France visa requirements · checked 13 October 2026

Visa & Entry Requirements for France

Q: What documents do I need to enter France?

Passport validity: Service-Public says a foreigner must have a passport issued less than 10 years ago and valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned date of departure. Travel insurance: Service-Public lists, among the conditions a foreigner must all meet when crossing the border, insurance covering medical and hospital costs for care you might receive in France, with minimum cover of €30,000. Return or onward ticket: No official source we could read makes a return or onward ticket a condition of entry in itself. Proof of funds: Service-Public says a foreigner must have sufficient resources, and that the level required per day of stay in France depends on the proof of accommodation: €32.50 with an attestation d'accueil (host certificate), €65 with proof of a hotel reservation, and €120 without proof of a hotel reservation.

Q: How long can I stay in France without a visa?

Up to 90 days for every visa-free passport.

Most travellers need a visa for France: 105 of 198 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate, while 93 passports enter visa-free.

France applies the EU's Schengen visa rules. Under Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, nationals of the third countries listed in Annex II are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, and nationals of those listed in Annex I must hold a visa when crossing the external borders. The EU Visa Code sets the short-stay visa fee at EUR 90, and France-Visas is the official visa website for France. The EU says ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, is currently not in operation.

Check your passport

Your passport

Destination

Passports visa-free

105

Embassy visa required

Do I need a visa for France? Quick answers

Another passport? Use the checker or find it in the table below.

Visa for France — requirements summary

Visa-free: 93 (47%)
Visa required: 105 (53%)

All travellers must meet the entry rules set by France, and they depend on your nationality. Find your passport below — you may be able to enter visa-free, or need an eVisa, a visa on arrival or a visa from an embassy.

