Romantic beauty France is European-style strict in matters of visa policy. To visit it, citizens of Russia and the CIS need a Schengen visa, which can be applied for at the Visa Application Centers of France in the cities of the Russian Federation. Requirements – unified “general Schengen”: the stock of the validity of the passport – 3 months, booking a ticket, hotel and documents confirming financial solvency. Submission is possible only by prior appointment online. According to COUNTRYAAH, France is a country that starts with letter F.
Tourist visa to France: general information
| Do they give multivisa? | give at least 3 months |
| Term of receipt | from 6 working days; but in fact – about 10-15 days |
| Validity limit | 3 months from the end of the trip |
- The cost of a regular visa: 35€
- Express Visa: 70€
- Visa fees: 30€
Types of visas
There are 4 main categories of visas to France:
- airport type A;
- transit type B;
- Schengen type C for short trips up to 90 days;
- national type D for long visits.
Type C visas allow you to travel, visit friends, go on business trips (not generating direct income), participate in conferences, sports and cultural events. Their separate subspecies are visas by invitation, issued according to similar rules with the only difference: documents about the inviting person legally residing in France must also be attached to the standard package.
If there are already several expired visas in your passport, you can apply for a multiple entry visa for a period of 3-5 years.
For transit, separate visas of type A (stay within the airport) or B (up to 5 days of free movement around the country) are required. You need to plan connections more carefully: for example, Orly airport closes at night, so if the transfer is scheduled for the next calendar day, you will have to apply for a B visa.
The national visa D gives the right to stay in France for 6 months with the possibility of extension, officially study or work. It can be issued at the visa departments of the French consulates at the embassy in Russia, while Schengen is issued at any visa center. Long-term visas can be guest, student, work, work for temporarily seconded, for language learning and other purposes.
Applying for a visa yourself
Documents for all types of short-term visas are accepted at the Consulate General and Visa Application Centers of France. They can be submitted by passport holders, close relatives (with proof of kinship) or accredited travel agencies.
The exception is the Visa Application Center in Moscow, where you can submit documents through a proxy by filling out a special application form on the website of the consular department.
At the Visa Center in Moscow, documents are accepted by appointment by phone or on the website of the Visa Center. Papers can be submitted from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 16:00, the issuance of ready-made visas is from 9:00 to 18:00. Registration to the Consulate General is also carried out by calling the Moscow Visa Center.
The copies attached to the set of documents are made each on a separate sheet of A4 format. All applicants applying for a visa (in person, through their immediate family or a third party) must independently complete and sign the Consent to the processing of personal data. Consent for children under 18 is signed by a parent or legal representative.
France visa documents
Required documents for obtaining Schengen category C:
- international passport
Original passport, valid for at least 3 months at the time of the intended return, plus a copy of the first page with the photo and data of the applicant, as well as pages with marks about the entered children (if any). You should also provide old passports with expired visas;;
- Copy of the national passport
Need a copy of the first page and the page with registration and other notes;
- Questionnaire
Downloaded from the website of the visa application center and completed in French or English;
- Photo
2 recent color photographs 35×45 mm in size (see photo requirements below);
- Receipt
On payment of the consular fee;
- Copies of tickets
Originals and copies of round-trip tickets (or printed booking confirmation with a copy), for car trips – international driver’s license, vehicle registration certificate and insurance;
- Copy of hotel reservation
If the purpose of the trip is tourism, a confirmation of the hotel reservation (original, fax or printout from the Internet) and its copy are required. Also accepted for consideration are tour confirmations issued by the tour operator and certified by the seal of the company and the signature of the manager, or documents confirming ownership in France, or a rental agreement. The itinerary list will also not hurt, where the upcoming movements will be scheduled, including in other states.
