How to get a visa for France in Senegal?

You are a Senegalese national and you are planning to travel, study, join your family, or work in France? Before you leave, you are required to apply for a visa for France.
There are different types of visas. They vary depending on the purpose and duration of your stay. Follow our guide to apply for a visa for France from Senegal.

1. Determine the type of France visa you need

There are 3 main categories of visas for France, each corresponding to stays of varying duration and different travel purposes.

  1. Short Stay Visa – Type C (also called Schengen Visa)
    This is a uniform visa that applies to stays of 90 days or less within a 6-month (180 days) period.
    It allows entry into France and travel to all other Schengen Area countries under the same conditions. It is issued for the following purposes: tourism, business, family visits, short training (such as an internship), attending/participating in conferences/seminars, or working in a paid activity as long as it does not exceed 90 days (provided a temporary work authorization has been obtained).
    It is the most requested type of visa.
  2. Long Stay Visa – Type D (also called National Visa)
    This visa is for stays of more than 90 days. It is suited to the duration and purpose of your stay.
    It is issued for the following purposes: tourism or private reasons (medical treatment, for example), to work, to study, to join family and/or a spouse.
    It has a limited duration (between 3 months and 1 year) and you must apply for a residence permit at the prefecture if you wish to extend your stay in France beyond the visa's validity. It takes various forms:
    • a long stay visa, serving as a residence permit (VLS-TS): if this visa exempts its holder from requesting a residence card upon arrival, it requires the holder to validate their visa online within 3 months of arrival
    • a long stay visa with the mention "residence card to be applied for within 2 months after arrival". This indicates that the holder must appear at the prefecture within the specified time to apply for a residence permit.
       
  3. Airport Transit Visa – Type A: this allows you to transit through a French airport without leaving the "international" zone. Be careful! It does not allow you to enter France. This transit visa is mandatory for nationals of certain countries.

To learn more about the different types of visas for France, visit this page.

Need help? The France-Visas website will guide you in finding the visa type that best suits your situation.

2. Where to apply for your France visa from Senegal?

The French Consulate in Senegal, located in Dakar, is the only authority that can make decisions regarding the issuance of visas for France in Senegal.
It works in partnership with the VFS Global organization. This service provider handles receiving and centralizing visa applications. It is also responsible for returning the passports of Senegalese travelers with their French visas.
You will therefore make an appointment with VFS Global to submit your visa application for France.

Useful Contacts

  • French Consulate in Senegal, visa application service
    https://sn.ambafrance.org/-Le-Consulat-General-de-France-a-Dakar
    Email: visas.dakar-fslt@diplomatie.gouv.fr
    Phone: (+221) 33 839 52 62
    Address: Consulat général de France à Dakar 1,
    rue El Hadji Amadou Assane Ndoye B.P. 4035 – Dakar
     
  • VFS Global
    https://visa.vfsglobal.com/sen/fr/fra/
    Phone: (+221) 33 860 60 06 - then dial 126 to speak to an agent directly
    Address: Avenue Cheikh Anta Diop, Km 8 route de Ouakam, Atryum building, Centre Dakar. Application submission hours: Monday to Friday – 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM (by appointment only)

3. When to apply for your France visa?

The time to get an appointment varies depending on the season and demand.

  • For short stay visa applications: it is recommended to submit your application at least 15 days before your planned departure date.
  • For long stay visa applications: it is recommended to allow at least one month between submitting your application and your departure date.

Warning! Some applications may require civil status verification, in which case the processing time may take up to eight months.

IMPORTANT
You should not submit your application more than 6 months before departure.
You can check the News section of France-Visas for updated visa processing times.

4. How to apply for a France visa from Senegal?

After determining the type of visa you need, you must:

  1. make your pre-application online. You will create a personal account on the France-Visas website
  2. fill out a visa application form online
  3. review the required documents to submit with your application
  4. once the form is completed, print and sign it. It will need to be included in your application package
  5. you will then be redirected to the VFS Global website to book an online appointment to submit your visa application.
  6. The appointment confirmation must be printed and presented on the scheduled day.

5. What documents and supporting materials should be attached to the visa application for France?

They vary depending on the type of visa requested and will be communicated to you during your pre-application. For example, for a short-stay visa (type C), the required documents are generally the following (this list is not exhaustive):

  • the printed confirmation of your appointment
  • your passport: issued within the last 10 years with a validity of at least 3 months after the date you must leave the Schengen area. It must have 2 blank pages
  • the application form (Cerfa No. 14076*04) duly filled out and signed
  • the receipt of registration of your visa application: it also includes the list of required supporting documents
  • two recent passport-size photos that meet the standards
  • proof of the purpose of the trip: confirmation of a booking for an organized trip, a reservation or pre-reservation for a return flight, bus, or boat ticket, an invitation from a relative...
  • proof of accommodation in France: certificate of accommodation or hotel reservation
  • proof of financial resources: these demonstrate that you can support yourself during your stay (bank statements for the last three months, the last three pay slips, or pension proofs...)
  • proof of residence in your home country: these vary depending on your status (employee, civil servant, freelancer, retiree, student...) and are specified during your online visa pre-application
  • the medical travel insurance certificate: it is mandatory and must meet several criteria

IMPORTANT! Any incomplete application file may result in a visa refusal. Therefore, make sure to attach all the documents and supporting materials (originals and copies) specified during your online registration on France-Visas. These documents may vary depending on the purpose of the planned stay and the applicant's profile.

6. How does the appointment for submitting the visa application file proceed?

During your appointment at the VFS Global center, which you must attend in person, you will present and submit your complete application file and pay the visa application fees. A receipt will be given to you. Keep it, as it will allow you to track the progress of your application.
If it is your first visa application, your biometric data will be collected at the center. Your photo will be scanned or taken at the time of the application, and your fingerprints will be taken flat and scanned.
Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprint collection. Once your application file is submitted to the VFS Global center, it will be forwarded to the consular authorities for them to decide whether or not to grant you a visa for France.

