Short stay visa (Schengen visa).

1. What is a "Schengen visa" ?

A Schengen visa, also called "C" visa, is a short stay visa (up to 90 days by semester) valid for the 25 States member of the Schengen agreement :

Therefore, you don’t need to apply twice when you travel to 2 or more different Schengen countries.

To be able to apply at the Consulate general of France, you must of course visit France.

If you intend to visit only one Schengen country, you must apply at the Consulate of that specific country.

If you intend to visit several Schengen countries, you must apply at the Consulate of the country where you are going to stay the longest.

If you intend to visit several Schengen for the same amount of time, you must apply at the Consulate of your first entry.

Duration of stay : you may stay up to 90 days in the "Schengen space" with such a visa.

2. Do you need a visa to visit France as a tourist?

• YES YOU NEED A VISA IF you are a citizen of the following countries even if you hold a US Permanent Resident Card ("Green Card")
  
  

  Afghanistan	Albania	Algeria
  Angola	Armenia	Azerbaidjan
  Bahrein	Bangladesh	Belize
  Benin	Bhutan	Belarus
  Bolivia	Bosnia	Botswana
  Burkina Faso	Burma	Burundi
  Cambodia	Cameroon	Cape Verde
  Central Africa	Chad	China
  Colombia	Comoros	Congo
  D.R. Congo (ex-Zaïre)	Cuba	Djibouti
  Dominica	Dominican Republic	Ecuador
  Egypt	Equatorial Guinea	Eritrea
  Ethiopia	Fiji	Gabon
  Gambia	Georgia	Ghana
  Grenada	Guinea	Guinea Bissau
  Guyana	Haiti	Hong Kong (except S.A.R.)
  India	Indonesia	Iran
  Iraq	Ivory Coast	Jamaica
  Jordan	Kazakhstan	Kenya
  Kirghizistan	Kiribati	Kuweit
  Laos	Lebanon	Lesotho
  Liberia	Libya	Macao (except S.A.R.)
  Macedonia*	Madagascar	Malawi
  Maldives	Mali	Marshall Islands
  Mauritania	Micronesia	Moldavia
  Mongolia	Montenegro*	Morocco
  Mozambique	Namibia	Nauru
  Nepal	Niger	Nigeria
  North Korea	Oman	Pakistan
  Palau	Palestine	Papua
  Peru	Philippines	Qatar
  Refugees	Russia	Rwanda
  Solomon	Samoa	Saudi Arabia
  Senegal	Serbia*	Sierra Leone
  Somalia	South Africa	Sri Lanka
  St Lucia	St Thomas	St Vincent
  Sudan	Surinam	Swaziland
  Syria	Tadjikistan	Taiwan
  Tanzania	Thailand	Togo
  Tonga	Trinidad & Tobago	Tunisia
  Turkey	Turkmenistan	Tuvalu
  Uganda	Ukraine	United Arab Emirates
  Uzbekistan	Vanuatu	Vietnam
  Yemen	former Yugoslavia	Zambia
  Zimbabwe

  
  *Biometric passports holders of Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia are no longer required to obtain a visa for stays under 90 days.
  

  • NO, if you hold a passport issued by a country NOT listed above, you do not need any visa to enter France for tourism, business or family visit.
    
    However, if the purpose of your trip is NOT tourism, business or family visit then you may still be required to get a visa before your departure please email us. Note that not needing a visa for France does NOT necessarily mean that you do not need one to visit the other Schengen countries.

  
  

  Citizens from the following countries: USA, Australia, Brasil, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea and Venezuela are no longer required to obtain a short stay visa for work, provided they hold a valid work authorization at the time of their travel.

  3. How to make an appointment?

  The visa section is open to the public on an appointment basis, with no walk-ins allowed. No appointment will be given at the counter, by e-mail or by phone.

  Each applicant (children included) has to appear personally at the Consulate and should have his own appointment.

   

  IMPORTANT: When you book your appointment online, please make sure to WRITE DOWN YOUR REFERENCE NUMBER (starting with HOU20… ) appearing in the first pop-up window. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE AN EMAIL CONFIRMATION AND THAT THE CONSULATE WON’T CONFIRM YOUR APPOINTMENT. REMARKS IF YOU CANNOT PRINT YOUR CONFIRMATION RECEIPT IT IS NOT A PROBLEM. Simply show up on the date and time of your appointment. If you need to book another appointment for the same person because you made a mistake, you will have to change one piece of information (for example replacing the passport number by 00000) while booking it.

  Applicants arriving late will not be accommodated and must reschedule their appointments.

