The French tourist visa is available for 3 months and can be issued to foreigners from non-EU/EEA countries. This is also a Schengen visa that allows visits to other Schengen areas without any border controls. Our immigration lawyers in France are here to help foreign citizens obtain a French tourist visa, handling all the requirements involved.
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Documents for obtaining a French tourist visa
With the help of our immigration attorneys in France, foreign citizens who want to apply for a tourist visa, which is available for 3 months, will receive all the needed support in terms of formalities and documents. Here is what you need to know about the tourist visa application for France:
- A valid passport issued within the previous 10 years is a mandatory request.
- The visa application form must comprise personal information (name, birthplace, country of residence, marital status, children, etc.).
- Proof of the return ticket is solicited by the French authorities.
- The purpose of the visit and stay in France must be comprised of a cover letter.
- A travel visa insurance must have a coverage of at least EUR 30,000.
- A copy of the marriage certificate is needed.
- One should prove he/she has sufficient funds for the entire stay in France. Specific bank statements are required.
- 2 photos will also be solicited.
These are the main tourist visa requirements for foreigners who want to visit France. It is recommended to have the legal support and assistance of one of our French immigration attorneys, so feel free to talk to us and get help for all the formalities.
What can I do with a French tourist visa?
Being the same thing with a Schengen visa, a French tourist visa allows you to freely visit other Schengen countries where there are no border controls and therefore, no restrictions. This is a great benefit that comes with a French tourist visa, the free movement among countries part of the Schengen area. It is forbidden to accept a job or a paid project while staying in France with a tourist visa. In this case, specific visas and work permits are required, so you should get in touch with our French immigration lawyers for legal advice.
Do I need bank statements for a tourist visa?
Yes, providing bank statements for the last 6 months is solicited by the immigration authorities in France, as part of the visa application, Such documents will prove that you have sufficient funds to stay in France for 3 months, as long as the tourist visa permits.
What happens if I want to stay for more than 3 months in France?
If you intend to stay for more than just 3 months in France, but you only have a tourist visa, you will have to apply for a long-stay visa or a visitor visa as it is called. This kind of visa allows you to stay up to 6 months (temporary long-stay visa) or for 12 months for which a residence permit is needed.
Accommodation in France – What you need to know
Staying in France for 3 months with a tourist visa means booking accommodation for this period. It is recommended to search in time for a place to stay in France, as such a task might be a little complex. Some property owners might not agree with a short-term rental or some might solicit the payment for the entire stay in France. These are important circumstances that you should pay attention to at the time the visa application process starts. Instead of dealing with the bureaucracies for French tourist visas, you should ask for the legal support of our immigration lawyers in France. This way, you can make sure you provide the necessary documents and then look for accommodation in France.
Given the short stay during their vacation, tourists in France are not concerned with residency matters. However, suppose you visited France and have questions about how you may return to the country for study, employment, or business purposes. In that case, our team can answer any questions about residency in France. You can reach out to us as soon as you decide to relocate and need to gather the permit-specific documents.
We can also advise on how to apply for French citizenship.
Immigration in France – short details
The migration policies for France continue to change and improve, due to the current political and economic situation in the country and in the world, even if the country never closed the borders for immigrants and asylum seekers. The following facts and figures offered by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies in France highlight the immigration direction of France:
- approximately 66 million is the population of France, according to statistics revealed in January 2019;
- there were more than 6.5 million immigrants registered in France in 2018;
- around 110,000 foreign citizens gained French citizenship in 2018;
- there are more than 3,231,000 valid residence permits.
- Persons interested in obtaining a French tourist visa are invited to contact our team of immigration lawyers in France for legal advice and assistance. We can also represent our clients who want to appeal a visa rejection or who want to solve different immigration issues.
Tourists enamored with French culture could consider relocating to the country altogether. Finding adequate employment or business opportunities is one of the most common options and it allows the foreign national to apply for citizenship in France once he has lawfully lived in the country habitually for at least five years. Other conditions apply and our team of immigration experts can answer these if you are interested in acquiring French nationality.