Some foreign citizens are obliged to apply for a visa when they travel to France. On the other hand, some foreign citizens are not required to get a French visa. Today, we will go through if you need to apply for a French visa or not. Also, we are going to discover the differences between short-stay visas and long-stay visas along with French DROM visas and French CTOM visas. Based on your nationality, the type of visa you are applying for, and the territory in France which you plan to visit, you may not need to apply for a French visa. So, let’s begin with the French short-stay visa.
Do you need a short-stay visa to France?
A short-stay visa to France allows you to travel to France for up to 90 days. Also, you can travel to other Schengen countries with your France visa. This is due to the fact that European Union countries have signed a visa-free movement agreement with each other. So, if you already have a Schengen visa issued by another EU country, you do not need to get a visa.
However, if you intend to stay longer in France, you may need to apply for a French long-stay visa or an additional short-stay visa issued by France. Of course, if you are an EU/EEA citizen, you do not need to apply for any type of visa to travel to France. In addition to EU/EEA citizens, if you are a holder of the following categories, you are not obliged to apply for a French visa:
- Residence permit holders of any Schengen country
- Residence permit holders of France
- A valid long-stay holder of any Schengen country
- A family member of an EU citizen or a person who holds a long-term residence permit in the EU
- Passport holders of the United Kingdom
- Diplomatic passport holders and diplomats
If your situation does not meet the categories mentioned above, you are required to apply for a short-stay France visa.
Keep in mind that when you are applying for a different type of French visa, the requirements and expected documents can be different. However, the size of the French visa photo is the same in all French visa applications.
Do you need a long-stay visa to France?
Long-stay French visas are quite different from short-stay French visas. The difference is not just about the length of your stay but also the reason for you to stay in France. As a long-stay French visa allows you to stay longer than 90 days in France, it also requires you to present a valid reason covering your stay in France.
These long-stay visas for France may also be referred to as the France national visa. The maximum length permitted with a long-stay French visa is a year. This type of French visa cannot be issued for a longer duration. However, to extend your stay in France, you can always apply for a residence permit when your long-stay France visa is about to expire. Of course, some exceptions frees you from applying for a long-stay French visa. We have listed those exceptions below for you:
- If you are a family member of a French citizen/national
- EU citizens
- EEA citizens such as Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein
- Monaco and Andorra citizens
- Citizens of San Marino and the Holy See
- Family members of the foreign nationals who hold a residence permit in France
- Students who have been continuing their studies since the age of 16 in France
French Visa for Overseas Departments and Regions
French overseas departments and regions (DROM) are a part of France but they are not in metropolitan France which is in Europe. So, these regions are Reunion Island, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, Mayotte, Saint-Barthélemy, and Saint Martin. As these places are not within the European borders, the application requirements and processes are quite different. You may or may not need to obtain a visa to visit those overseas departments and regions. As DROM visas are divided into short and long-stay visas, let’s look at the differences between them.
French DROM short-stay visa
The majority of foreign nationals are required to get a short-stay visa from France for DROM. However, there are some specific conditions that allow you to enter overseas departments and regions without a visa. These visa-exempt conditions are:
- Being a citizen of the EU/EEA and Switzerland
- Holding a residence permit in a Schengen Area country
- Holding a long-stay visa in a Schengen Area country
- Being a citizen of Albania, Bosnia, and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, or Serbia
- Holding a Hong Kong or Macau Special Administrative Region passport
In addition to the list above, if you are a citizen of the following countries, you are not required to apply for a short-stay DROM visa:
Bahrain, Belarus, China, Kuwait, India, Oman, Qatar, Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Andorra, Anguilla and British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Holy See, Honduras, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Northern Mariannes, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and Grenadine, San Marino, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.
How about the DROM long-stay visa?
DROM visa requirements are somewhat similar to the short-stay visa. If you intend to stay longer than 90 days in the overseas departments and regions, you are required to apply for a DROM long-stay visa. Nevertheless, if you are a citizen of the European Union member countries, EEA countries, Switzerland, Monaco, or Andorra, you do not need to apply for a long-stay visa.
CTOM short and long-stay visas
CTOM stands for French overseas collectivities and territories. These collectivities and territories are French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French Southern, and Antarctic Territories. If you are planning to travel to these territories, you are not required to apply for a short-stay CTOM visa under the following conditions:
- If you have a French residence card or you are a holder of a French long-stay visa
- If you are a citizen of Australia, Brazil, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, and Venezuela.
Apart from these conditions, if you are a national of the following countries, you are not required to apply for a short-stay visa to CTOM: Switzerland, Andorra, Argentina, Bolivia, Brunei, Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Monaco, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, San Marino, Holy See, and Uruguay.
Lastly, if you intend to stay longer than 90 days in the French overseas collectivities and territories, you are required to apply for a long-stay CTOM visa. However, the following nationals are not required to apply for a long-stay CTOM visa: EU member countries, EEA countries, Switzerland, Andorra, and Monaco.