Passport	Requirement	Max stay	Details
Afghanistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Albania	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Algeria	Visa required	—	Details →
Andorra	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Angola	Visa required	—	Details →
Antigua and Barbuda	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Argentina	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Armenia	Visa required	—	Details →
Australia	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Austria	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Azerbaijan	Visa required	—	Details →
Bahamas	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Bahrain	Visa required	—	Details →
Bangladesh	Visa required	—	Details →
Barbados	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Belarus	Visa required	—	Details →
Belgium	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Belize	Visa required	—	Details →
Benin	Visa required	—	Details →
Bhutan	Visa required	—	Details →
Bolivia	Visa required	—	Details →
Bosnia and Herzegovina	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Botswana	Visa required	—	Details →
Brazil	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Brunei	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Bulgaria	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Burkina Faso	Visa required	—	Details →
Burundi	Visa required	—	Details →
Cambodia	Visa required	—	Details →
Cameroon	Visa required	—	Details →
Canada	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Cape Verde	Visa required	—	Details →
Central African Republic	Visa required	—	Details →
Chad	Visa required	—	Details →
Chile	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
China	Visa required	—	Details →
Colombia	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Comoros	Visa required	—	Details →
Costa Rica	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Côte d'Ivoire	Visa required	—	Details →
Croatia	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Cuba	Visa required	—	Details →
Cyprus	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Czechia	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Denmark	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Djibouti	Visa required	—	Details →
Dominica	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Dominican Republic	Visa required	—	Details →
DR Congo	Visa required	—	Details →
Ecuador	Visa required	—	Details →
Egypt	Visa required	—	Details →
El Salvador	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Equatorial Guinea	Visa required	—	Details →
Eritrea	Visa required	—	Details →
Estonia	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Eswatini	Visa required	—	Details →
Ethiopia	Visa required	—	Details →
Fiji	Visa required	—	Details →
Finland	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Gabon	Visa required	—	Details →
Gambia	Visa required	—	Details →
Georgia	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Germany	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Ghana	Visa required	—	Details →
Greece	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Grenada	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Guatemala	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Guinea	Visa required	—	Details →
Guinea-Bissau	Visa required	—	Details →
Guyana	Visa required	—	Details →
Haiti	Visa required	—	Details →
Honduras	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Hong Kong	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Hungary	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Iceland	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
India	Visa required	—	Details →
Indonesia	Visa required	—	Details →
Iran	Visa required	—	Details →
Iraq	Visa required	—	Details →
Ireland	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Israel	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Italy	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Jamaica	Visa required	—	Details →
Japan	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Jordan	Visa required	—	Details →
Kazakhstan	Visa required	—	Details →
Kenya	Visa required	—	Details →
Kiribati	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Kosovo	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Kuwait	Visa required	—	Details →
Kyrgyzstan	Visa required	—	Details →
Laos	Visa required	—	Details →
Latvia	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Lebanon	Visa required	—	Details →
Lesotho	Visa required	—	Details →
Liberia	Visa required	—	Details →
Libya	Visa required	—	Details →
Liechtenstein	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Lithuania	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Luxembourg	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Macau	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Madagascar	Visa required	—	Details →
Malawi	Visa required	—	Details →
Malaysia	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Maldives	Visa required	—	Details →
Mali	Visa required	—	Details →
Malta	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Marshall Islands	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Mauritania	Visa required	—	Details →
Mauritius	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Mexico	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Micronesia	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Moldova	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Monaco	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Mongolia	Visa required	—	Details →
Montenegro	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Morocco	Visa required	—	Details →
Mozambique	Visa required	—	Details →
Myanmar	Visa required	—	Details →
Namibia	Visa required	—	Details →
Nauru	Visa required	—	Details →
Nepal	Visa required	—	Details →
Netherlands	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
New Zealand	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Nicaragua	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Niger	Visa required	—	Details →
Nigeria	Visa required	—	Details →
North Korea	Visa required	—	Details →
North Macedonia	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Norway	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Oman	Visa required	—	Details →
Pakistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Palau	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Palestine	Visa required	—	Details →
Panama	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Papua New Guinea	Visa required	—	Details →
Paraguay	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Peru	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Philippines	Visa required	—	Details →
Poland	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Portugal	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Qatar	Visa required	—	Details →
Republic of the Congo	Visa required	—	Details →
Romania	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Russia	Visa required	—	Details →
Rwanda	Visa required	—	Details →
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Saint Lucia	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Samoa	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
San Marino	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Sao Tome and Principe	Visa required	—	Details →
Saudi Arabia	Visa required	—	Details →
Senegal	Visa required	—	Details →
Serbia	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Seychelles	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Sierra Leone	Visa required	—	Details →
Singapore	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Slovakia	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Slovenia	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Solomon Islands	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Somalia	Visa required	—	Details →
South Africa	Visa required	—	Details →
South Korea	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
South Sudan	Visa required	—	Details →
Spain	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Sri Lanka	Visa required	—	Details →
Sudan	Visa required	—	Details →
Suriname	Visa required	—	Details →
Sweden	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Switzerland	Freedom of movement	—	Details →
Syria	Visa required	—	Details →
Taiwan	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Tajikistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Tanzania	Visa required	—	Details →
Thailand	Visa required	—	Details →
Timor-Leste	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Togo	Visa required	—	Details →
Tonga	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Trinidad and Tobago	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Tunisia	Visa required	—	Details →
Türkiye	Visa required	—	Details →
Turkmenistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Tuvalu	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Uganda	Visa required	—	Details →
Ukraine	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
United Arab Emirates	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
United Kingdom	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
United States	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Uruguay	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Uzbekistan	Visa required	—	Details →
Vanuatu	Visa required	—	Details →
Vatican City	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Venezuela	Visa-free	90 days	Details →
Vietnam	Visa required	—	Details →
Yemen	Visa required	—	Details →
Zambia	Visa required	—	Details →
Zimbabwe	Visa required	—	Details →

France visa types, fees and processing times

Schengen short-stay visa

Embassy

Fee: 90 EUR
Max stay: 90 days
Extension: Possible

Under the EU Visa Code, children from six years and below 12 pay EUR 45, and the fee is waived for children under six.

Official application site →

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Armenia visa facilitation agreement

Embassy

Fee: 35 EUR
Max stay: 90 days
Extension: Possible

Article 6 of the EU–Armenia visa facilitation agreement sets the fee for processing visa applications at EUR 35 and waives it for listed categories, including pensioners and children under the age of 12.

Official application site →

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Azerbaijan visa facilitation agreement

Embassy

Fee: 35 EUR
Max stay: 90 days
Extension: Possible

Article 6 of the EU–Azerbaijan visa facilitation agreement sets the fee for processing visa applications at EUR 35 and waives it for listed categories, including pensioners and children under the age of 12.

Official application site →

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Belarus visa facilitation agreement

Embassy

Fee: 35 EUR
Max stay: 90 days
Extension: Possible

Article 6 of the EU–Belarus visa facilitation agreement sets the fee for processing visa applications at EUR 35, and EUR 70 where the applicant has requested a decision within two days and the consulate has accepted; it waives the fee for listed categories, including children under the age of 12. Council Decision (EU) 2021/1940 suspended provisions of the agreement as regards members of Belarusian official delegations and of Belarus's national or regional Government or Parliament, Constitutional Court or Supreme Court.

