You may click here to check if you need a visa.
A Schengen visa (Type C) is a visa issued by one of the member countries of the Schengen Area and is valid for a short stay, limited to 90 days within any 180 days period, only for Schengen countries. European competence to receive and issue such visas is made by the consulate of the country of destination. In case of a trip in multiple Schengen countries, the main destination is determined by the purpose of the trip or duration of the stay. Professional reasons for a stay in a Schengen country outweigh its jurisdiction on the grounds against tourism, family or private visit in another state.
A national long stay visa (Type D) is only valid for an establishment or a stay of more than 90 days in the country which issued the visa. The national visa allows, however, transit through other Schengen countries and for some (long stay French citizen’s spouse, workers, students or visitors), it also allows traveling freely throughout the Schengen area.
Please check What does my sticker visa mean?
The TLScontact application procedure, established in conjunction with the Embassy and Consulates General of France in China, aims to receive applicants in better conditions, handle visa applications and assist the Embassy and Consulates General of France in China in processing applications in a timely manner.
For more information, please click on Jurisdiction.
The Embassy and Consulates General of France in China are competent to process visa application from residents in China.
Visa application from non-residents (including Chinese nationals who live in another country), can only be accepted if applicants provide supporting evidence for not being able to lodge the application in their country of residence due to urgent and unforeseen reasons.
You hold an official Chinese passport: diplomatic, service, PAP
For applicants holding a diplomatic / service / public affairs passport: when the visa application form is completed, please print it out, sign it and hand it to the Chinese authority in charge of your visa application together with the other documents in your file, according to the indications given to you by the competent authority.
The Consular Affairs Office (if the application is filed in Beijing) or the Waiban (if the application is filed in a Consulate General other than Beijing) will make an appointment for you with the relevant Consulate. For the follow-up of your application, please contact the consular affairs office or the waiban, depending on where your application was submitted.
You hold an offical passport but not a Chinese citizen
Official passport holders with a nationality other than Chinese must complete the form, print it and sign it. The form will be attached to the necessary documents. The appointment with the consulate of your place of residence is managed by TLScontact, by clicking on this link. Applications must be submitted to the embassy or consulate general and not to TLScontact.
Short stay visa: You may only submit your visa application in 6 months (9 months for seamen) before your scheduled date of arrival in Schengen area/French Overseas(DROM-CTOM).
Long stay visa: You may only submit your visa application in 3 months before your scheduled date of arrival in France.
Please plan your visa application as far in advance as possible.
To apply for a visa, you should first register on our website, and then follow the instructions provided. For more details about the procedure, please click here.
Please notice that citizens of some countries are exempt from the requirement for a visa to enter the Schengen Area for a short stay or transit. For further reference, please click here.
A valid Chinese residence permit (not less than 6 months of validity) is mandatory for a foreigner to apply for a Schengen visa at the Embassy of France in Beijing. Holders of a Chinese visa with single or multiple entries are not allowed to apply for any visa except for airport transit visa.
All visa applicants have to provide their biometric information when applying for a visa, including long stay visa applicants. This includes a digital finger scan of 10 fingerprints and a photograph. The finger scan procedure uses an electronic scanner. In order to ensure acceptable finger scans, please make sure that your fingertips are free from any form of decoration or cuts. Your digital photograph must be taken with full face. Wearing contact lenses altering the appearance of your eye is strictly prohibited during the biometric data capture (color contact lenses, magnifying contact lenses). For more information on the biometric enrolment process, please refer to the Biometric data capture section.
Further information on the data protection in VIS is available on the following link.
Please follow this link to find information about Visa refusals and appeals.
Only the original documents which must be stamped by the Embassy or Consulate of France will be sealed in an envelope together with applicant’s passport and be returned to Visa Application Center.
The original documents that should be returned are generally as follows:
If you have submitted an above-mentioned original document, please check, when you pick up your passport, if the original document has been duly returned and stamped by Embassy/consulate. In case of any problem, please contact immediately customer service staff of Visa Application Center.