  Minor applicants have to be accompanied by their mother or father or legal guardian at the personal interview.

  Click here if you are ready to book an appointment.

  4. Processing time

  Processing time depends on your citizenship :
  
  

  15 days is the average processing time if you are a citizen from :
  
  

  Afghanistan	Algeria	Bahrain
  Bangladesh	Belarus	Burma
  Burundi	Congo DRC	Egypt
  Indonesia	Iran	Iraq
  Jordan	Kazakhstan	North Korea
  Kuwait	Lebanon	Libya
  Mauritania	Nigeria	Oman
  Pakistan	Palestinians	Philippines
  Qatar	US Re-entry permit	US Refugee travel doc
  Rwanda	Saudi Arabia	Sudan
  Surinam	Syria	Yemen
  United Arab Emirates	Vietnam	Zimbabwe

  
  

  It takes 2 to 3 days for others. (India, China, Colombia….)

  Applications cannot be processed more than 3 months ahead of time.

  5. Requirements

  Please provide us with the original + 1 copy of each document. The visa section does not make any copies, you must bring your documents and the required copies. Please do not staple the documents together PLEASE NOTE THAT IF DOCUMENTS ARE MISSING IN YOUR APPLICATION, THE ISSUANCE OF THE VISA WILL BE DELAYED AND YOU MAY HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE CONSULATE

  
  

  1. Original passport or travel document (+ ONE COPY of the identity pages). Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago, be valid for at least three months after your return to the US and have at least 2 blank visas pages left.
     
     
  2. Processing fees: by credit card (Visa, Mastercard) or the exact amount in cash only. Personal checks or American Express are not accepted.
     
     
  3. 1 short stay application form filled out completely and signed by the applicant.
     
     
  4. One ID picture
     
     
  5. A valid U.S. permanent residence card ("green card") or a valid US visa with valid I-94 / valid I-20 (+ ONE COPY) , or an Advance Parole document.
     We do NOT accept applications from B1/B2 visa holders. They must apply in their country of residence
     For Camerounese citizens willing to enter Germany, please note that you must present a valid Camerounese Identity card.
     
     
  6. Proof of socio-professional status (if you are working) :
     • letter of employment in the U.S confirming your salary, hire date, position and dates of vacation (business registration if self employed)
     • and your last 2 payslips
     • or letter from your school or university confirming your enrollment status, attendance and expected graduation date
       
       
  7. Proof of financial means : your last 2 bank statements
     
     
  8. Your travel itinerary : you MUST BOOK your airline ticket but do not purchase until the visa has been approved.
     
     
  9. Proof of medical coverage abroad : a letter from your insurance company stating that you are covered abroad or a travel insurance to be purchased from a travel agency (minimum amount of 50,000 US$). If you do not have medical coverage abroad, please note that such insurance may be purchased online.
     
     
  10. Proof of accommodation :
      • Confirmed hotel reservations for your entire stay in the Schengen states
      • or a letter from your travel agent stating that you are part of a tour.
      • or, if you are staying with friends or family, original of "Attestation d’accueil " that your host has to request at the City Hall (Mairie) in France
      • For a business trip: please also provide a letter from your employer in the US or from your host company in France stating that you are in France on behalf of the company, giving the name and address of the contact person(s) in France and guaranteeing full responsibility for expenses, lodging, and return to the United States
        
        
  11. If the applicant is under 18 years old and travelling without his parents:
      • notarized copy of his (her) birth certificate
      • a notarized parental authorization from both parents allowing their child to travel to France or from the parent exercising full custody of the child according to the divorce decree.
      • if you are divorced : certified copy of divorce decree stating that you have full custody of the child(ren).
        
        
  12. If you cannot come back to the Consulate, a self-addressed prepaid envelope (EXPRESS MAIL, UPS but no Fedex) You may use one envelope per family if you buy `flat rate`
      
      Fill out as follows :
      
      

  FROM:
  CONSULATE GENERAL OF FRANCE 777 Post oak blvd , Suite 600 HOUSTON, TX77056

  TO:
  Your full name Your address

  6. Important information

  • The consular administration has full authority to evaluate and request more documents than those submitted by the applicant.
    
    
  • Please be aware that submitting the aforementioned documents does not guarantee the approval of the visa.
    
    
  • Please note that holders of Schengen visas are still subject to immigration control upon first entry into a Schengen country. The visa itself does not grant the right to enter the Schengen space.
    
    

    
    

    If you still have any question, please contact the visa section at the following e-mail address : visas.houston-fslt@diplomatie.gouv.fr