How to apply for French visa from India?

Date : 06/01/2025

Dreaming of visiting your family in the Paris area, of performing at a World music festival in Angouleme, of finding new markets to sell your products at a trade fair in Villepinte or of supporting your national athletes during a major sports event? There are endless reasons to visit France but whatever yours, if you are an Indian national, you need to apply for a Schengen visa for France.

Good to know

The visa section of the Embassy of France in New Delhi has extended its competence to Afghan nationals. If you are an Afghan national, you can now apply for a visa for France at the VFS Global agency in New Delhi.

Why do Indian nationals need a visa to visit France?

As is the case with about a hundred third countries, France has not signed a visa-waiver agreement with India. Consequently, all Indian citizens need a visa to travel to France which is part of the Schengen area.

Please note:

  • France-visas is the only official website featuring all the necessary information to guide applicants through the French visa application process and assist them every step of the way.
  • One specific page is dedicated to Indian nationals wishing to visit France.
  • Before you start your application process, use the France-visas wizard. After analysing your answers to a few questions, it will inform you of what type of visa you need, what supporting documents you must provide and how much your visa for France will cost.

What are the different types of visas to travel to France?

The type of visa you will need to travel to France depends on how long you intend on staying and your reasons for undertaking your trip to France.

The short-stay visa (type C) or Schengen visa is the most issued for trips not exceeding 3 months. To stay longer than 3 months in France, you will need to apply for a long-stay visa (type D or national visa for France).

The short-stay visa for France or Schengen visa

For stays shorter than 90 days, planned for the most common purposes (tourism, visits to family or friends, business trips, internships, short training sessions, participation in a sports or cultural event), you will need to apply for a short-stay visa.

The Schengen visa allows you to stay and travel up to 90 days over a six-month period (180 days) in all the Schengen countries, including France.

The standard Schengen visa is valid for a limited number of entries in the Schengen area (1 or 2). For frequent and regular entries, you will need a multiple-entry visa which can remain valid from 6 months to 5 years.

The national long-stay visa (type D)

It is often issued for study, work and family purposes. Several types of long-stay French visas exist depending on the purpose of the stay, its duration and the applicant’s intent on settling in France permanently.

Important!

Since April 2021, Indian nationals transiting through France need an airport transit visa (ATV), even if they remain in the international zone of the French airport.

Where should you apply for your Schengen visa for France from India?

In India, France has entrusted the reception and treatment of visa applications to VFS Global. On its website, you can find a specific page dedicated to Indian and Nepalese applicants.

There are 15 centres located throughout the territory: Kathmandu (Nepal), Pune (Poona), Ahmedabad, Bengaluru (Bangalore), Kolkata, Chandigarh, Kochi (Cochin), New Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Chennai, Mumbai, Puducherry.

You will find the detailed location and opening hours of each centre on the VFS Global page concerning India.

Caution!

VFS Global will not issue your visa. The company is only an intermediate which handles the visa applications and transfers the files to the French consular services which examine them and decide to grant the visa or not.

Special cases: residents of Nepal and Bhutan

Schengen visa applicants living in Nepal can submit their visa application file at the VFS Global agency located in Kathmandu which will transfer it to the Embassy of France in New Delhi.

People living in Bhutan can submit their visa application file at the VFS Global agency located in Kolkata and in charge of collecting visa applications for the Consulate General of France in Kolkata.

How to apply for a French visa from India?

Your visa application process in 6 steps:

1. Visit the official France-visas website to find out what type of visa you need.

2. Prepare your online application.

  • You will need to create a personal account on France-visas and fill out the visa application form. Once you are done:
  • A copy of your application form will be sent to you by email.
  • You will be informed of the necessary supporting documents you will need to enclose with your visa application file.
    You will be notified of the cost of your visa.

3. Book an appointment to submit your application file.

Once you are done with the online procedure on France-visas, you will be able to book an appointment at the VFS Global centre of your choice.

You will then receive by email a letter confirming your appointment. You will be asked to present it at the VFS Global centre when you come in to submit your visa application file. You will thus need to print it beforehand.

Please note:

On the updated welcome page of VFS Global India, you will find all the important information specific to each centre, particularly exceptional closures due to local events.

4. Submit your visa application file
Attend in-person your appointment at the scheduled date and time at the VFS Global centre with:

  • The letter of confirmation of your appointment,
  • Your passport,
  • All the required supporting documents (originals and copies),
  • A means of payment to settle the visa fees and the service fees applied by VFS Global.

An agent will meet with you and examine all your original documents, collect the visa fees and record your biometric data (photo and fingerprints).

They will keep your passport and the copies of all your supporting documents to transfer them to the French consular services.

Visa applications for children under age 12 must be brought to the VFS Global centre by the mother or father of the child, or their legal guardian.

The biometric data of children under age 12 will not be collected, however they do need to be present when their visa application file is submitted in order for the agent to check if the enclosed photography is that of the child for whom the application is recorded.

