Do I need a visa to come to France?

Do I need a visa for my stay in France?

Generally, if you are a national of a country of the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, you do not need a visa to stay in France.

However, if you come from a country outside the European Union, you can find out more in just a few clicks by providing certain information on the official French visa website France-Visas.

Where can I get information or apply for a visa?

• For online administrative procedures, the official website www.service-public.fr is a good starting point (in French).
• For information and to apply for a visa, you should visit France-Visas, the official website for visas to France.

Is it possible to visit other European countries during my stay in France?

If you are a national of a Schengen country, you can travel within the Schengen area without automatic border controls. This includes the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland.

However, if you come from a country outside the European Union, you need a short-stay visa (90 days maximum) to travel to France. Additoinally, this visa also allows you to travel to other countries in the Schengen area. Unless it is only valid in France or in one or more defined countries in the Schengen area.

How to recognise fake administrative websites?

Some fake sites may look like official sites by using the “Marianne” logo or the blue-white-red colours.  Therefore, beware!

• Firstly, check the internet address (URL) of the site. The URLs of the French administration end with “.gouv.fr” or “.fr”. If the site ends in “.gouv.org”, “.gouv.com” or “-gouv.fr”, it is certainly not an official site. Also, a website ending in.fr is not necessarily an official website and might be owned by a non-French company.
• Before carrying out any administrative procedure, check if it can be done on the official website www.service-public.fr.

Will my ID be checked when entering France?

If you are coming from countries of the European Union or from a third country, identity checks by customs officers can be carried out close to the border between France and a neighbouring country, or on a highway, on a train, or at a port. 

Furthermore, at the airport, when flying to France from a country outside of the Schengen area, there will be checks carried out by the automated IT system called Entry/Exit System (EES). This system registers non-EU nationals who travel to France (and other EU countries) for a short stay. Passport control officers will take a photo of your face and scan your fingerprints and then record it in a digital file. 

Finally, to learn more about how travellers will be checked when entering France, visit the service-public.fr website. 

Should I carry my Visa documentation with me at all times ?

Yes. You should be in possession of your passport with your valid visa.

Addtionally, for more information about identity controls in France, visit the service-public.fr website.

Who can help me if I have a problem?

For any questions you might have about your visa, contact the consulate of your country.

Victims of a fake administrative site can report it in a few clicks via SignalConso.

If you have been unknowingly subscribed to such a site, contact your bank for a possible chargeback procedure.

For all other consumer problems:

• If you live in France, you can receive assistance from a consumers’ association, whose contact information is available on the DGCCRF’s website. You can also report your problem with the hotel operator or the rental property owner on the SignalConso platform.
• If you live in another EU Member State, Iceland or Norway, the European Consumer Centre for your country can assist you. Visit the ECC Network website for its contact information.
• If you live in a non-EU country, contact the embassy or consulate of your country in France or report your dispute on the website econsumer.gov, via the complaint form or contact the members of consumersinternational.org.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.