Frankreich · Antragsvoraussetzungen

France Visa Anforderungen 2026

Nationals of countries not exempt from the Schengen visa requirement need a short-stay visa (Schengen C, up to 90 days in any 180-day period) for tourism, business, family or short studies in France or another Schengen state. Stays longer than 90 days require a long-stay visa (D), which exists either as a VLS-TS — visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour, equivalent to a 1-year residence permit after online validation — or as a VLS-T, a temporary long-stay visa with no extension. Categories include visitor, student, salarié (employee), passeport talent / carte talent, family reunification, spouse of a French national, and "vacances-travail" (working-holiday) for partner countries. EU/EEA/Swiss nationals do not need a French visa. From the last quarter of 2026, ETIAS will require visa-exempt non-EU travellers to obtain a €20 online travel authorisation before boarding for France; ETIAS does not replace a visa. The EES (Entry/Exit System) is fully operational at French external borders from 10 April 2026, replacing passport stamping with biometric registration.

Ausgestellt von ANTS · Zuletzt geprüft 28. Mai 2026 · Offizielle Quelle ↗

Auf einen Blick

Antragsgebühr

Schengen short-stay visa (C), adult: €90
Schengen short-stay visa, child 6–11: €45
Schengen short-stay visa, child under 6: Free
Long-stay visa (D) — most categories: €99
Student long-stay visa (VLS-TS Étudiant): €50
VFS / TLScontact service fee (per file): Up to €45
VLS-TS validation on ANEF after arrival: €200 standard / €50 student
ETIAS authorisation (from Q4 2026, visa-exempt only): €20

Stand 28. Mai 2026 · Details

Bearbeitungszeit

Schengen short-stay (C) — standard: 15 calendar days
Schengen short-stay — extended checks: 30–45 days
Schengen short-stay — exceptional cases: Up to 60 days
Long-stay student VLS-TS (Campus France route): 2–4 weeks
Long-stay visitor / family: 4–8 weeks
Long-stay salarié / passeport talent (DGEF): 2–3 months
Earliest filing window before travel: 6 months
Latest filing window before travel: 15 working days

Details

Ausstellende Behörde

ANTS

Wer braucht einen France Visa?

Wo beantragen

Applications start on the official France-Visas portal (france-visas.gouv.fr) where you fill the form, get the document checklist and pay the fee. The biometric appointment (fingerprints + digital photo) is then booked with the French consulate of your country of residence or, in most countries, with its outsourced partner VFS Global or TLScontact. Student applicants from the 70+ countries covered by Études en France use the Campus France portal first and are then routed to the consular appointment. Applications must be filed no earlier than 6 months and no later than 15 working days before the planned travel date.

Gebühren

Schengen short-stay visa (C), adult: €90
Schengen short-stay visa, child 6–11: €45
Schengen short-stay visa, child under 6: Free
Long-stay visa (D) — most categories: €99
Student long-stay visa (VLS-TS Étudiant): €50
VFS / TLScontact service fee (per file): Up to €45
VLS-TS validation on ANEF after arrival: €200 standard / €50 student
ETIAS authorisation (from Q4 2026, visa-exempt only): €20

The Schengen short-stay (C) visa fee is €90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6 to 11, and free for children under 6. Foreign spouses of French citizens and family members of EU/EEA/Swiss nationals are exempt. Long-stay (D) visas cost €99 in most categories. The student long-stay visa (VLS-TS Étudiant) benefits from a reduced €50 consular fee. When the file is handled by VFS Global or TLScontact, an outsourcing service fee of up to €45 per applicant is collected on top of the visa fee. After arrival in France, a VLS-TS must be validated on the ANEF portal within 3 months; the validation tax is €200 standard and €50 for students. All visa fees are non-refundable, even if the visa is refused or withdrawn. Fees are payable in local currency at the visa appointment.

Gebühren mit Stand 28. Mai 2026. Bestätigen Sie die aktuellen Beträge vor der Zahlung an der offiziellen Quelle.

Was Sie mitbringen müssen

Dokumente und Unterlagen, die Sie zum Termin oder mit dem Antrag benötigen.

Printed France-Visas application form, signed and dated
Passport valid at least 3 months beyond the planned departure from Schengen, issued within the last 10 years, with at least 2 blank pages
Two recent biometric photos, 35×45 mm, taken within the last 6 months
Travel medical insurance covering the entire Schengen area for at least €30,000 (short-stay) or full 12-month French private health cover (long-stay)
Proof of accommodation: hotel bookings, lease, property deed, or attestation d'accueil from a French host
Round-trip flight reservation or detailed travel itinerary
Proof of sufficient financial means (recent 3-month bank statements; for long-stay around €1,430 net/month; €615/month for students)
Cover letter explaining the purpose of the stay and ties to the country of residence
Category-specific documents: Campus France acceptance + enrolment letter (student), work contract + DGEF authorisation (salarié), marriage certificate + spouse's French ID (family), business invitation (business)
Visa fee paid online or at the appointment (€90 / €99 / €50 depending on category) plus the VFS or TLScontact service fee

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Wie lange dauert es?

