Visas for France, without the guesswork

Short stays in France run on the shared Schengen rules — one C visa (or none, for exempt passports) covers all 29 countries. Everything else is national: where you apply, who runs the centres, and every stay over 90 days.

How France takes applications

Good to know about France

• Every France application — short or long stay — starts on the France-Visas portal; centres reject walk-ins without the France-Visas reference.
• France's overseas territories (DROM-CTOM: Réunion, Guadeloupe, French Polynesia…) are NOT in Schengen — they need a separate French overseas visa unless you hold specific exemptions.
• A French Schengen visa marked 'France except CTOM' does not cover the Pacific territories.

Staying longer than 90 days

Long stays use the VLS-TS (long-stay visa worth a residence permit), which must be validated online within 3 months of arrival — no prefecture visit needed for the first year.

Check your situation

Pick your passport for an exact answer — visa, visa-free, or free movement:

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