If you have chosen EMS service for passport delivery, please contact our call center (click here to contact us), upon reception of EMS, by indicating Reference No of your application and the original document which was not returned or stamped.
Note: Mandatory original documents according to document lists (including notarial certificates legalized or not by MFA or local foreign affairs office, working certificate, invitation letter, etc.) as well as original bank fixed deposit certificate or certificate of tax submitted voluntarily by applicant/representative are archived by French Embassy/consulate, will therefore not be returned to applicant.
Yes, the Consulate may request you to provide additional documents or informations, according to your personal situation, even after you have submitted your application at TLScontact. Please note that any additional document, which is not required in the basic list according to your type of visa, must also be accompanied with a certified translation into either English or French if it is in any other language.
Every foreigner should be in a position to produce to the Immigration Officer the following supporting documents:
Travellers who cannot provide these supporting documents can be refused entry into the Schengen area, even if they’re holding valid visas. They will have to go back to their starting point by the next available flight.
For more information:
The «Code de l’entrée des étrangers et du droit d’asile» includes the following articles pertaining to entry into France (The “Légifrance” website provides the full updated text):
Passports can be collected in TLScontact Visa Application Centres during the opening hours to the public through below ways:
Collection in person
When your passport is ready to be collected, you will be notified online on your personal account page and by SMS notification, informing you to come to the TLScontact centre with:
Collection by representative
Representative may retrieve your passport on your behalf with the documents listed below:
Collection for minor applicant by legal guardian or representative
1. Collection by legal guardian:
2. Collection by a representative of legal guardian:
In case of collection way or representative change before passport collection
Return by courier
Personal appearance is mandatory for all visa applicants, unless you are exempted from biometric data capturing.
Personal appearance exemption conditions:
This rule does not apply to long stay visa applicants and applicants visiting the DROM-CTOM. Applicants have to go through the biometric data capture step for any new long stay visa and any new visa to visit the DROM-CTOM, even if they already submitted their fingerprints for a previous visa application. Therefore the applicant has to appear in person.
If you are exempted from biometric data capture, a representative can apply on your behalf. The representative has to provide a signed letter of authorization (Please click here to download) with complete and correct information as well as the original and copy of his /her ID card. The representative cannot be a minor.
You can find more detail information on how to take an appointment on TLScontact website here.
TLScontact supports the latest versions of these browsers:
Make sure your browser is up to date and get into the habit of installing software updates whenever they are available.
Internet Explorer (IE) 11 was released in 2013, and no feature updates released by Microsoft in years, which puts this browser behind others in terms of its ability to support new technologies. While Microsoft will continue to provide support for users of IE 11 for a few more years, the new default browser is Microsoft Edge.
Before applying for a visa you must make sure that your passport is valid.
It is advised that you do not apply for a visa on a passport issued for multiple persons (e.g. parent and children together).
The photograph required for any visa application must be:
For more information, please visit the link here.
In the eventuality that you need to provide a recent compliant photograph to complete your application, a self-service photo booth is at your disposal inside the Visa Application Centre. For more information, please click here.
Due to a regulation of the European Union (Decision 2004/17/CE of December 22nd 2003), there is a requirement to hold travel insurance, which is a compulsory document. The travel insurance should be:
Your travel insurance must be valid with a minimum cover of 30,000 EURO in order to face any expenses that may arise in connection with your repatriation for medical reasons, urgent medical attention or emergency hospital treatment. The insurance coverage should cover the first period of your stay in Schengen area ( this point does not remove the requirement of the obligation of presenting an insurance for subsequent trips, as the periods indicated on application form) . Please kindly note that the visa holders have the obligation to present such insurance on each of their trips.
A self-service insurance desk is available in TLScontact for the applicants who wish to purchase Schengen insurance for their visa application. Insurance products offered by the website meet Schengen insurance requirements. For more information, you are invited to visit the Travel health insurance page. Service provided by third party.