Schengen short-stay (C) — standard: 15 calendar days
Schengen short-stay — extended checks: 30–45 days
Schengen short-stay — exceptional cases: Up to 60 days
Long-stay student VLS-TS (Campus France route): 2–4 weeks
Long-stay visitor / family: 4–8 weeks
Long-stay salarié / passeport talent (DGEF): 2–3 months
Earliest filing window before travel: 6 months
Latest filing window before travel: 15 working days

Schengen short-stay visas are decided within 15 calendar days from the appointment in most cases, extendable to 30 days when extra checks are needed and exceptionally to 45–60 days for complex files. Peak season (April–August) routinely pushes Paris-bound files toward the upper end. Long-stay (D) visas take longer: 2–4 weeks for student VLS-TS routed through Campus France, 4–8 weeks for visitor and family categories, and up to 2–3 months for salarié and passeport talent files that require DGEF (Direction Générale des Étrangers en France) work authorisation. Priority appointment slots are available at VFS and TLScontact for an additional fee at most posts. Apply early — France-Visas explicitly recommends submitting at least 3 weeks before departure.

Die Dauer hängt von Standort, Saison und Einzelfall ab. Prüfen Sie vor jeder Reisebuchung den aktuellen Rückstand an der offiziellen Quelle.

Offizielle Quelle

https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/

Zuletzt geprüft 28. Mai 2026

Vor dem Antrag prüfen. Wir stellen diese Informationen aus offiziellen Behördenquellen zusammen und prüfen sie regelmäßig erneut. Gebühren, Bearbeitungszeiten und Regeln ändern sich ohne Vorankündigung — bestätigen Sie aktuelle Angaben immer auf der offiziellen Seite, bevor Sie einen Antrag stellen oder Gebühren zahlen.

Häufig gestellte Fragen

Häufige Fragen rund um den Antrag auf einen france visa.

How much does a French Schengen visa cost in 2026? +

The Schengen short-stay (C) visa is €90 for adults, €45 for children aged 6 to 11 and free for children under 6. If you apply via VFS Global or TLScontact, an additional service fee of up to €45 per file is charged. Foreign spouses of French citizens and family members of EU/EEA/Swiss nationals are exempt. The fee is non-refundable even if the visa is refused.

How long does it take to get a French visa? +

A short-stay Schengen visa is normally decided within 15 calendar days of your biometric appointment, extendable to 30 days for extra checks and up to 45–60 days in exceptional cases. Long-stay (D) visas take 2–4 weeks for student files via Campus France, 4–8 weeks for visitor and family, and up to 2–3 months for salarié and passeport talent files needing DGEF authorisation.

What is the difference between a Schengen C visa and a long-stay D visa? +

A Schengen short-stay visa (type C) allows up to 90 days of travel in any 180-day period across all 29 Schengen states and is meant for tourism, business or short visits. A long-stay visa (type D) is required for stays beyond 90 days in France for work, study, family or retirement. The most common long-stay format is the VLS-TS, which functions as a 1-year residence permit once validated on the ANEF portal after arrival.

Where do I apply for a French visa? +

Start your application on france-visas.gouv.fr — the official portal where you fill the form, get the checklist and pay the fee. The biometric appointment is then booked with the French consulate of your country of residence or, in most countries, with its outsourced partner VFS Global or TLScontact. Students from the 70+ countries covered by Études en France start on Campus France before being routed to the consulate.

Do I still need a visa once ETIAS is launched? +

Yes if you are a national of a country that already needs a Schengen visa — ETIAS does not replace a visa. ETIAS is a €20 online travel authorisation, expected to go live in the last quarter of 2026, that applies only to visa-exempt non-EU travellers (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, etc.) for short stays. Visa nationals continue to apply for a Schengen C visa as before.

What is a VLS-TS and how do I validate it? +

A VLS-TS (visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour) is a long-stay visa that doubles as a 1-year residence permit. Within 3 months of arriving in France you must validate it on the ANEF portal (administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr), upload a French address, and pay a tax of €200 (€50 for students). The validation gives the visa the legal effect of a titre de séjour for one year, after which you switch to a multi-year carte de séjour at your local préfecture.

Can I work in France on a Schengen short-stay visa? +

No — a short-stay Schengen visa does not authorise paid work in France. Employment requires a long-stay visa (VLS-TS salarié, passeport talent, or carte talent) backed by DGEF work authorisation, even for stays under 90 days in regulated cases. Business meetings, conferences and unpaid professional visits are allowed on a Schengen visa; remunerated activity is not.

What happens if my French visa is refused? +

Refusals are notified in writing with a reason. You can file a recours gracieux with the consulate within 30 days, or a recours before the Commission de recours contre les décisions de refus de visa (CRRV) in Nantes within 2 months — this CRRV recourse is a mandatory step before challenging the refusal at the tribunal administratif de Nantes within a further 2 months. The visa fee is not refunded in any case.