5. Follow the evolution of your application status. At any time, you can check how the examination of your application is progressing by logging in to your account on the France-visas website.

6. Collect your passport. Once the consular services have examined your visa application file, your passport will be given back to you directly at the centre where you have submitted your request. You will be informed that your passport is available by email or text message.

When should you apply for your visa for France from India?

For a short-stay visa, you can apply 6 months before your scheduled date of departure at the earliest. Delays can vary, particularly during busy times of the year when demands are higher (April to July), we thus recommend applying as soon as possible and no later than 2 weeks minimum prior to your date of departure.

For a long-stay visa, you can apply 3 months at the earliest before your scheduled date of departure. We recommend submitting your visa application 6 to 8 weeks prior to your date of departure.

What documents must be enclosed with your French visa application?

In general, you will need at the very least to provide the following documents. This list is non-exhaustive; please refer to the precise list of required documents provided when you apply on the France-visas website:

  • A travel document (such as a passport), in good condition, issued less than 10 years prior to your application, with at least 2 blank pages, valid for more than 3 months after your scheduled date of departure from the Schengen area or, in case of long-stay visa applications, valid for more than 3 months beyond the expiration date of the requested visa.
  • Two recent ID photos, ICaO format i.e. meeting international standards.
  • Documents supporting your travel purpose.
  • Means of payment to settle the visa and service fees.
  • Documents supporting the reasons of your trip: personal invitation, proof of family ties with the person accommodating you, proof of business or professional relation, booking confirmation of an organised trip, tickets to a sports or cultural event, etc.)
  • Proof of accommodation in France: hotel or rental booking confirmation, letter of invitation by a relative or friend, any document proving where you will be living while in the country.
  • Proof of your financial means (bank statements, pay slips, proof of sponsorship by a third party).
  • A Travel insurance certificate proving you have subscribed to mandatory travel insurance. It must meet several criteria to be accepted: minimum coverage (€30, 000) of medical expenses/hospitalisation, medical repatriation, etc. It must be valid in all the countries of the Schengen area and during the entire length of your stay.
  • Guarantees of your return to your home country after your authorised trip in the Schengen area.
  • The completed and signed visa application form.

Good to know

When you enter the country, you must be able to present all the documents enclosed with your visa application file to the border police, particularly your travel insurance certificate.

How much does a French visa cost?

Visa fees depend on the age and the situation of the traveller. Children under age 6 as well as the spouses of French nationals are exempt from visa fees.

Costs for a visa for France include:

  • The visa fee itself, charged by the French consular authorities,
  • The service fee paid to the provider VFS Global.

Beware! Visa and service fees are non-refundable even if your visa application is denied or if you withdraw your demand.

Check out the Schengen visa prices for France

How long does it take to obtain a visa for France?

The French consular authorities do not guarantee any precise timeframe to deliver a visa.

If you were born in India and have an Indian passport, you should obtain your short-stay visa quickly.

Authorities recommend that you apply for your visa for France 2 weeks minimum prior to your scheduled date of departure for short-visas and 4 weeks before for long-stay visas.

Beware! When you submit your visa application in Kathmandu, delays are longer; therefore you should apply minimum 15 days before your scheduled date of departure.

How to choose the right travel insurance for your visa for France?

AXA Schengen travel insurance meets all the criteria demanded to obtain a Schengen visa.

  • It is certified and thus accepted by all the consulates and embassies of all the Schengen member States.
  • You can easily and quickly subscribe online.
  • Your mandatory travel insurance certificate is immediately sent by email after your subscription, allowing you to save time in your Schengen visa application process.
  • AXA Schengen travel insurance offers comprehensive coverage during the entire duration of your stay.
  • It covers medical expenses (consultations, surgical acts, prescriptions, medical tests), emergency hospitalisation, search and rescue in case of accidents, potential repatriation (including in case of death).
  • Free top-quality, professional remote video and phone medical consultations — in English, French, and a number of other languages — with our unique and free “Doctor, please!” feature
  • It is refundable if the visa application is denied (official document stating the refusal required).
  • It is affordable.
  • Its three different options - Low Cost, Europe Travel and Multi Trip- fit your needs and budget. Feel free to compare them to find which one is the most suited to your situation.

Our application process, meanwhile, is simple and straightforward.

Quick and easy: Get your free Schengen travel insurance quote now!

How to apply for other Schengen countries visas from India?

And in case you’re thinking about visiting other Schengen countries from India, AXA can help you with many of them too. 

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FAQ

What happens if I overstay my visa in France?

The consequences of overstaying your visa range from paying a fine, deportation, jail time, or even being banned from ever visiting France again. Fortunately, AXA is happy to help you avoid all of them.

How can I speed up my visa application process?

French authorities do not offer an emergency visa application process. However, a complete visa application file meting all the requirements to obtain a visa for France will be handled faster.

Who can provide my invitation letter in France?

Any French national or person legally residing in France can write an invitation letter for a foreign national. The stronger the family or professional ties, the more effective it will be when your visa for France application is examined.

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