Updated October 2026

You want to visit France, see your family, attend a business meeting, or come to study, work or live here? Citizens of many countries, including India, Sri Lanka, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh, need a visa to come to France. The right visa depends on how long you stay and why. Here are the rules in force in 2026, explained simply.

Not sure which visa fits your plans? Take the free eligibility test

Short-stay visa: up to 90 days

The short-stay visa, also called Schengen visa, lets you travel in France and in the other countries of the Schengen area. It is used for:

• Tourism
• Visiting family or friends
• Business meetings, conferences and trade fairs
• Short trainings, cultural or sports events

It does not allow you to settle in France. As a rule, you cannot work with it, except for some short activities listed by law, sometimes with a work authorisation.

You do not need this visa if you are a citizen of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland, if you hold a valid residence permit or long-stay visa from a Schengen country, or if your nationality is exempt. Check your case on the official France-Visas website.

Going to Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana or Mayotte? These French territories are not in the Schengen area: you need a specific visa.

How to apply

• Online: fill in your application on France-Visas, the official French visa website.
• Appointment: you then give your documents and your fingerprints at the French consulate, or its visa service provider, in your country of residence.
• When: at the earliest 6 months and at the latest 15 days before your trip. In busy periods, appointments are hard to get, so apply early.
• Fees: €90 for a short-stay visa and €99 for a long-stay visa. Some children pay less or nothing. The service provider may add its own fee.

The documents usually requested

• A passport issued less than 10 years ago, valid at least 3 months after the end of your visa, with at least 2 blank pages
• Travel medical insurance covering at least €30,000 in the whole Schengen area
• Proof of accommodation: a hotel booking, or an attestation d'accueil (hosting certificate) if you stay with family or friends
• Proof that you have enough money for your stay
• Your travel plans: flight booking and itinerary
• Depending on your trip: invitation letter, letter from your employer, proof of your situation at home

The exact list depends on your country and your situation. The France-Visas assistant gives you the official list.

Long-stay visa: more than 3 months

To stay more than 3 months, you need a long-stay visa, valid from 3 months to 1 year. The main reasons:

• Studies: see our student visa service
• Work: employee, temporary worker or Talent Passport
• Family: spouse of a French citizen, or family reunification
• Visitor: a long private stay, without working

Many long-stay visas are a VLS-TS (visa long séjour valant titre de séjour): the visa counts as your residence permit for the first year. After your arrival:

• Within 3 months: validate your VLS-TS online on ANEF, the official website for foreigners in France, and pay the tax online. The amount depends on your visa.
• If your visa says "carte de séjour à solliciter": ask the prefecture for a residence permit within 2 months of arrival.
• Before your visa ends: apply in time for a residence permit if you want to stay longer.

If your visa is refused

A refusal must be given in writing, with the reasons. If the consulate does not answer within 2 months, this also counts as a refusal. You can challenge it, but the deadlines are short:

• Short-stay visa: within 30 days, a written appeal in French to the Deputy Director of Visas (sous-directeur des visas) at the Ministry of the Interior
• Long-stay visa: within 30 days, an appeal to the visa refusal appeals commission (Commission de recours contre les décisions de refus de visa, CRRV)
• Then: if this appeal is rejected, you have 2 months to go to the Administrative Court of Nantes

This first appeal is mandatory: without it, the court will not examine your case. Depending on the reason for the refusal, a new application with a stronger file can sometimes be the better option. We help you choose.

How TSA helps you

• We check with you which visa fits your trip or your project
• We prepare the list of documents with you and check your file before the appointment
• We help you complete your France-Visas application, in your language
• After your arrival, we help you validate your long-stay visa online
• In case of refusal, we help you prepare your appeal. Before the court, our partner lawyers take over.

Official sources: France-Visas, official visa website, Service-public.fr, Schengen short-stay visa and France Diplomatie, the Entry/Exit System