- Help from the place of work
Certificate of employment with the prescribed position and salary;
- Bank statement
The statement must be fresh, not older than 6 months. Certificate from the place of work 2-NDFL, for entrepreneurs – documents on registration and accounting with the tax service, for students – a certificate from the university and a student card, for pensioners – a copy of a pension certificate, for the unemployed – a sponsorship letter and information about the sponsor;
- For students, schoolchildren
A certificate from the place of study, a sponsorship letter with a photocopy of the sponsor’s civil passport, a certificate from work / an extract from the sponsor’s account (issued according to the general rules);
- Medical insurance
Medical insurance valid throughout the Schengen area and for the entire duration of the trip (the amount of insurance coverage is not less than 30,000 EUR);
- For transit
When applying for a transit visa type B, accommodation reservations and tickets are also required, and airport A can be obtained along with a visa to the final destination, indicating France as the transfer country. Holders of a valid multi-Schengen visa do not need a transit visa;
- For a private visit: invitation and/or proof of kinship
the original and a copy of the invitation from the French side (Attestation d’accueil), certified by the mayor’s office of the city where the inviter lives, are required. To visit close relatives who are French citizens or have a residence permit and permanently reside in the country: the original and a copy of the invitation from relatives (not certified anywhere); originals and copies of documents confirming kinship (birth certificates, marriages, divorces, name changes, etc.); a copy of an identity card of a citizen of the European Union (for France – carte d’identite) or a residence permit for a citizen of the Russian Federation permanently residing in France.
- For national visa
Applicants for a visitor national visa D will have to fill out an OFII form and 2 questionnaires, provide 3 photographs, a general passport and international passports, acts of civil status (certificates of birth, marriage, divorce, etc.), diplomas, certificates of employment, confirmation of living conditions in France and financial solvency, as well as a letter of motivation and an insurance policy with civil liability protection.
From September 14, 2015, fingerprints are required to obtain a Schengen visa. Biometric data is valid for 5 years, after which the procedure will have to be repeated.
Photo Requirements
Color photos of 35×45 mm should be taken no earlier than six months before the submission of documents. The background is light, even, without any shadows and spots, the paper is matte, the complexion is as natural as possible.
Facial expression – without a smile and other emotional manifestations, all features are clearly visible, no foreign objects: glasses with glare or tinted glasses, hats, bandages.
The size of the head from crown to chin is 32-36 mm. The head should be in the center, the ears are open, the face is fully visible. The gaze is directed directly into the lens, head tilts are not allowed. There should be 3 mm (+/- 1 mm) from the top of the photo to the top of the photo.
The length of the head from chin to crown is approximately 30 mm (70-80% of the area). The photo is taken from the front, the gaze is directed to the camera, there is no smile.
Visa processing for children
To travel with a child, you must provide:
- original and copy of birth certificate;
- questionnaire filled out by the parent;
- 2 photos of standard size;
- in the case of leaving with one of the parents – a notarized power of attorney from the other, except in cases where the parent and child submit documents at the same time, or the parent provides confirmation of the presence of a valid Schengen;
- when leaving with a third party – a power of attorney, the consent of the accompanying person and signed copies of parental passports;
- for children over 14 years old – their own passports.
Consular fee – 35 €
The consular fee is 35 EUR and is paid in rubles at the current bank rate immediately upon submission. In addition, a service fee for processing documents at the visa centers in the amount of 30 EUR is charged. The prices on the page are for September 2022.
The consular fee for applicants for a national visa is about 120 EUR. In order for the application for Schengen to be considered urgently, you will need to pay 70 EUR.
Children under 6 years of age, persons with disabilities, applicants under 25 years of age traveling to study, French teachers and some other groups of entrants are exempted from paying the consular fee. A processing fee will be charged in any case.
Processing time
In Moscow and St. Petersburg, Schengen is issued on average in 6 working days, if the documents do not require special verification. Sometimes the process drags on for a month or more, in which case applicants are usually called in for an interview for clarification. In the regions, the procedure takes from 10 working days. The standard time for issuing an express visa is 3 business days.
Visas to France in 2019
If the documents are collected and submitted correctly, the chances of failure are minimal. The most common reasons for visa refusal are false information in the application form, expired documents, a criminal record, problems with the law during previous trips abroad, or suspicions that the applicant intends to work illegally in France.
The French make negative decisions for Russians only in 1.5% of cases.
Blank pages in the passport are also a reason for doubt: if you have never been abroad, it is better to start with more loyal countries. But experienced travelers can safely count on a multivisa for a period of 1 year, and with a rich visa history – up to 5 years.