Biometric data already collected for a Schengen visa are valid for 59 months from the date the biometric data capture was done. If you have already provided your biometric data for a previous successful Schengen visa application with one Schengen country, then you do not need to come in person to submit them again if you apply for a new Schengen visa, even with a different Schengen country. You will only have to provide the visa sticker number and photocopy of the visa as a proof during the new visa application procedure. The VIS is a common database to all Schengen countries. After expiry of 59 months, you have to provide fingerprint scans again. You can view the list of Schengen countries here.
This exemption does not apply to long stay visa applicants and applicants visiting the DROM-CTOM. Applicants have to go through the biometric data capture step for any new long stay visa application, even if they already submitted their fingerprints for a previous visa application.
Yes. If you got a refusal to a short or long stay visa application and your biometric data had been collected during the application process, you still have to come in person and submit your biometric data again for any new visa application.
There are 3 cases of exemption:
Minors aged strictly under 12 years old on the day of the application submission do not have to provide their biometric data and therefore do not have to appear in person. Minors aged between 12 and 18 have to come in person to the visa center and provide their biometric data on the day of the application (or following day for ADS applicants). They can choose to submit their application by a representative, and the letter of authorization must be signed by at least one parent or a legal guardian.
No. The submission of the complete application and the fingerprint data capture form a unit and cannot be separated temporally for a non-ADS application. The biometric data collection (fingerprint and photo) is a simple and discrete electronic procedure in the visa application center. It takes only a few minutes. Apart from that, the visa application procedure remains the same. With the introduction of VIS, there are neither changes in the application form nor competence regulations nor changes in fundamental requirements for the issuance of visas.
No, because the data belong to different databases. Fingerprints provided for a national visa application cannot be used for a Schengen visa application.
No, because the data belong to different databases. Fingerprints provided for a Schengen visa application cannot be used for a national visa application, even if that country is part of the Schengen area.
VIS is a system for the exchange of visa-data between Schengen countries for the issuance of Schengen visas. If fingerprints have been previously provided for a visa application to the US or UK, the fingerprints cannot be used for the Schengen visa application.
Please click here to obtain the list of Chinese travel agencies which have accreditation to organize trips to French Polynesia or Reunion Island for a duration of less than 15 days.
The Schengen Area is composed of 26 countries.
The five other European Union Member States still outside the Schengen Area are the Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia.
The following is the list of countries that are currently members of the European Union:
France includes several territories that are outside the European continent, with varying legal statuses and levels of autonomy.
If you are going to a DROM or CTOM the visa fee may be different, please see the visa fees section.
The requirements for a short stay in a DROM and CTOM are the same as for a Schengen visa. You may not apply more than 90 days prior to your departure.
The Schengen visa does not grant entry to a DROM or a CTOM, unless mentioned otherwise on the visa sticker. If you are planning to go to a DROM or a CTOM, you must clearly state it at the time you apply.
Requirements for a long stay in the DROM or CTOM are the same as for a long stay visitor visa. Please note that the processing time can take up to 6 months for CTOM.
*Please note that Saint Martin, Saint Barthélémy are under the DROM visa regime, and the visa fee for those destinations is the equivalent of 60 Euros.
**Since March 31st,2011, Mayotte has changed its status from CTOM to DROM. However, Mayotte is still under the visa regime of a CTOM.
The Embassy and Consulates General of France in China are competent to process visa application from residents in China. Visa application from non-residents (including Chinese nationals who live in another country), can only be accepted if applicants provide supporting evidence for not being able to lodge the application in their country of residence due to urgent and unforeseen reasons.
Applications processed by TLScontact
By agreement with the Embassy and the Consulates of France in China, applicants for the visas listed below could apply at TLScontact Visa Application Centres:
The accredited entity may contact TLScontact Visa Application Centre via email by providing the entity’s full name and contact details in order to get a special account for accredited entity. Please note that only email requests relevant to the applications of accredited entities will be processed.
| Consular zone | |
|---|---|
| Beijing | comp.bjs2fr@tlscontact.com |
| Shanghai | comp.sha2fr@tlscontact.com |
| Guangzhou | comp.can2fr@tlscontact.com |
| Chengdu | comp.cng2fr@tlscontact.com |
| Wuhan | comp.wuh2fr@tlscontact.com |
| Shenyang | comp.she2fr@tlscontact.com |
N.B. The TLScontact procedure is not compulsory. Applicants may also submit their applications directly to the Embassy and Consulates General of France in China with prior appointment through TLScontact call centre. The estimated time to get an appointment is 20 days.