Official application site →

Schengen short-stay visa — European Union and Cabo Verde short-stay visa agreement

Embassy

Fee: 67.50 EUR
Max stay: 90 days
Extension: Possible

The EU–Cabo Verde visa facilitation agreement as amended in 2021 (Article 5) sets the fee at 75% of the amount charged under the applicable domestic legislation; the European Commission lists €67.50 for applicants from Cabo Verde. Children at least 12 and below 18 years old are charged 50% of that fee, and no fee is collected from children under 12, among other listed categories.

Official application site →

Schengen short-stay visa for Russian nationals

Embassy

Fee: 90 EUR
Max stay: 90 days
Extension: Possible

Standard fee under the EU Visa Code: children from six years and below 12 pay EUR 45, and the fee is waived for children under six. Council Decision (EU) 2022/1500 suspended the EU–Russia visa facilitation agreement in whole as regards citizens of the Russian Federation from 12 September 2022.

Official application site →

Long-stay visa (type D)

Embassy

Fee: 99 EUR

Service-Public says the long-stay visa is required to enter and stay in France for more than 3 months and is most often issued for study, work or family reasons. It says the VLS-TS counts as a residence permit, and that within 3 months of arriving in France you must validate it and pay a tax on top of the visa fee.

Official application site →

Long-stay student visa

Embassy

Fee: 50 EUR

France-Visas lists a reduced long-stay visa fee for students whose application was examined by a Centre pour les études en France; the full long-stay visa fee is €99.

Official application site →

Long-stay visa (VLS-TS) for a Talents residence card

Embassy

Fee: 99 EUR

France-Visas lists €99 for long-stay visas.

Official application site →

Long-stay visa (VLS-TS) for employees on a permanent contract

Embassy

Fee: 99 EUR

France-Visas lists €99 for long-stay visas.

Official application site →

Entry requirements for France

Passport validity

10 years

Service-Public says a foreigner must have a passport issued less than 10 years ago and valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned date of departure.

Service-Public.fr — Un étranger a-t-il besoin d'un visa pour venir en France ?✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Blank passport pages

2 blank pages

Your passport needs at least 2 blank pages.

EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 810/2009 (Visa Code), consolidated 11 June 2024✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Travel insurance

EUR 30,000.

Service-Public lists, among the conditions a foreigner must all meet when crossing the border, insurance covering medical and hospital costs for care you might receive in France, with minimum cover of €30,000. The EU Visa Code requires Schengen visa applicants to hold travel medical insurance valid throughout the Member States for the entire intended stay, with minimum coverage of EUR 30,000.

Service-Public.fr (French government) — Un étranger a-t-il besoin d'un visa pour venir en France ? (border entry conditions)✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Return or onward ticket

No official requirement

No official source we could read makes a return or onward ticket a condition of entry in itself. Under the Schengen Borders Code (Annex I), the supporting documents for journeys for tourism or private reasons include, as regards return, a return or round-trip ticket. The UK government tells British travellers they may be asked at French border control to show a return or onward ticket.

Schengen Borders Code (Regulation (EU) 2016/399), consolidated text — EUR-Lex✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Proof of funds

Service-Public says a foreigner must have sufficient resources, and that the level required per day of stay in France depends on the proof of accommodation: €32.50 with an attestation d'accueil (host certificate), €65 with proof of a hotel reservation, and €120 without proof of a hotel reservation.

Service-Public.fr — Un étranger a-t-il besoin d'un visa pour venir en France ?✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Arrival cards and declarations: EES — Entry/Exit System (biometric registration)

The UK government says that when you travel into the Schengen area for short stays you may need to register biometric details such as fingerprints and a photo, that on your first visit you may be asked to register at a special booth before the immigration desk, and that there is no cost for EES registration. The EU's EES site says passport control officers will take a photo of your face and/or scan your fingerprints.

UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office — France travel advice: entry requirements✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Arrival cards and declarations: ETIAS — European Travel Information and Authorization System

The EU says ETIAS is the new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to enter 30 European countries, that it is currently not in operation and no applications are collected at this point, and that it will announce the start date several months before launch. The official EU site is travel-europe.europa.eu.

ETIAS — Official EU website✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Overstay penalties

3 months

The French government's page on the obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) lists this case: a person entered France lawfully but stayed beyond the validity of their visa, or, if visa-exempt, more than 3 months after entry. A ban on return (IRTF) is imposed after an OQTF if the person stayed in France beyond the 30 days granted for voluntary departure. It lasts at most 5 years from the person's actual departure and bars return to France and to every Schengen country.

Service-Public.fr (DILA, Prime Minister) — Obligation to leave French territory (OQTF)✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

Customs allowances

Your Europe (EU) says that if you plan to enter or leave the EU with €10,000 in cash (or its equivalent in other currencies), you must declare it to the customs authorities in the EU country you are entering or leaving.

