GETTING VISA FOR FRANCE
Before getting the details regarding visa for France, it will be appropriate to know about Schengen because the France visa is also termed as Schengen visa. The Schengen visa is issued to the persons who are interested in visiting the countries within the Schengen area. There are 26 countries within the Schengen area that have come to an understanding to allow unrestricted movement of their citizens within the area as a single country. This agreement is known as Schengen agreement. Out of the 26 countries, 22 belong to EU while the rest 4 are from EFTA. Majority of EU countries are covered within Schengen area except UK. Some countries such as Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein and Switzerland, which are not part of EU, are also covered within Schengen area and hence enjoy the benefits of free movement within the area.
Who require Schengen visa?
All the non-Schengen countries, with some exceptions, are required to have Schengen visa for travelling to the Schengen area. There are some countries which are yet to come within the jurisdiction of the agreement, are exempted from visa requirement for visiting the Schengen area.
Types of Schengen visa
There are three types of Schengen visa:
- Uniform Schengen Visa permits the holder of the visa to transit or stay in one of the Schengen area country for a maximum period of 90 days from the date of entry.
- Limited Territorial Validity Visa permits the holder of the visa to travel only to the specific Schengen state which has issued the visa.
- National Visa is issued to the individuals who are required to study, work or reside permanently in any of the Schengen countries.
The non-Schengen area countries where you can travel with Schengen visa
Following is the list of countries where you can travel with Schengen visa even if the countries are not covered within Schengen agreement:
Albania, Antigua and Barbuda, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Columbia, Croatia, Gibraltar, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Sao Tome and Principe, Serbia and Turkey.
However some conditions apply which needs to be queried further.
Schengen visa or short stay visa are issued to the individuals for freely visiting the countries within the Schengen area. The stays must be limited to 90 days for each period of six months from the date of your first entry to the Schengen area. The types of visa for France within this category are family visa, tourist visa and business visa.
For stay beyond three months, long stay visa is issued. Such visa is issued for the following purposes: family reunion, study and work.
Important Information
- All documents must accompany their translation in English or French
- Submission of all the required documents is mandatory. More documents may be asked for submission if need is felt by the authority.
- The applicant has to appear in person at the visa section.
- Minors under the age of 18 years have to submit their birth certificate.
- Dependent young adults have to submit proof of family ties, socio-professional status and supporting documents showing the income of the parents who will be bearing the expenses of the individuals.