Central African RepublicVisits and short stays

Central African Republic tourist and visitor visa

Short-stay and long-stay visa (embassy visa)

In short

A Central African Republic visa is issued by an embassy and affixed to the passport. The embassy in Paris offers short-stay visas for 1 to 30 or 30 to 45 days and a long-stay visa for 45 to 90 days, on one form covering private visits, holidays, business, work and official travel. Applicants send the signed form, passport, two photos, air ticket and purpose documents, and can pay by bank transfer or in cash at the embassy.

Apply on Embassy of the Central African Republic in France: online services checked 25 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Short stay 1–30 or 30–45 days; long stay 45–90 days
Processing time
Express processing available for a surcharge of 20 (currency not stated on the form)
Work
The form lists work among travel purposes; no separate work permit rules are published by the embassy
Where to apply
At a Central African embassy, online via the embassy portal or on paper, with the original passport

Which visa for which stay

The Paris embassy uses two forms. Form 01-AMB-CFFR is the short-stay visa application, for stays of 1 to 30 days or 30 to 45 days. Form 02-AMB-CFFR is the long-stay visa application, for stays of 45 to 90 days. Both forms ask the applicant to tick the purpose of the trip: private, holiday, business, work, official or other.

The embassy in Paris is the Central African Republic's representation for France, Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal, England and Northern Ireland, and the Order of Malta. The official sources consulted do not publish a list of nationalities exempt from the visa.

Supporting documents

Every application needs two identity photos, the valid passport plus a copy, and the air ticket. Depending on the traveller, the embassy adds an accreditation for journalists, an attestation from the Ministry of Tourism for tourists, and copies of supporting evidence such as an invitation letter, a mission order or hotel reservations.

The form itself asks for parents' names, profession and employer, passport type and dates, the main destination and address in the Central African Republic, family or other contacts, the number of travellers, dates, means of transport, entry point, route, towns to be visited, whether the applicant intends to settle, and details of any previous stay.

Required documents

Identity

  • Two identity photos

Travel

  • Valid passport (original) and a copy
  • Air ticket

Other

  • Signed visa application form (01-AMB-CFFR short stay or 02-AMB-CFFR long stay)

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Travel

  • Copies of an invitation letter, mission order or hotel reservation

Work

  • Journalists: press accreditation

Other

  • Tourists: attestation from the Ministry of Tourism
  • For return by post: stamped self-addressed envelope (Chronopost)

Fees and payment

The Paris embassy forms print the processing fees without a currency symbol: 80 for a short stay of 1 to 30 days, 160 for 30 to 45 days and 300 for a long stay of 45 to 90 days, with 20 added for express processing. NGOs and associations that have an agreement with the State pay 50; other NGOs pay the standard rate. Payment is by bank transfer using the embassy's bank details (RIB), printed and enclosed, or in cash at the embassy.

How to apply

For an online application, create an account on the embassy's consular portal and fill in the visa form there; for a paper application, download the form without creating an account. Either way, print the validated form or the completed paper form, sign it, attach the passport, two photos and the requested documents, and send everything to the embassy at 30 rue des Perchamps, 75016 Paris, or bring it in person. The embassy is open Monday to Friday, 9:30 to 12:30 and 14:30 to 16:30.

By signing, the applicant undertakes to leave the Central African Republic when the visa expires and accepts liability, including legal penalties and future visa refusals, for false statements.

  1. Choose the form: short stay (up to 45 days) or long stay (45 to 90 days).
  2. Fill it in online after creating an account on the embassy portal, or download the paper form.
  3. Print and sign the form and gather the passport, copy, two photos, ticket and purpose documents.
  4. Pay the fee by bank transfer to the embassy account or in cash at the embassy.
  5. Send the file to the embassy or hand it in during opening hours, adding a Chronopost envelope for postal return.
  6. Receive the passport with the visa affixed and travel within its dates.

Forms

Getting the passport back

The visa is placed in the passport, so the original passport is indispensable. To have the visa returned by post, enclose a stamped envelope bearing your address; the embassy requires the return to be made by Chronopost.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply without creating an online account?

Yes. The paper form can be downloaded from the embassy website without an account.

Is express processing available?

Yes. The Paris embassy forms list express visa processing for an extra 20 on top of the standard fee.

What do tourists need besides the form?

Passport and copy, two photos, an air ticket, an attestation from the Ministry of Tourism and copies of bookings or an invitation.

How can I pay?

By bank transfer to the embassy account, enclosing its printed bank details, or in cash at the embassy.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for the Central African Republic

Central African Republic visa guide