Applications processed directly by the Embassy and Consulates General of France in China
For the visa types listed below, applicants should apply directly at the Embassy and Consulates General of France in China after booking an appointment through TLScontact call centre.
For more information on Opening hours & Addresses of the Embassy and the Consulates General of France in China, please visit La France en Chine.
A Schengen visa is required when staying in the Schengen Area for up to 90 days.
A Schengen visa is granted in the form of a sticker affixed to the passport, travel document or other valid document that entitles the holder to cross the border between Schengen countries. Possession of a Schengen visa does not confer automatic right of entry. Entry will only be granted if the other conditions laid down by the Schengen Convention are met, i.e. the justification of the purpose and conditions of the trip, minimum amount of funds travelers must have at their disposal and the possession of valid travel insurance.
With a Schengen visa, you may enter one country and travel freely throughout the Schengen Area. It is issued to citizens of countries who are required to obtain a visa before entering the Schengen Area.
A Schengen visa allows the holder to travel freely within the Schengen Area for a maximum stay of up to 90 days in any 180 days period. If you wish to stay longer than 90 days you will need a national long stay visa or a residence permit.
Short stay visa allows the traveler, assuming all other conditions are met, to enter the territories of any Schengen country to pay a single continuous visit or multiple visits, the duration of which does not exceed 90 days in any 180 days period. A short stay visa can be issued for either single entry or multiple entries into the Schengen zone.
If you plan to stay in France for more than 90 days, you should apply for a long stay visa.
In this instance your nationality does not exempt you from requirements. Whatever the duration of your planned stay, the duration of your long-stay visa must be between three months and one year. In order to extend your stay beyond the period of validity of your visa, you must apply for a residence permit at a prefecture.
During its period of validity, the long-stay visa is equivalent to a Schengen visa, enabling you to move around and stay in the Schengen Area outside France for periods not exceeding 90 days over any period of 180 consecutive days, under the same conditions as if you held a Schengen visa.
You remain in the airport’s international zone while waiting for the transfer flight to your final destination, and your final destination is located outside the Schengen area.
Please click here to check if you must apply for an “A” airport transit visa (ATV)
The Consulate may ask you to justify the date you returned to China by appearing personally at the Consulate and producing the following papers:
Not appearing at the Consulate, or not producing the requested papers when requested to do so, will be taken into consideration by the Consulate if a new application is submitted by the same person or mentioning the same host.
Please follow this advice:
DIRECCTE (ex D.D.T.E.F.P.) are the initials for "Direction régionale des Entreprises, de la Concurrence, de la Consommation, du Travail et de l’Emploi", which is responsible for work and professional training regulation and authorization.
List of DIRECCTE (ex D.D.T.E.F.P.).
Every foreigner should be in a position to produce to the Immigration Officer the following supporting documents:
Travellers who cannot provide these supporting documents can be refused entry into the Schengen area, even if they’re holding valid visas. They will have to go back to their starting point by the next available flight.
For more information:
The «Code de l’entrée des étrangers et du droit d’asile» includes the following articles pertaining to entry into France (The “Légifrance” website provides the full updated text):
The “Convention d’Accueil” (formerly known as “Protocole d’Accueil”) (specimen) is an official document obtained from the local police station of your host research institute in France and is similar to a working contract. This document is mandatory for scientists who wish to go to France for the purpose of scientific research. It allows the scientist to apply for a “scientist visa” and, if the stay is longer than 90 days, to obtain a residence permit which mentions “scientist”.
You have just been issued a long-stay visa serving as a residence permit enabling you to legally stay in France.
Within the first three months following your arrival, you must register and validate your visa at the following address: https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/
This quick and simple process will ensure that you are registered as a legal resident in France in order to complete your relocation. For more information, please click here.