What type of visa do you require for your stay
Depending on its duration and purpose, each stay matches a specific visa.
This table will help you identify the visa that matches your situation.
| Applicant (your situation, the purpose and the duration of your visit) | Procedure for visa issuance and documents required |
|---|
Short stay (not exceeding 90 days) in France and the Schengen Area
| You are the spouse, child/grandchild, or parent/grandparent of a French national and you wish to obtain a short-stay visa | Family of a French national |
| You are the spouse, child/grandchild, or parent/grandparent of a European Union national (other than French) and you wish to obtain a short-stay visa | Family of an EU national (other than French) |
| You simply wish to transit through a French airport (without accessing French national territory) | Airport transit visa |
| You wish to visit France and other Member States of the Schengen Area (including France) for a maximum period of 90 days per semester for various purposes (tourism, shopping, business trip, visiting a relative/friend, participation in an exhibition/ fair/ conference, studies, internships, artistic events, research, etc.) | “Uniform Schengen” short-stay visa |
Long stay (exceeding 90 days) in France:
| You wish to obtain a long-stay visa or for settling in France as the spouse of a French national | Spouse of French national |
| You wish to study in France (long-term studies, competitive examinations for admission to an academic institute, minor school pupil, research) | Studies, research and internships in France |
| You wish to carry on a professional activity in France (worker posted abroad, worker on assignment, artist under contract, etc.) | Long-stay visa for salaried workers |
| You wish to carry on a commercial/industrial activity or handicrafts production along with the establishment of a company or under an already existing company or activity | Long-stay visa “business person’s identity card” |
| You wish to reside in France and your personal income suffices to cover the expenses arising from the stay without taking recourse to a salaried job (studies in France without admission to an academic institute, independent research, artists in residence, sabbatical, retired person, private stay, non-salaried and unregulated profession, visit for religious purposes, etc.), or you wish to reside in France at the invitation of a congregation or as a volunteer for an NGO. | Non-professional “visitor” visa |
Special cases:
| You hold a diplomatic/service/official passport and France is your main destination in the Schengen Area | Long- or short-stay visa on a diplomatic/service/official passport |
| You wish to visit a represented African country : Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Mauritania, Senegal and Togo. | “Third country” visa - Africa |
| You wish to visit or stay in Monaco | Visas for Monaco |
| You wish to visit or stay in a French overseas territory | Visas for French overseas territory |
Please note
Apart from your valid passport bearing a visa (apart from nationals of exempted countries), you should be in a position to furnish the following at the French border:
Proof of the conditions of your stay in France (for tourism: hotel reservation, package tour reservation receipt, etc.; for a professional visit : employer’s letter, invitation from a French organisation, etc.; for a private visit : "attestation d’accueil" (Town Hall letter) signed by the person hosting you in France).
Proof of financial resources for covering your expenses in France (cash, traveller’s cheques, valid international credit card, etc.).
Guarantees of your return to your country of origin (return air ticket, etc.).
Reminder: A Schengen visa does not authorise you to enter a French department or autonomous region situated overseas.