Foreigners now required to book online appointments for visa processes in France
French Visa Authorities Introduce Mandatory Appointment Process for International Visitors
In a significant development, the French visa authorities have implemented a new and required process for obtaining visa appointments for all international travelers. This modification applies to both long-stay French national visas and short-stay Schengen visas.
Streamlined French Visa Application Procedure
To initiate the visa application process, individuals should use the Visa Wizard tool on the France-Visas website to determine their visa requirements based on their travel duration, purpose, and situation [2][3]. The tool will also provide details about the necessary documents and applicable fees.
Following confirmation that a visa is required, applicants can proceed to complete their application on the France-Visas portal by creating an account [2][3]. They will then need to fill out various details about their visit, such as the departure date, purpose, and intended duration of stay.
Once the application is accepted, individuals will be guided through a state-of-the-art web-based system to book their appointments [2][5]. Depending on their country of origin, they may be redirected to a designated platform like TLScontact or VFS Global. In France, appointments can be requested via the Demarches Simplifiees platform.
After creating an account if necessary, applicants will fill out a brief questionnaire, indicating essential details such as the date of departure, purpose of visit, and duration and purpose of the stay, and validate it before receiving an e-mail confirmation of their appointment date [3]. If an individual does not respond to this email to confirm their availability, their appointment will be cancelled.
Upon scheduling, applicants should ensure they have all required documents, such as proof of travel insurance for Schengen visas, for their appointments at the Visa Application Center or consulate [5]. Incomplete applications will not be processed.
Candidates arriving at their appointments with an identity different from the one provided during the appointment scheduling will not be eligible to apply.
During the appointment, the service provider (or consulate) will review the application, collect the visa fee, collect biometric data, and secure the applicant's passport and copies of all supporting documents to forward them to the consulate. The visa application process typically takes approximately 20 minutes at the visa center, with the possibility of exemption from attending in person if the applicant's fingerprints were previously collected as part of an earlier application within the past 59 months [4].
Applicants can track their visa status via the visa center where they applied, with notifications regarding passport collection [1][3]. Visa applications are generally processed within 15 days, a period that may be extended up to 45 days in specific cases if the examination of the application warrants it [4].
Source: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5]
[1] https://france-visas.gouv.fr/[2] https://www.france-visas.com/[3] https://visa-wizard.com/[4] https://www.embassy-france-us.org/[5] http://www.visa-france-en-indonésie.com/
- The state-of-the-art web-based system used for booking appointments may require applicants to have a passport and a financial plan, considering that some visas, such as Schengen visas, require proof of travel insurance.
- In the process of preparing for their travel to France, individuals might also consider researching lifestyle, technology, and travel tips that cater to their visit's purpose, ensuring they make the most of their time in the French market.
