How to get a visa to France. What documents are needed for the application.

Embassy of the French Republic in the Republic of Belarus

220030, Minsk, Svoboda Square, 11

Tel.: (+37517)229-18-00, +375 17 210-28-68, +375 17 210-28-68

Web: http://www.ambafrance-by.org/

E-mail: webmestre.by@diplomatie.gouv.fr

Working hours:

• Monday to Thursday from 8.30 to 13.00 and from 14.30 to 18.00
• Friday from 8.30 to 13.00 and from 14.30 to 16.30

Visa

Belarusian citizens must have a visa to enter France, regardless of the duration of their stay, except those who have a valid residence permit allowing them to reside in France.

To obtain a visa, it is necessary to apply to the French Embassy in Belarus and get a Schengen visa, which will be valid for visiting all Schengen zone countries (provided that the main trip is planned in France or it is the first country of visit).

If the main destination country is France, Spain, Norway, Portugal, or Iceland, you can apply for visa documents at the French Embassy.

A Schengen visa allows you to travel within the Schengen Agreement countries. The United Kingdom and Ireland are not part of the Schengen zone.

All documents for a visa application must be submitted in person by the visa applicant. Dossier cannot be sent to the visa department or any other embassy service by mail or fax, unless the visa department asks you to do so.

Procedure for applying to the embassy for a visa

Citizens applying for visa documents must make an appointment in advance. For these purposes, an electronic appointment system is installed at the entrance to the embassy (the system is available during the embassy's working hours).

A minor child must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, who must present the original and photocopy of the identity document.

Then you are invited to go to the visa window for an interview.

After that, you are asked to go to the cashier to pay the consular fee corresponding to the type of visa requested.

Cashier: asks you for your passport, completed application form (that's why it is suggested to fill out the form in advance), your photos, the amount of payment; gives you a receipt corresponding to the amount paid; puts a stamp "visa requested" on your passport.

You return to the waiting room and wait for your file number and the number of the free window to appear on the display screen.

You must submit a complete set of documents to the window, consisting of the documents listed in the information sheet (in the specified order), corresponding to the type of visa.

Visa officer: takes fingerprints (a mandatory action for obtaining a "biometric visa", children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting); marks the supporting documents and notes the missing documents; asks you questions that allow him to form an impression of the file; takes your passport, clarifies when you can come to pick up your passport from the embassy and gives you a blue ticket with the number for passport collection (which must be carefully kept together with the receipt issued to you).

The visa officer does not make the decision to issue a visa or refuse a visa.

The visa department may request additional supporting documents from you that are not included in the reference information in order to more accurately assess your file. If additional consultation is needed to issue a visa, you will be notified by phone and invited to come to the embassy.

In order to pick up your passport at the appointed time, you must go to the entrance of the embassy with your collection ticket and your receipt (the document issued at the time of payment at the cash desk). It is necessary to take into account that with the onset of the summer tourist season, the visa service of the French embassy operates in an overloaded mode. Therefore, those wishing to travel to France, Spain, Norway, Portugal and Iceland need to take care of making an appointment with the visa department in advance. An appointment can be made 3 months before the intended trip.

Document processing period

The period allotted for document review, if your file is complete, is 8 calendar days: submission of documents on the appointed day and passport issuance on the 8th day after lunch (between 16.00 and 17.00 from Monday to Thursday and on Friday from 15.30 to 16.30).

For some citizens or some types of passports, visa requests for which require consultations with the central authorities of the Schengen states, the response is given in about two weeks.

For some types of visas that require verification (for example, children of French nationals) or sending for consultation to the French authorities (visas issued for a period of more than 3 months of stay in France), the response is expected even longer.

A short-term visa for citizens under 6 years of age is issued free of charge. In individual cases, the amount of the mandatory fee may be reduced or canceled in accordance with national legislation.

The visa fee is usually reduced for the following categories of citizens:

Children, schoolchildren, students, graduate students and accompanying teachers traveling for the purpose of study and educational training; specialists going to the European Union for the purpose of scientific research.

General requirements for documents required for a visa application

The embassy reserves the right to request additional documents necessary for a full assessment of your file.

The form must be filled out in Latin letters for each applicant, even if they are underage.

There are two types of forms, depending on the planned duration of stay:

• form for short-term stay (stay or combination of stays not exceeding 3 months within a 6-month period in the Schengen area);
• form for long-term stay (stay longer than 3 months).

The form can also be obtained at the embassy in the visa department.

The form must be completed and signed by adult applicants (over 18 years old). Visa applications for minors must be submitted in a form signed by their parents or legal guardians, who must provide their contact information and attach a copy of their ID. The form includes personal contact details (address, phone number), as well as the name of a contact person in France or the address of the place of residence (hotel or other).

Passport

Since April 5, 2010, due to the entry into force of the new EU Visa Code, each citizen applying for a visa must present a valid document (passport) that meets the following criteria:

• the document must be valid for at least three months after the expected date of departure from the Schengen area or, in case of multiple trips, after the last expected date of departure from the Schengen area;
• the document must have at least two blank pages;
• the document must have been issued more than ten years ago.

Photos

They must show an uncovered head, in full face, the photos must be recent (taken at least one month before submission), in color, on a white background, measuring 3.5 cm by 4.5 cm, with 1 cm between the edge of the photo and the head. In case of a visa request for several persons listed in one passport, photos are required for each, even for children, regardless of their age.

Supporting documents

The visa department takes your supporting documents and returns the originals to you. If a supporting document cannot be attached, leave an explanatory note in the file instead of the supporting document. If the original cannot be attached, a copy must be attached and the agent must be informed about it. It should be noted that some documents must be submitted in original form, such as an invitation, since the embassy must certify the original by stamping it. In addition, the invitation must be submitted in original form and may be requested from you upon entry into French territory. If it is a business trip, the invitation letter from the company or French institution must also be submitted in original form.

Airplane/bus ticket

As a general rule, you must provide detailed round-trip flight or ground transportation reservations, but in some cases, the visa department may request the paid original ticket.

More detailed information on the website: www.ambafrance-by.org