Short-stay visa (C) — tourism & visiting: Indian citizen in India → France
Indian citizens need a Schengen short-stay visa for France — apply at the France visa application centre and give biometrics.
Uniform Schengen short-stay visa for tourism or visiting, applied for through France as the main destination.
- Validity
- The consulate decides how long it lasts. A first or occasional visa usually just covers your trip; the more you travel (with a clean record), the longer a multiple-entry visa you can get — up to 5 years (the EU visa cascade).
- Entries
- Single, double or multiple entry — shown on the visa as 1, 2 or MULT
- Max stay per visit
- Up to 90 days in any 180-day period — this cap applies even with a 5-year visa
When to start
Start 30 days–6 months before your travel date.
You cannot apply more than 6 months before departure; for short-stay visas an Indian passport holder born in India must submit at least 5 days before departure. Apply early — France appointment demand is high.
Pay the Schengen short-stay visa fee — €90 for adults (reduced for children aged 6–12).
For short-stay visas, if you hold an Indian passport and are born in India, you must submit your application at least 5 days before your scheduled departure (15 days if submitting in Kathmandu).
Applicant intake, biometrics and document submission for France in India are handled by VFS Global centres (Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and more). Book an appointment and attend in person.
Applications are examined by the French consulates in Mumbai, Puducherry, Kolkata, Bengaluru and the Embassy in Delhi — only they decide. Your file routes to the consulate with jurisdiction over your region.
After the decision, receive your travel document from the mission or its service provider. If approved, check the visa sticker's validity dates, number of entries and permitted stay before travelling.
What you'll need
- Schengen application form — A completed and signed Schengen short-stay application form, one per applicant. ✓ verified
- Passport — Issued within the previous 10 years, valid at least 3 months after your intended departure from the Schengen area, with at least two blank pages. ✓ verified
- Travel medical insurance — Valid for the entire Schengen area and the whole duration of stay, covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation; minimum cover €30,000. ✓ verified
- Proof of purpose and conditions of stay — Documents justifying the purpose and conditions of the intended stay — for a tourist visit, typically a confirmed return/onward travel booking and proof of accommodation covering the whole stay (reservations suffice before the decision). ✓ verified
- Proof of sufficient means — Evidence of sufficient means of subsistence for the stay and the return journey (e.g. recent bank statements). ✓ verified
Where you'll apply
Where you'll apply in India
Apply at any centreWho runs the centre: VFS Global (France's provider in India)
In India you can lodge at ANY of the 14 VFS Global centres; your file is then examined by the French consulate with jurisdiction (Mumbai, Puducherry, Kolkata, Bengaluru or the Embassy in Delhi). Start on France-Visas and use 'Change submission location' to pick India.
Application centres: Delhi · Mumbai · Bengaluru · Chennai · Kolkata · Hyderabad · Ahmedabad · Chandigarh · Jaipur · Jalandhar · Kochi · Goa · Pune · Puducherry
Getting a slot — book early · community-reported, checked 2026-06-13
- Slots are released in batches with no fixed public schedule — most often early morning local time, on Monday mornings, and around the 1st of the month.
- For popular consulates (e.g. France, Italy and Spain in big cities), a fresh batch can be gone within minutes — be registered and logged in before you look.
- Cancellations free up slots throughout the day, so check daily even when it shows ‘no availability’.
- Because of this, apply as early as you are allowed — up to 6 months before travel. Waiting until 1–2 months out often means no slots are left at all.
Fees
Gotchas to watch
- You can lodge at any VFS Global centre in India, but the deciding consulate is set by your jurisdiction (Mumbai, Puducherry, Kolkata, Bengaluru or Delhi).
- Apply through France only if it is your main destination (longest stay) — 'visa shopping' for a faster slot is a standard refusal reason.
