FranceVisits and short stays

France tourist visa (Schengen type C)

Uniform Schengen visa (type C) for tourism

In short

Holidays in France of up to 90 days need a Schengen visa applied for on France-Visas and lodged at the French consulate or its visa centre in your country of residence. You show funds linked to the French minimum wage (EUR 65 a day with a hotel booking, EUR 120 without) and a decision normally follows within 15 days.

Apply on France-Visas (official visa portal) checked 25 October 2026

Key facts

Maximum stay
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Fee
€90Standard Schengen fee; EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12, free under 6, and free for foreign spouses of French nationals and family members of EU, EEA or Swiss citizens. Where an external provider receives the file it adds a service fee, which varies by country and cannot exceed EUR 45. The visa fee is not refunded after a refusal.
Funds required
€65 per dayWith a hotel booking EUR 65 a day; without proof of accommodation EUR 120 a day; with an official attestation d'accueil from a private host EUR 32.50 a day.
Processing time
Usually 15 days after lodging the file, up to 45 days in individual cases; allow extra time to obtain an appointment.
Work
No.
Where to apply
France-Visas online, then the French consulate or its visa application centre (run by a provider such as TLScontact or VFS Global) in your country of residence.

When France is the right country

Apply to France if it is your only Schengen destination or the one where you spend the longest time. You apply in the country where you legally reside, to the consulate responsible for your place of residence or the visa centre it uses; France-Visas has a page for each country of filing with the local arrangements.

Documents

The France-Visas wizard generates the exact list for your situation. For many countries the EU has adopted a harmonised list of supporting documents; it typically covers a travel reservation, proof of accommodation, recent bank statements and income proof, and documents on your occupation. Check on the page for your country whether documents in other languages must be translated.

Required documents

Identity

  • France-Visas application form and receipt, printed and signed
  • Passport issued less than 10 years ago, valid three months after leaving the Schengen area, with two blank pages (original and copy)
  • Recent ICAO-standard photo
  • Proof of legal residence in the country where you apply (a residence permit if you are not a national of that country)

Travel

  • Return travel reservation
  • Hotel booking or other proof of accommodation

Money

  • Bank statements for the last three months and proof of income

Work

  • Proof of occupation: employer letter, company documents for owners, or student certificate

Insurance

  • Travel medical insurance of at least EUR 30,000 valid in all Schengen states, covering emergency care, hospitalisation and repatriation

Supporting documents (where they apply)

Family

  • Minors: parental consent and copies of parents' IDs

How much money to show

France ties the reference amount to the minimum wage: EUR 65 per day if you have a hotel reservation for the whole stay, EUR 120 per day without one (mixed if you have a booking for part of the stay), and EUR 32.50 per day if you stay with a host who provides an official attestation d'accueil from the town hall.

Appointments and timing

Appointments are booked with the consulate or visa centre named on the France-Visas page for your country of filing, and France-Visas advises allowing time both to obtain one and for processing. Apply at the earliest six months and at the latest 15 days before travel.

Refusal and appeal

A refusal notice gives the reasons and the remedies. Before going to court you must first file the mandatory administrative appeal indicated in the notice, within the deadline it states; only then can the case be brought before the administrative court of Nantes, which handles visa disputes. The visa fee is not refunded.

How to apply, step by step

  1. Use the France-Visas wizard to confirm that "tourism" is the right purpose and get the list of documents and fees, then create your application on france-visas.gouv.fr.
  2. Print the completed form and the receipt with its barcode, then sign the form.
  3. Book an appointment with the French consulate responsible for your place of residence or with the visa application centre it uses (run by an external provider such as TLScontact or VFS Global, depending on the country); the France-Visas page for your country explains how.
  4. Attend in person with all originals and copies; the centre or consulate checks the file, collects the visa fee and any service fee, and takes your photo and fingerprints.
  5. The French consulate decides, usually within 15 days and up to 45 days in individual cases; the service provider never takes the decision.
  6. Collect your passport at the centre where you applied, or receive it by post where this is offered, and check the visa details.

Forms

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply in a country where I am only visiting?

As a rule, no. You apply in the country where you legally reside, at the consulate or visa centre competent for your place of residence.

What must the travel insurance cover?

At least EUR 30,000 for emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation, valid in all Schengen states for the whole stay.

Does a French Schengen visa cover French overseas territories?

No. Overseas departments and territories need a separate national visa.

Is the fee refunded after a refusal?

No. The visa fee is kept even if the visa is refused.

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 France

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Validity: VLS-TS from four months to one year; then a one-year card, followed by a multi-year card for the rest of the degree.
  • Researcher visa Validity: Length of the hosting agreement, up to four years.
  • Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Company internship: six months initially; continuing training: 12 months, renewable once up to 18 months.

Work

  • Work visa Validity: First year on the VLS-TS; then a four-year multi-year card for permanent employees still in the job, or a card matching the fixed-term contract.
  • Skilled worker visa Validity: Length of the contract, up to four years.
  • EU Blue Card Validity: Contracts of two years or more: length of the contract up to four years; shorter contracts: contract plus three months, up to two years.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Validity: Length of the assignment, up to three years, minus time already spent on the visa; not renewable.

Family

  • Family reunification visa Processing time: The mayor checks resources and housing within two months; the prefect decides within six months of the complete file reaching OFII (silence means refusal).
  • Spouse and partner visa Validity: VLS-TS valid one year; then a multi-year card of two to four years.

Residence

  • Retirement visa Validity: VLS-TS for the first year, then a renewable one-year card.
  • Permanent residence Validity: 10 years, renewable. The EU card lapses after more than three consecutive years outside the EU or six years outside France; the ordinary resident card after more than three consecutive years outside France.

Protection

France visa guide