A Traveller’s Guide on France Visa

For over a decade, France has reigned as the most romantic and picturesque countryside places to visit. The culture, the exquisite cuisine, wines, and people have ruled over the heart of tourists from every corner of the world. Every year, more than 50 million people from around the world visit France. Travellers from India have also taken a huge interest in the last five years. In fact, in 2017, 7 Lakh (700,000) individuals applied for France Visa.

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Things to know about France Visa

Let’s get our Schengen Visa France booking in just a few steps:

Step 1 – Deciding the Type of France Visa Required

Depending on the purpose of your visit to France and the duration, you may need a different type of visa. These are the categories of Schengen France Visas:

Short Stay

1. Tourist Visa

Read more: France Tourist Visa

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2. Business Visa

Participation in trade fairs, seminars, or conferences on the invitation from your partners in France; this visa allows you to conduct such business activities. Typically, this visa is valid for 180 days and you can visit any time during its validity and stay for a maximum of 89 days. However, you must return by 90th day.

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Long Stay National Visa

For any stay exceeding 90 days, you will have to apply for a long-stay visa. This visa applies for:

• Extended Tourism
• Professional Activity
• Pursue Education
• Join Family Members

Note: You will have to first check if your own country does not exempt you from visa application requirements and you must first seek information about the same.

Blinkvisa provides you with an opportunity to get 100% cashback on your visa fee. You can use this cashback to get attractive discounts on flights, hotels, and activity bookings.

Where can I apply?

You are eligible to apply for Schengen France Visa from France Consulate only if:

• The maximum duration of your entire stay in Schengen will be in France
• You will spend an equal amount of time in each Schengen country but France will be your entry point in Schengen

Step 2 – Organizing the Required Documents for your France Visa

Depending on the purpose of your visit and the country you are from, you may be requested for specific documents. Below are some documents which are mandatory in any type of visa:

Mandatory Documents

• Original Passport with at least six months validity and a minimum of two empty pages
• France Visa Application Form duly filled and signed
• Two latest passport-sized colour photographs with a matte or semi-matte finish, 80% face coverage, white background and without border (Size: 35mm x 45mm).
• Covering Letter explaining the reason and plan for your Travel
• Recent Bank Statement of the last three months with bank seal (Online statements are not accepted without bank seal).
• Confirmed Flight Tickets
• Hotel Reservations
• Travel Insurance
• Travel itinerary

Additional Documents Based on Employment Status

Employee

• Employment contract
• Current bank statement of the latest 6 months
• Leave approval letter from employer
• Income Tax Return (ITR) form or Certificate of Income Tax deducted at the source of salary

Self-employed

• A copy of your business license
• Company bank statement of the latest 6 months
• Income Tax Return (ITR)

Student

• Proof of enrollment
• No-objection certificate from school or university

Retired

• Pension statement of the latest 6 months

Children and Minors

• Birth certificate
• Application form signed by both parents/guardians.
• Certified copies of IDs/passports of both parents/guardians.
• A family court order, in cases where only one parent has full custody over the child.
• Authorization from parents to travel to France. This must be notarized and signed by both parents.

Additional documents based on the purpose of visit

Visiting Family or Friends

• Invitation letter from your family or friends in France with the address and phone number  – if applicable

France Visa for Business Purposes

• Invitation letter from the French company you will be visiting and their detailed address
• A certificate from your employer stating/allowing your business travel
• If there were previous trade relations between the two companies, proof of such events must be provided
• Business bank statement of the latest 6 months
• Proprietorship/Partnership documents/Article of Association

France Visa for Medical Purposes

• Letter of invitation from the medical institute in France or a formal agreement of the French Hospital for admission of the patient. And, this must include all information related to the patient like diagnosis, therapy to take, length, date, costs involved, main doctor in charge, etc.
• Evidence of already covered Medical Treatment
• Payment receipt of medical fees from the French Hospital. In fact, this is the letter affirming that the costs for the patient’s treatment are already covered.
• Detailed information on medical treatment fee – issued by the medical institution’s financial department (for uncovered medical treatment)
• A bank transfer slip confirming the payment of a medical treatment fee (for prepaid medical treatment of the applicant)
• A guarantee letter from the applicant – An affirmation certificate to assure the patient’s capacity to cope with the extra medical costs (when expecting unforeseen costs of medical treatment to happen)

To know more about the document specifications, you can check out Schengen visa requirements.

Fees for France Visa

As per the Schengen Agreement, all 26 countries have the same fee for all 26 countries. When you apply for a visa through Blinkvisa, you get entire amount returned to you as cashback. Blinkvisa can help you in the processing of Tourist as well as Business visa.

Tourist/Business Visa

Visa Type	Adult (Above 12)	Child (6-12)	Others
Schengen Visa/Transit Visa/Short Stay Visa	60 Euros	35 Euros	Free For: The foreign spouse of French National Children below 6 years Foreign members of families of nationals of other Member States of the EU/EEA and Switzerland.
Long Stay Visa	99 Euros	50 Euros	Free For: The foreign spouse of French National Children below 6 years Foreign members of families of nationals of other Member States of the EU/EEA and Switzerland.

Please note that Schengen visa cost is always taken in Euros, so the price in the country you are applying from may depend on the conversion rate.

What is a cashback and how do I use it?

Cashback is the amount you get back once you make the initial payment. As soon as you pay INR 1000, the entire amount of INR 7680 is returned to your online wallet called ‘Blinkwallet’. This cashback can be used to book flights, hotels, and activities in France.

You receive this amount even before completing the full payment, so if your visa is rejected, you won’t have lost entire money as you do with other agents. To know how the cashback works, read France Schengen Visa Cost

Step 3 -Process of Applying for Schengen France Visa

Getting to understand the process can be extremely hectic on figuring out the documents required as per your nationality visa type, form filling, checking of forms, fees, biometrics, and appointment booking. This can take a lot of your time and at the end, even a single mistake could get your visa rejected. That’s why we recommend going through an expert like Blinkvisa which not only provides you with complete assistance but also provides 100% cashback on your visa fee.

Here’s how you can get started on the actual process of getting your visa done:

1. Visit Blinkvisa
2. Select the visa type required and fill up some basic information like name and contact details
3. Make the initial payment of INR 1000 and immediately receive the cashback of INR 7680 in your wallet
4. You’ll get a call from our visa experts who’ll suggest you the visa you’ll be needing based on your requirements, as well as the document requirements.
5. Your appointment will be fixed as per your schedule

Read more: France Visa Application Process

Step 4 – Attend the Interview

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Step 5 – Receive your Visa

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Is it necessary to attend the interview?

If this is your first time applying for Schengen visa then you definitely have to go. If you’ve already received the visa once and given your biometrics, then you won’t need to do again.

2. If I applied for France Visa, can I go for other Schengen Countries?

Usually Yes, but you still need to check if your visa mentions it.

3. I don’t need to visit any other country, can I get only France visa?

Please read Limited Territorial Validity (LTV)

4. Do Indians need a visa to visit France?

Yes. Indians must apply for a France Schengen Visa. For more information, read France Schengen Visa for Indians.