In a major update impacting global travelers and visa applicants, the French visa authorities have announced a new and mandatory procedure for requesting visa appointments at their visa sections worldwide. This change is now in effect and applies to all applicants, whether pursuing a short-stay Schengen visa or a long-stay national visa to France.
What Has Changed?
Applicants must now follow a revised online process to schedule their visa appointments, starting with verifying their visa type via the official Visa Wizard tool. Only those who are confirmed as requiring a visa will be allowed to proceed with booking.
Once confirmed:
- Visit the appointment portal: You must submit your appointment request through the Demarches Simplifiees platform.
- Complete the questionnaire: Provide key details such as: Intended date of travel, duration of stay, purpose of your visit.
Only admissible requests will proceed to the next step. If accepted, the visa section will reach out via email with an appointment date. Important: You must respond to confirm your availability—failing to reply will result in cancellation.
Pre-Appointment Requirements
Before showing up for your appointment:
- Complete your France-Visas application and gather all required documents.
- Bring your printed application form along with all necessary supporting documents.
- Incomplete files will not be processed.
- Identity verification is strict – the individual attending must match the name provided during the appointment request.
Why This Matters?
This new digital-first approach aims to streamline visa operations amid rising demand, ensuring secure identity verification and efficient processing for legitimate travelers. However, it places added responsibility on applicants to carefully follow all steps or risk delays and denial.
Who’s Affected?
This update applies to all nationalities needing a visa to enter France—whether for tourism, study, business, or family reunification. Frequent travelers and international students are strongly advised to begin the process early and double-check all application materials before arrival.