Learn About France's Visa Photo Requirements [With Examples & Online Photo Tool]

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Do I need a visa to travel to France?

France is a very popular country to travel, study and work. Actually, some nationalities do not have a special permission or visa to visit this place. France Schengen visas allow entry to enter France in short-term visit (up to 90 days). This categories also do not need a visa to enter the country :

• holders of France or a Schengen country residence permit;
• holders of long-stay visa of a Schengen country;
• holders of an EU members residence or long-term EU residence permit;
• holders of British passport;
• holders of special residence cards as diplomatic or consular staff.

France also has long-term visas, which allow you to stay from three to twelve months. Only the citizens of the following nations do not need a visa to stay longer than one year:

• EU nationals;
• EEA national (Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein);
• Nationals of Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, Holy See;
• “Family of French national”;
• Foreign nationals, who have a long-term status of residence in another EU country.

It is worth saying that France is not only Europe, because they have also overseas departments like French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Reunion Islands or Saint-Martin. It is called French Overseas Départements and Regions (DROM). 

The following nationals are allowed to visit France DROM without short-term visa:

• citizens of EU, EEA and Switzerland;
• holders of biometric passport from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia;
• holders of passport from Hong Kong and Macau;
• nationals of the following countries and holders of Schengen-visa: Bahrain, Belarus, China, Kuwait, India, Oman, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates;
• nationals of: Andorra, Anguilla and British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Holy See, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Mariannes, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and Grenadine, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom (British National Overseas passport), United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Whereas, the nationals of the following countries do not need to obtain a long-term entry visa in order to enter the DROM and remain for up to one year :

• European Union member countries;
• European Economic Area (EEA) member countries;
• Switzerland;
• Monaco;
• Andorra.

Additionally, there are also French overseas collectivities and territories (CTOM). It is contains: 

• French Polynesia;
• New Caledonia;
• Wallis and Futuna; 
• French Southern;
• Antarctic Territories.

There are some rules for visitors, who do not need a short-stay visa in France CTOM:

• Holders of a french resident card or of a french long stay visa;
• Holders of a Dutch residency permit in Sint Maarten are not required to have an entry visa for Saint Martin;
• Nationals from the following countries who are involved in income-earning activities: Australia (for Mayotte and Saint Pierre and Miquelon, exemption for one month only), Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Venezuela.
• Nationals from the following countries: EU, EEA, Switzerland, Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Holy See, Uruguay.

Member states of EU and EEA, nationals of Switzerland, Monaco and Andorra are exempted from having long-term permission to stay in France CTOM.

French Visa for US Citizens

If you are a citizen of the United States and you are going to France, you do not have to get a tourist visa for stays under 90 days. It is enough if you have a passport valid at least three months beyond your planned date of departure from the Schengen area. Additionally, you must have at least one blank page for stamps. Remember: you do not have to have a visa, if you are going to France in Europe!

If you are going to France DROM for up 90 days, you also do not have to get a short-stay visa. Only if you are planning to stay longer, you will have to get a visa. 

Unless you have a Schengen visa, you need to get a permission to visit France CTOM.

What Type of France Visa Should I Apply For?

You will have quite a hard process, if you need a visa to France. A France Schengen visa is issued to foreigners that wish to visit France, the French territories or another Schengen area country for less than 90 days within a 6-month period. You can apply for French visa if you are travelling for one of the following reasons:

• tourism;
• transit through the French airport;
• to make a family and private visit;
• in business reason or professional meeting or a conference;
• education;
• internship.

How to apply for a French visa?

There are a few steps to get a French visa. First of all you need to choose the right embassy. If you are going to visit only France, you have to check French embassy. If you are going to visit more than one of the Schengen countries, but you are going to stay in France most of the time, you have to check French embassy. If you will spend the same amount of days in some Schengen countries, then you will have to apply at the embassy of the country where you will be landing first. 

Secondly, you will have to fill the French Schengen Visa application from here. Put on paper correct information, prepare your French visa photo, for example in an online app here, print application twice and sign them.

Next, you will have to book a visa appointment in French embassy. In 99% you will be able to schedule the appointment online. Unless you go to the meeting, you will have to start the process again.

On the day of the meeting, make sure you will be on time. If you are late, your meeting probably will be cancelled. It is a good idea to wear something a bit official. Interview takes around 15 minutes. During the meeting, the consular officer will be asking about your trip. Stay calm and be honest. After that, you will have to wait a bit for printed confirmation with a decision. Make sure all the details are correct and sign papers. 

If all steps before have been positive, the final step is paying fees for the visa. In most cases you will have to prepare around 90 dollars. For your children french visa, you will pay around half of that.

Can I work on French visa?

Remember, that you can not work on a short-stay visa. If you would like to work in France, you need to find a job first. After that the employer prepares your work contract, which is required for the visa application.   

To start working under a French Schengen Visa, you have to get a France Temporary Work Permit. It is important that there are only a few categories, when you can try to get that:

• sport, cultural, artistic and scientific events;
• seminars and trade shows;
• artist or technical staff of audio/video productions;
• modelling and artistic pose;
• auditing and expertise missions in IT, management, finance, insurance, architecture  and engineering as a contracted employee.

Can my French Schengen Visa be revoked?

A French Schengen Visa can be revoked, when you start work without permission, being involved in actions considered of danger to the public order or trying to settle in France. 

What if I have to stay in France for longer than 90 days?

Of course there is a possibility that you have to stay longer than 90 days. It is a moment when you have to apply for a French Long Stay Visa. There are some reasons you can try to get it: 

• reunite with your family;
• enroll in academic studies (possibilities for students under 18 only if parents do not reside in France; for students over 18, when student will have been accepted by higher education institution in France; France Aur Pair Visa from 17 to 30 years old)
• get a paid job (categories: creating and running business, professional and independent workers, sport, volunteer);
• work in a highly skilled profession (researcher, business founder, innovative economic project, economic investor, legal company representative, artists and performers can apply for a Passport Talented Card); 

work as an exchange student (working holidays visa is created for nationals of Australia, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Mexico, Russia, Taiwan, Uruguay.