Would you like to visit France, one of the most popular tourist destinations? Many people consider it the most beautiful place in the world. French-style starts from the streets and architecture, which already is breathtaking. Besides, a must-see point is the capital, Paris with many incredible attractions to discover – you can’t miss it!
Tourists who desire to enter France for the purpose of visiting a family member and staying for less than 90 days have a separate visa category. Non-French and non-EU family members who live outside of France and the EU can visit France to meet their parents, children, or spouse thanks to France’s short-stay visas. Obtaining a French Family Visa or Schengen Visa is not that easy. However, we prepared some guidelines to help you understand the procedure.
Even when it comes to France Visitor Visas, your nationality determines whether you require or do not require a Visitor Visa to visit France or its overseas territories, collectivities, departments, and regions. If your country of origin does not have a visa facilitation agreement with France or the EU, you will most likely need to get a short-stay Visitor Visa in order to visit a family member in France.
If a member of your family lives in France, either as a French citizen or as an EU citizen, and you’ve realised you’ll need a visa to visit them, you only need to know that the visa procedures will be comparable based on your position, but they may differ at times. As a result, before determining which Visitor Visa category to apply for, try to find out which category your case belongs to.
Keep in mind that having a French Visitor Visa does not entitle you to stay in France beyond the duration of the visa. If you want to stay in France for a longer period of time, you’ll need to apply for one of the French Long Stay Visitor Visas.
Visitor Visa to France – for who?
This is a visa for family members like parents and children of their foreign citizen spouse under foreign spouse’s charge and children (under the age of 21), spouses of French citizens who live in third countries and wish to visit their spouses for less than three months.
The French marriage certificate (called “Copie Intégrale de l’Acte de Mariage”), children’s birth certificates, and information on the French citizen are among the primary requirements that the foreign national must give in this circumstance.
How do I obtain a Visitor Visa in France?
The procedure for applying for all French visas is the same for all sorts of visitor visas. The only variation is in the documentations. If this is your first time applying for a visa and you’re not sure where to begin, follow the steps given here to apply for a visa in France.
Documents Required for a Visitor Visa in France
There are some commonly needed documents that you will have to submit at the embassy on the day of your interview, regardless of whatever Visitor Visa category you are applying for.
- Completed application for a French visitor visa. Make sure you fill out the application form completely and accurately.
- Two photos which are no older than three months old and meet the Schengen Visa photo specifications.
- A valid passport with at least two blank pages and valid for at least three months beyond the conclusion of your scheduled stay in France and must have been issued within the last ten years.
- Copies of older visas – give copies of all visas you have ever held for any nation in the world.
- Certificate of the candidate’s home country’s criminal record demonstrating that the candidate is not involved in any open criminal cases.
- Provide a list of the activities you intend to undertake while in France, as well as information on how you intend to get in France.
- Attach supporting documentation such as a round-trip ticket (itinerary), a railroad reservation, or a document from a prepaid planned tour.
- Financial proof – you can prove it by bank statements from the last few months, job contract, rental income, benefits plan for retirement, a letter from a sponsor, etc.
- Proof of paid visa fees.
Depending on the kind of family member, you might need to provide different documentation. For example, for a French citizen’s spouse proof of nationality of the spouse who lives in France, such as a passport or identification card or a marriage certificate on the French civil registry (known as a “Livret de Famille”). Where for an EU citizen’s foreign child or spouse it could be passports of both biological parents, proof of Guardianship, proof of accommodation, birth certificate, etc.
Marrying a French citizen
If you want to marry a French citizen in France, you’ll need to apply for a France short stay marriage visa, which allows you to stay in the country for up to 90 days within a 180-day period. When submitting your application, you must have a document pertaining to the intended wedding, which is known in French as a “Certificat de publication des bans et de non opposition.” You will also be required to provide details on the French citizen you intend to marry.
Types of the Visitor Visa for a French family member
- A family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen – this form of visa is available to any third-world person with an EU family member: spouse, or parents and children of their foreign citizen spouse under foreign spouse’s charge and children (under the age of 21), parents residing in France (who is not a French national). Evidence of the family link between the EU citizen and their family member should be supplied.
- French Relatives of non-EU/EEA/Swiss residents – even if a family member residing in France is not a French or EU national, you can apply for this France short-stay Visitor Visa. Spouses and children under the age of 18 can apply for a visa that would allow them to enter France and stay for up to 90 days. In this scenario, the family member who lives in France must demonstrate that they have the financial resources to support the family members who are applying to move to France, as well as that they have enough space for each.
How much is the French Visitor Visa fee?
A visiting visa to France costs €80. However, for additional information on French visa fees you might need to go to the government websites. Family members of French nationals, as well as family members of citizens of another EU/EEA member state and Switzerland, are not required to pay a visa fee.
Can I extend my stay in France?
You can still apply for a French long-stay visitor visa, which is valid for up to a year and serves the same function if you want to stay longer in France and the short-stay three months French Visitor Visa might not be enough.
A long-stay visitor visa to France permits you to visit relatives and friends as well as receive medical treatment in a French hospital. If you want to visit France on a long-term visitor visa, you should know that you can apply for a four- to six-month temporary long-stay visa that allows you to stay in France. This visa does not allow you to prolong your stay or a residence-worthy long-stay visa – which allows you to stay in France for 4 to 12 months and must be validated upon arrival in France.
