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France visa guide

France Short-Stay Visa Application: France-Visas + TLScontact Explained

Two websites, one application. Here is how the official France-Visas form and the TLScontact visa centre fit together for a short-stay (Schengen) visa, and what to check at each stage.

Published · Updated · 6 min read

Applicants for a French short-stay visa often find themselves juggling two websites: France-Visas, the official visa website of the French government, and the site of the visa application centre where they hand in their file. In many countries that centre is run by TLScontact. Knowing which site does what, and in which order, removes most of the stress from the process.

Two systems, two jobs

StageWhere it happensWhat it is for
Find out which visa you needFrance-Visas (Visa Wizard)Visa type, supporting documents and amount to pay, based on your situation
Fill in the applicationFrance-Visas (personal account)The official application form, which produces a receipt and the final form to print
Book the appointmentVisa application centre website (often TLScontact)A time slot to hand in your file and give biometrics
Lodge the applicationVisa application centreDocuments checked and collected, photo and fingerprints taken
DecisionFrench consulateThe consular services examine the file and decide

France-Visas states that visa application centres are usually run by a service provider, while the consular services remain fully responsible for processing and deciding on applications. In other words, TLScontact (where it is the provider) collects your file; France decides. Whether TLScontact or another provider serves your area depends on the country and city where you apply, so check the France-Visas page for your country of application.

TLS Helper is not affiliated with TLScontact, France-Visas or the French authorities. We are an independent service that helps applicants complete these steps.

Is a short-stay visa the right one?

A uniform Schengen short-stay visa covers stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period, for purposes such as tourism, visiting family or friends, or a business trip. Longer stays, study programmes and work usually call for a different visa category with different documents. The European Commission offers an online short-stay calculator if you travel often and need to check how many days you have left.

France is the right country to apply to when it is your only destination in the Schengen area, or your main destination by length or purpose of stay. If your trip has no main destination, you apply to the country whose external border you cross first. Getting this wrong is one of the common application mistakes we see.

Step 1: Use the France-Visas Visa Wizard

Start with the Visa Wizard on France-Visas. Based on what you enter (nationality, place of residence, purpose and length of stay), it tells you the type of visa you need, the supporting documents to provide and the amount to pay. Treat this list as your master checklist. Requirements can vary by nationality and country of application, so the list for you may differ from a friend's.

Some France-Visas country pages add local rules, for example that documents must be in French or English or come with a translation. Read the page for the country where you are applying.

Step 2: Complete the online application

Create a personal account on France-Visas with your email address. The account lets you save a partially completed application and come back to it, which is useful if you need to look up details such as a hotel address or an inviting person's information.

Tips for the form itself:

  • Copy your name, passport number and dates exactly as they appear in your passport.
  • Use travel dates that match your bookings, insurance and leave letter. Dates that disagree across documents invite questions.
  • Choose the purpose that genuinely matches your trip, because it determines the documents you will be asked for.
  • Once the application is complete, France-Visas gives you the list of required supporting documents. Keep it.

Step 3: Book your TLScontact appointment

Next, book an appointment at the visa application centre that serves your area, following the link from France-Visas. Where the provider is TLScontact, you create an account on the TLScontact website for France in your country, enter your details and pick a slot.

Timing matters. France-Visas indicates that a short-stay visa application can be submitted from six months up to two weeks before departure, which matches the EU rule that a Schengen application may be lodged no more than six months before the trip and preferably at least 15 calendar days before. In busy seasons, booking early is the best protection against a slot that comes too late.

Our step-by-step guide on how to book a TLScontact appointment covers the booking screens, rescheduling and how to avoid appointment resellers.

Step 4: Prepare and print your file

France-Visas asks you to bring the printed receipt and the final, signed application form (the CERFA form). Two details catch people out:

  • The form must be the final version. A printout that still shows the word "DRAFT" is not accepted.
  • Every document listed on your receipt must be in the file. France-Visas warns that a missing document can lead to refusal.

Bring your passport, copies of its identity pages and the supporting documents, plus the appointment confirmation if your centre requires it. For what each document proves, see Schengen visa documents explained and our document guide.

Step 5: Attend the appointment and give biometrics

At the centre, staff check and collect your file and record your biometric data: a photo and fingerprints. France-Visas indicates that biometrics are collected for applicants aged 12 and over, in line with the EU rule exempting children under 12 from fingerprinting. Fingerprints given for a Schengen visa within roughly the last five years can normally be copied from your previous file.

Service fees charged by the centre, and any optional extras, are separate from the visa fee set by France. Check the amounts that apply to you on France-Visas and on your centre's page; we do not quote them here because they vary and change.

Step 6: Track your application and collect your passport

After lodging, you can follow your application and you will be told how and when to collect your passport, or receive it by courier where that service exists. Under the EU Visa Code, a decision should be taken within 15 calendar days of the application being lodged, and this can be extended up to 45 calendar days in individual cases, for example when further scrutiny is needed. These are legal deadlines, not guarantees for any individual file, so plan your travel with a margin.

If the visa is refused, you receive a standard form giving the reasons and explaining how to appeal and within what time limit.

Quick checklist

  • France is your only or main destination (or your first point of entry if there is no main one).
  • Visa Wizard completed and document list saved.
  • Online application completed; names and passport number checked against the passport.
  • Passport valid at least three months beyond your planned departure from the Schengen area, issued within the last 10 years, with at least two blank pages.
  • Appointment booked at the right centre and city, ideally well over 15 days before travel.
  • Final application form printed without "DRAFT", signed, with the receipt.
  • Every supporting document from the receipt in the file, plus copies.
  • Travel medical insurance covering the whole stay and the whole Schengen area.

Prefer to do it all yourself, privately? The Privacy PDF Guide walks you through each screen. Prefer to hand it over? Our VIP package includes filling in the France-Visas form as well as the TLS application, appointment and document advice: compare the packages.

Sources

Information checked in October 2026; always confirm with the official consulate or TLS centre for your country.

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