy in France
Telephone: +33 1 4451 3100.
Website: http://www.ukinfrance.fco.gov.uk/en
Address: Paris Cedex, 35 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, 08 Paris, 75008,
Opening times:
Mon-Fri 0930-1300, 1430-1700.
French Embassy in the UK
Telephone: +44 20 7073 1000.
Website: http://www.ambafrance-uk.org
Address: , 58 Knightsbridge, London, SW1X 7JT,
Opening times:
French Embassy in the USA
Telephone: +1 202 944 6000.
Website: http://www.ambafrance-us.org
Address: NW, 4101 Reservoir Road, Washington, 20007,
Opening times:
Mon-Fri 0845-1230, 1400-1700
Visa appointments are scheduled from Mon-Fri from 0845-1230. Appointments can be booked online.
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