France visa requirements for Indian passport holders

Check your circumstances

Read these conditions alongside the entry rule. Where official guidance does not state a condition, that is not confirmation that no condition applies.

Passport type Conditions to check

India appears in the visa-required nationality list. This guide covers ordinary passports; official documents and special-status exceptions require separate checks.

Official sources: European Union, hosted by France-Visas.

Trip purpose Confirmed for this scope

The checked route is a tourist visit without professional activity. Work and residence require their own permission.

Official sources: Government of France.

Age Conditions to check

For applications in India, children under 12 are exempt from fingerprint collection; a parent or legal guardian submits the application with a photograph. This is not a visa exemption.

Official sources: Government of France.

Residence Conditions to check

Normally submit in the country where you legally reside. An application elsewhere may be considered if you explain why you could not apply in your country of legal residence.

Official sources: Government of France.

Other visas or residence permits Conditions to check

A valid qualifying Schengen residence permit or long-stay visa can exempt you from a new short-stay visa. An existing short-stay visa must cover France and the planned entries and dates.

Official sources: Government of France.

Carrier and arrival route Conditions to check

Airport-transit permission does not authorize a tourist visit. Leaving the international zone, including to change airports, requires the applicable entry permission; no named-airline rule is stated here.

Official sources: Government of France.

Stay and visa validity Conditions to check

Follow your visa’s permitted days, entry count and validity dates, within the 90-in-180 Schengen ceiling. A multiple-entry visa valid for years does not permit continuous residence.

Official sources: Government of France.

Choose the right application route

Apply through France when it is your only or main Schengen destination. If there is no main destination, the first country of entry decides which country processes the application. The application normally belongs with the consulate responsible for your legal residence.

Start with France-Visas and follow its instructions for your submission country. Prepare your passport, photographs, accommodation, funding, insurance and return plans. For a short stay, the passport needs two blank pages, must be less than 10 years old and must remain valid at least 3 months after your intended Schengen departure.

Official sources: Government of France; Government of France; Government of France; European Commission.

Plan for an appointment and further checks

Completing an online form is only part of the process. Book the required appointment and provide the documents and biometrics requested for your circumstances. Earlier Schengen biometrics may sometimes be reused, but do not assume an appointment or interview is waived.

France-Visas normally gives 15 days for a decision, with up to 45 days in cases needing further examination. Allow time for appointment availability as well. The India submission page accepts applications no earlier than 6 months before departure; use its local instructions if applying there.

Official sources: Government of France; Government of France; European Commission.

Read the visa before booking onward travel

Check the territories covered, number of entries, validity dates and permitted duration on your visa. A visa issued by another Schengen country may cover France; a limited-territory visa may not. Leaving Schengen on a single-entry visa can prevent you from returning on that visa.

A valid Schengen residence permit or long-stay visa can provide an exemption from a separate short-stay visa. Do not treat a visa or residence permit from an unrelated country as the same exception. Family-member routes need their own checks. A Schengen visa does not by itself cover French overseas territories.

Official sources: Government of France; Government of France; European Commission; European Union.

Keep your border documents accessible

Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years before arrival and remain valid for at least 3 months after your planned Schengen departure. Carry evidence of accommodation, sufficient funds, return arrangements and medical insurance, including repatriation cover. Border officers can ask to see these documents even when you do not need a visa.

For a private stay, check the attestation d’accueil with your host before departure. Children need their own travel documents. A child who normally lives in France and leaves without a parent needs separate exit-authorization checks.

Official sources: Government of France; European Union; Government of Canada.

Allow time for border registration

The Entry/Exit System (EES) records eligible short-stay travelers when they cross an external Schengen border. It is a border process, not a visa application. Qualifying residence permits and long-stay visas can change whether it applies.

As checked on November 3, 2026, ETIAS is not operating and applications are not open. Check the official EU update before your trip. EES registration does not create a new stay allowance, and ETIAS will not replace a required Schengen visa.

Official sources: Government of France; European Commission.