How to schedule an appointment for your visa for France?

Where must you book your appointment to apply for a French visa?

How and where to book an appointment to hand in your visa for France application depends on your country of residence and the policies of the local consular services in charge of processing all visa applications. To find out which visa centre you must book an appointment with, all you need to do is follow these steps:

1. Visit France-Visas, the official website to apply for a visa for France.
2. Create your personal account. Fill out the online visa application. Once you’ve printed it, date it, sign it and enclose it with your file, which you will present during your appointment at the visa centre.
3. Examine the list of supporting documents demanded according to your situation. Add them to your application file in the required order.
4. You will receive via email a receipt proving your profile has been registered. You must print this receipt and enclose it with your application file.
5. You will then be able to book an appointment at the visa centre allocated to your place of residence. It can be the consular services of the French Embassy, the French Consulate or and external service provider (CAPAGO, VFS, TLScontact).

Select your home country on the corresponding France-Visas page and find out in which visa centre you will need to set your interview and submit your application file. All the information you need to book your appointment is provided (web link, location, opening hours, deadlines, etc.).

Once you’ve created your personal account, most centres offer the possibility of arranging a date and hour online. For others, appointments are scheduled by phone or email sent to the visa service.

Once the date for the appointment is set, you will receive a confirmation email or an individual reference number which you will need to present during your interview with the visa service.

When should you schedule your appointment?

Before scheduling an appointment with the visa services which will handle your application, you must take into consideration the time you will need to gather the demanded documents to enclose with your visa application file as well as the financial funds needed to pay for visa and service fees.

Some supporting documents will be longer than others to prepare, particularly the accommodation certificate, the proof of financial means or the certified translation in French of some documents.

In theory, you can submit your visa application file from 6 months to 15 working days prior to your departure. However, the delay between the applicant’s appointment and the processing of their visa for France request varies depending on the different countries, the time of year and individual situations (long-stay visa applications for example can require more time to process). During the busier times of the year (summer and school holidays), processing time can be much longer as well.

Ask directly to your visa centre how long you will have to wait for an answer.

What to expect during a visa for France application interview?

Unless you are exempt, you must attend your interview at the visa centre in person, on the scheduled date and time.

If you arrive late, there is no guarantee your interview will take place. You will then have to book another appointment.

1. You must bring:
   • The letter confirming your appointment.
   • The printed receipt and visa application form. This form (CERFA) must be printed in its final version. The word “DRAFT” must not feature on the document.
   • Your passport + 1 copy (the reference number of the passport must be identical to the one indicated on the confirmation letter of your appointment and your application form).
   • Your visa application file with all the compulsory supporting documents, organised in the same order as mentioned on the list. You may be asked to provide copies of your supporting documents: in one file, you will include the originals, in another, the A4 size photocopies.
   • The adequate means of payment for the visa application file fees, charged by the French administration, and possible service fees, charged by the external service provider. Before your interview, make sure to ask the visa centre what means of payment are accepted (cash, credit card…)
      
2. At the visa centre

An agent will greet you and check that your file is complete (including your application form and the France-Visas receipt) before transmitting it to the authorities in charge of examining your demand and deciding.

Beware! If a document specified on your receipt is missing, your visa application can be denied.

Unless you are exempt (such as children under age 12 or visa applicants who have already obtained a visa marked VIS in the last 59 months), your biometric data (fingerprints and photo) will be collected.

Once you have paid the different fees, you will be given a receipt which you must keep and present when you return for your passport.

IMPORTANT

• Respect the safety instructions imposed by the visa centres and specified during the online booking of your appointment. Some centres, for example, ask that you come alone, that you carry only a transparent plastic bag containing the required documents, that you do not transport inflammable products (matches, lighters) or electronic equipment…
• Before leaving it at the visa centre, make sure to make a copy of your passport to keep for yourself, particularly if it is your only ID document. You will need to present a form of ID or its copy to get your passport back after the decision of the consular authorities.
• The visa centre has absolutely no part in the visa decision-making process.

3. After your appointment

Log in on the website of the visa application centre where you submitted your application file and thanks to the reference number featuring on your visa fee receipt (issued after the payment of your visa application fees) and other information (surname, first name, date of birth, passport n°…), you will be able to follow the status of your application online.

Bear in mind you will only find there information concerning the status of progress of the examination of your application, not whether or not your visa has been granted or denied.

You will be informed via email, text message or phone call (if you have chosen this option) that your application has been examined. You will then be asked to return to the visa centre where you have submitted your file to collect your passport. You will then find out if your visa has been granted.

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FAQ

Do I have to pay for the appointment to submit my visa application file?

Booking your appointment to submit your visa for France application file is free. However, you will have to pay visa application fees as well as possible service fees, if your file is handled by an external service provider. The fees are non-refundable.

Is the appointment to submit the visa for France application file compulsory?

Generally, yes. However, some consular services accept that applicants submit their files without booking an appointment beforehand. This can be done in certain countries and for some categories of applicants (official passport holders, spouses of French nationals).

How early must I book my appointment to submit my visa for France application file?

You can submit your application file at the earliest 6 months prior to your departure date and no later than 15 days before you leave. However, depending on the time of year, the type of visa and the country where the application file is submitted, processing time can be longer.