Many foreigners, in addition to tourists, also come to France to study, work, and even settle and live there. However, depending on nationality and reason for entry, many of these visitors will first need to apply for a French visa.
French visas include visas issued for entry and stay in France, DROM or CTOM. However, the French Schengen visa does not entitle its holder to enter DROM or CTOM.
If you plan to visit France, be aware that many citizens require a French visa to enter the country’s borders, while many others do not.
Whether or not you need a visa to enter France depends on the following factors:
Knowing which type of France visa you should apply for is actually a fairly simple process. The French Schengen visa is issued to foreigners who wish to visit France, the French territories or another country in the Schengen area for less than 90 days within a 6-month period.
You can apply for a French Schengen visa if you are traveling for one of the following reasons:
There are countless tourists who make the French territories their first destination to visit each year, and many more who see it as their future home, where they plan to build a new life.
France is a land of 41 protected historical sites, 8,000 museums, 500 festivals, countless theater and dance shows, concerts and art exhibitions at will. This country uses freedom, equality, fraternity and secularism as its principles of life.
A country that hosts many scientific events, where education is considered one of the most essential factors for the economic, social and environmental development of the country, with a very filial integration process. For foreigners who want to settle there permanently, everyone can quickly integrate their lives into the rights and responsibilities of the country.
If your French Schengen visa is refused, you can submit a request for re-evaluation of your application to the French embassy or consulate.
Such a request should be made if you have good reason to believe that the visa refusal is unfair.
The appeal of the decision must be submitted 2 months from the date of refusal, in French, and supporting documents attached to the application.
The outcome of the appeal can be an indirect refusal (no response within 2 months) or a direct refusal from the commission.
The applicant can appeal for a maximum period of 2 months to have this decision annulled before the Administrative Court of Nantes (only if the visa is refused after an appeal or when the ministers also confirm visa refusal).
Your France visa application will be processed within 5 to 20 working days.
On the other hand, if you have requested a long-term French visa, you should receive a response within 15 to 20 days, or even up to 2 months in some specific cases.
If you apply for a short stay visa to visit territories and communities abroad, processing time is from 5 working days to 3 weeks.
In contrast, long-term stay visas to these locations can take up to 2 months to process.
Based on the number of times a person is allowed to enter the Schengen area and the number of countries a person is allowed to enter, French Schengen visas are grouped as follows:
A French Schengen visa may be revoked if you:
If your French Schengen visa is revoked, you can appeal the decision to the Province and/or the Ministry of the Interior, which can reassess the refusal.
Of course, the French short-term stay visa is not intended for the purpose of obtaining paid employment. Foreigners wishing to apply for a long-term visa for paid work on French territory must first find a sponsoring employer who will provide them with a DIRECCTE approved (stamped) employment contract, this document is required to apply for a visa application.
Foreigners who wish to apply for a long-term visa to work for pay as an artist or champion athlete must have a work permit issued by the employer/host facility approved by the competent French authority, as this document is mandatory to apply for a visa.
French Temporary Work Permit is required for those coming to France to carry out a paid activity under a French Schengen visa.
Only those who come to France to work for the following purposes are exempt from this obligation:
If you benefit from a short-term work visa in France for any other reason, you will need a temporary work permit. Employers must apply for a work permit from DIRECCTE (Ministry of Labor). It takes 10-15 days to process work permits. Typically, employers will receive stamped forms by post after this deadline.
The form must then be returned to the applicant as they will be asked to present this document upon entry to France.
If you want to go to France for reasons that require a stay of more than 90 days, you can apply for a long-term French visa. You can apply for a long-term French visa if the purpose of your trip is one of the following:
You only have to request this from the French embassy or consulate in your country.
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