7. How much does a visa for France cost?

When submitting your visa application, you will need to pay fees, which consist of the visa application fee and the service fees of VFS Global.

1. Visa fee price list

A- For a short-stay visa
For a visa for metropolitan France (type C) – Schengen visa and airport visa (type A)

  • Adult: €80
  • Child from 6 to under 12 years old: €40
  • Child under 6 years old: free
  • Spouse of French nationals / family members of EU-EEA-Swiss nationals: free

For a short-stay visa for Guadeloupe, Guyane, Martinique, La Réunion, Saint-Martin, and Saint-Barthélemy:

  • Adult: €60
  • Child from 6 to under 12 years old: €35
  • Child under 6 years old: free
  • Spouse of French nationals and family members of EU-EEA-Swiss nationals: free

For a short-stay visa for New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna, Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon, Mayotte, and the French Southern and Antarctic Lands:

  • €9
  • For the spouses of French nationals and family members of EU-EEA-Swiss nationals: free

B - For a long-stay visa

  • 99 €
  • 50 €: this is a reduced rate granted to students whose application has been reviewed by a Centre for studies in France
  • Free: in some cases (spouse of a French national, non-EU family member of a non-French European or Swiss national, foreign language reader or assistant, seasonal worker, scholarship student from a foreign or French government or a foreign foundation, etc.)

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

  • The visa fees must be paid in local currency at the local VFS center (at the exchange rate set by the French authorities)
  • Payment method: cash

2. Other Fees

  • Service fees amount to 27 € per visa applicant
  • Fees for the return of your travel document by mail

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

  • The service fee amount is payable in local currency (at the exchange rate set by the French authorities)
  • Service fees must be paid online
  • You can purchase the mail return service: online when making the appointment or directly at the visa application center.
  • You can also provide a pre-paid return envelope from one of the following providers: DHL, Fedex, UPS

Important to know: even in the case of a visa refusal, no fees will be refunded

8. Track the progress of your French visa application to retrieve your travel document

Once the consular authorities have made a decision on your visa application, they will send your passport back to the VFS Global visa application center. You can be notified in three different ways:

  1. By email: a notification will be sent to the email address you provided
  2. By SMS: when this service is available, you will receive a message on your phone
  3. By using the VFS Global online tracking application 

You will need to provide the reference number that was given to you when you submitted your application, as well as your last name.

And to collect your passport and visa?
You no longer need to visit the center to collect your passport (and visa if it has been granted) because the return of your travel document by mail is now mandatory. It will be sent to the address you provided.

Covid: Health Conditions for Entry into France from Senegal

In addition to the usual rules governing the right to stay (presentation of a valid passport accompanied by the required documents: short-stay visa, long-stay visa, residence permit, etc.), all travelers heading to France must comply with the entry requirements during the health crisis. These requirements vary depending on the vaccination status and the country of origin of the traveler.

As of February 12, 2022
1. For vaccinated travelers (1) regardless of the country of origin: no Covid-19 screening test will be required upon departure, but they must provide proof of full vaccination.

2. For unvaccinated travelers

  • From a "green" list country(2): mandatory presentation of a negative PCR test result less than 72 hours old or an antigenic (TAG) test less than 48 hours old.
  • For unvaccinated travelers from an "orange" list country: they must have an imperative reason justifying the necessity of their visit to mainland France, present either a negative PCR or antigenic test result, or a recovery certificate, and agree to undergo a screening test upon arrival. If the result is positive, they will need to isolate, in accordance with the French Health Insurance recommendations.

Note: All travelers, regardless of their vaccination status, must have a sworn declaration stating that they do not have COVID-19 symptoms and are not aware of having been in close contact with someone infected in the 14 days prior to their travel.

(1) According to theEuropean regulations, the vaccination schedule is considered complete according to the following criteria:

  • 28 days after administering a dose of the Janssen vaccine
  • 7 days after administering a second dose for other vaccines recognized by the European Medicines Agency (Pfizer/Comirnaty, Moderna, AstraZeneca/Vaxzevria/Covishield)
  • for individuals who have received all required doses of aWHO-approved vaccine but not recognized by the EMA: 7 days after administering an additional dose of an mRNA vaccine recognized by the EMA.

Note: since February 1, 2022, for the vaccination schedule to remain recognized as complete, individuals aged 18 and over, wishing to enter French territory, must have received abooster mRNA vaccine dose no later than 9 months after the injection of the last required dose.

(2) France has established aclassification of countries and territories based on health indicators. This color classification may be modified according to the health situation and/or the emergence of concerning variants.
That is why we encourage you to regularly check the updated list provided by the French government toknow the status of Senegal at the time you plan to come to France.

We are doing our best to provide you with the most reliable and up-to-date information, but visa regulations may change at any time by the French consulate in your country if circumstances require. Therefore, we cannot be held responsible for these changes. Please contact the consular authorities to learn about the exact procedures in place at the time of your visa application.

For more information

Do Senegalese nationals need a visa to travel to France?

Senegal is not part of the countries that have concluded a visa exemption agreement for entering the Schengen Area, which includes France. Therefore, Senegalese nationals must obtain a visa to come to France.

Where should I submit my visa application for France from Senegal?

You must first register on the France-Visas website to complete a form, check the required documents to submit with your application, and schedule an appointment with the VFS Global office in Dakar to submit your complete application.

When should I submit my visa application for France from Senegal?

At the earliest, you can submit your visa application 6 months before your planned departure and no later than 15 days for short-stay visa applications and 1 month for long-stay visas.

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