Your Europe (EU) — travelling with cash✓ Checked 13 Oct 2026

France visa requirements statistics

198

Passports covered

105

Most common: Visa required

Least common: Visa-free

47%

Visa-free access

Visa-free stays by length

90 days · 63 passports

Understanding France visa requirements

We track the entry rules of France for 198 passports. The most common situation is visa required, which applies to 105 passports (53%). 47% of passports can enter without a visa. The least common is visa-free (93 passports).

Entry categories for France

Visa-free entry: 93 passports can enter without a visa, for up to 90 days.
Visa required: 105 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate.

What else you need to enter France

Passport validity: Service-Public says a foreigner must have a passport issued less than 10 years ago and valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned date of departure.
Travel insurance: Service-Public lists, among the conditions a foreigner must all meet when crossing the border, insurance covering medical and hospital costs for care you might receive in France, with minimum cover of €30,000.
Return or onward ticket: No official source we could read makes a return or onward ticket a condition of entry in itself.
Proof of funds: Service-Public says a foreigner must have sufficient resources, and that the level required per day of stay in France depends on the proof of accommodation: €32.50 with an attestation d'accueil (host certificate), €65 with proof of a hotel reservation, and €120 without proof of a hotel reservation.

Open your passport in the table for the exact rules — maximum stay, fees, how to apply and the official source. Entry rules change at short notice: confirm with the embassy of France or its official immigration website before you travel.

Frequently asked questions about France visas

Do I need a visa for France?

Most travellers need a visa for France: 105 of 198 passports must apply at an embassy or consulate, while 93 passports enter visa-free. It depends on your passport — check yours.

Do US citizens need a visa for France?

No visa is needed for short stays: the United States is listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. The EU says ETIAS, the travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, is currently not in operation; applying directly through its official website will cost EUR 20.

How much does a France Schengen visa cost?

The EU Visa Code sets the short-stay visa fee at EUR 90, and EUR 45 for children from six years and below 12; children under six are exempt. France-Visas lists the same amounts for a Schengen visa. Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 counts short stays as no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.

Is ETIAS required to enter France?

The EU says ETIAS, the new travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers, is currently not in operation and no applications are collected at this point, and that it will announce the start date several months before launch. Applying directly through the official ETIAS website will cost EUR 20.

How do I stay in France longer than 90 days?

Service-Public says that to enter and stay in France for more than 3 months a foreigner must hold a long-stay visa (type D), granted by the French consular authorities. France-Visas lists the long-stay visa fee as €99, with a reduced rate of €50 for students whose application was examined by a Centre pour les études en France. Service-Public says the VLS-TS long-stay visa counts as a residence permit, and that within 3 months of arriving in France you must validate it and pay a tax on top of the visa fee.

Is travel insurance mandatory for France?

Yes. Service-Public lists, among the conditions a foreigner must all meet when crossing the border, insurance covering medical and hospital costs for care you might receive in France, with minimum cover of €30,000. The EU Visa Code requires Schengen visa applicants to hold travel medical insurance valid throughout the Member States for the entire intended stay, with minimum coverage of EUR 30,000.

Do UK citizens need a visa for France?

UK citizens can visit France visa-free for 90 days. Full rules for United Kingdom passport holders.

Do German citizens need a visa for France?

German citizens can live and travel in France freely. Full rules for Germany passport holders.

What documents do I need to enter France?

Passport validity: Service-Public says a foreigner must have a passport issued less than 10 years ago and valid for at least 3 months beyond the planned date of departure. Travel insurance: Service-Public lists, among the conditions a foreigner must all meet when crossing the border, insurance covering medical and hospital costs for care you might receive in France, with minimum cover of €30,000. Return or onward ticket: No official source we could read makes a return or onward ticket a condition of entry in itself. Proof of funds: Service-Public says a foreigner must have sufficient resources, and that the level required per day of stay in France depends on the proof of accommodation: €32.50 with an attestation d'accueil (host certificate), €65 with proof of a hotel reservation, and €120 without proof of a hotel reservation.

How long can I stay in France without a visa?

Up to 90 days for every visa-free passport.

How many countries can visit France without a visa?

93 of 198 passports can enter France visa-free (47%). and 105 need a visa from an embassy.

Data: TravelRequirements.info — Entry Requirements Dataset, AXG Sp. z o.o. (CC BY 4.0) — official sources are linked on each passport page. Gaps filled from the Passport Index dataset (MIT).

Check other requirements

Travelling from France?

Where can France citizens travel visa-free?

France passport holders can visit 126 countries without a visa. Open a country for the exact rules.

Map and full list →