How to Get a Visa to Travel to France
- 1). Determine if you actually need a visa for your visit to France. Citizens of the United States traveling to France for tourism or business purposes do not need a visa for stays of fewer than 90 days. You will need a valid passport for entry into France.
- 2). Determine where you will need to apply. The French Embassy has seven consulate locations throughout the United States. See Resources below for a list of locations and mailing addresses.
- 3). Call your local consulate and ask if it requires an in-person visa appointment or if you can apply by mail. If you do not live close to a consulate, you should be able to apply by mail. If it requires you to be there in person, make an appointment and bring the documents listed in Step 6.
- 4). Fill out and sign the long-stay application form if you will be traveling to France for a visit longer than 90 days and up to 1 year. The application form is provided in Resources below. You will need to provide information including your personal contact information, details on the purpose of your visit and how long you plan to stay in France.
- 5). Fill out the credit card authorization form to pay the application fee of $125. The form is provided in Resources below. Visa and Mastercard are the only acceptable payment methods for the application fee.
- 6). Mail three copies of the completed application form, the credit card authorization form and your valid passport plus two copies, three passport photos, three copies of proof of health insurance, three copies of your most recent bank statement, three copies of a police document stating you have no criminal record, three copies of a personal statement declaring you will not be accepting paid work in France and a prepaid return envelope via FedEx or Express Mail to the address of the consulate you located in Step 2.
- 7). Wait for your long stay in France visa to be sent to you in the mail. If you apply in person, the visa will also be mailed to you.
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