France is a diverse and multifaceted country. Someone goes here for romance, someone for shopping, someone likes architecture, and someone likes local cuisine. The list is almost endless. Everyone can find something interesting for themselves. The capital of France is the city of Paris. Here you can walk along the Champs Elysees, admire the masterpieces in the Louvre, climb the Eiffel Tower and see Notre Dame with your own eyes. However, you need a visa to enter an EU country. You can fly to Paris only if you have a Schengen!
Types of visas
There are two main types of visas to France: short-term and long-term. Let's consider each type in a little more detail.
- A short-term visa, also called a Schengen visa, is issued for a period not exceeding three months. With such a visa, you can visit not only France, it allows you to enter other states that are part ofarea of the Schengen agreement. It is divided into three categories. A type such as A or B is a transit visa. Paris with this category is only a city where a transfer is made. It should be noted that Russians do not need such a visa. Type C is suitable for those who visit the country for tourism purposes, visiting relatives or friends. In addition, this type of visa is needed for business travelers, however, with one clarification: the purpose of the business trip cannot be commercial.
- Those who are going to the country of Victor Hugo and Alexandre Dumas for more than three months will need a national visa. You need to go to Paris with this if you plan to stay here for a long time or move. Getting a visa of this category is more difficult than a Schengen visa, and it will take more time. However, this is quite natural.
The national visa has many subspecies, they depend on the purpose of entry into the country. This is, for example, a student or work visa. In Paris, you may need a visa of this category even if you plan to study the language. There is an extensive list of documents for obtaining a national visa. However, Russians do not often use the right to receive it, so we will only consider the rules for obtaining a Schengen visa.
When to start clearance?
You already know that you need a visa to Paris. The next question that worries travelers is when to apply for a Schengen visa? It is worth doing this no earlier than three months before the trip and no later than a week before it.
Documents required to obtain a Schengenvisas
The package of documents required for obtaining a visa depends on the purpose of the trip. The standard package includes:
- application (we will consider the rules for filling out the questionnaire below);
- foreign passport (its validity should not expire earlier than 90 days after returning to the Russian Federation);
- two OACI/ISO compliant photos;
-
he alth insurance (by the way, it is the same for all Schengen countries), the amount of coverage of which should start from 30 thousand euros;
- copy of internal passport (please note that absolutely all pages must be copied!);
- tickets or booking confirmation if you are going to France by train, bus or plane;
- driver's license, auto insurance and vehicle registration certificate (needed for those who have planned a road trip);
- financial security documents - a 2NDFL certificate from the place of work, a confirmed salary certificate, an extract from a savings or bank account, a credit card account will do (you can provide both one document confirming financial security, and several at once).
If a student needs a visa to Paris, he will need to provide, among other documents, his student ID and a sponsorship letter from his parents.
But the most important document required to obtain a "Schengen" is the one that indicates the purpose of the trip. For tourists, this is a hotel reservation or a letter from a travel company, which indicates the purpose of the trip. Visitors will need an invitation. If the purpose of the trip is business, you will need to provide an official invitation.
More accurate information can be found on the official website of the Consular Section of the French Republic in Russia.
Correct filling in the form
You have decided which visa to Paris you need and are already familiar with the list of required papers. What to do next? Fill out the form! You can do this on a computer or manually. When entering personal data, you should be as careful as possible - after all, even one missing letter can cause a visa denial! Please note that the application for a visa to France must be completed in French or English. After writing the application, you should carefully check the signatures in all the right places.
Visa to Paris for Russians: processing time
If you applied through the Consulate of France or the visa center, the processing time for the "Schengen" will be 10 days. However, if the specialists decide to clarify the compliance of the documents, this period may increase up to 30 days.
You can issue a document in three days. There is a fast track. But it can also be delayed if the provided package of documents is in doubt or requires confirmation.
Usually travel companies make Schengen in 6-14 days. This period depends on which visa is needed. There are also a number of companies thatready to make the coveted Schengen literally in one day. This is possible thanks to established relations with the Consulate.
Cost
According to official data, the cost of Schengen is 35 euros (for reference: on 2017-22-04 the euro/ruble exchange rate is 60.6 rubles). This amount may vary depending on where the visa is issued. For example, at the visa center it is possible to order additional services for which you will have to pay extra. A Schengen visa to Paris will cost more if you need urgent processing. It can cost several thousand euros! The price of specialized companies starts from 200 euros.
Schengen for kids
Many parents want to arrange a real holiday for their children. For example, take the child to Disneyland Paris. In order for a joint trip to France not to become a problem, you need to get detailed and objective information about whether children need a visa to Paris.
The Schengen area countries are attentive to children entering the countries. It is worth noting that children under the age of fourteen cannot travel unaccompanied by adults. They must be accompanied by parents or close relatives, guardians or group organizers.
Documents for "Schengen" for children
The package of documents for obtaining a visa for children is slightly different from the list that adults need to provide. The first document is a statement. It must be completed in duplicate, signed by the parent. Need photos, copiesRussian passports of the parents or guardians of the minor. In addition, you must provide the original and a copy of the birth certificate, a certificate from the educational institution, medical insurance (as for an adult, the amount of coverage should not be less than 30 thousand euros). Another important document is a travel card.
In the event that a child goes to France without parents, he will need proof of solvency. To do this, you need to provide:
- sponsorship letter (note: only one relative can be a sponsor!);
- document that confirms the relationship between the sponsor and the minor;
- papers confirming the financial viability of a person acting as a sponsor.
Basic mistakes
Refusal to obtain a Schengen visa is rare, but quite probable. There are certain reasons why they may be denied.
- The main reason is the provision of knowingly false information.
- Fake documents can be the basis for being blacklisted by all Schengen countries.
- Wage too little or too little to travel.
- No insurance.
- Undocumented purpose of visit.
Schengen visa denied
If you are still among those "lucky ones" who were denied a visa, do not despair. First, the rejection stamp always contains information about the reason. And secondly, you can appeal thissolution: for this, it is enough to file a complaint with the country's Foreign Ministry.
If the reason for the refusal was the suspicion of a desire to immigrate, you should re-collect the entire package of documents and add evidence to it that you need a visa to Paris solely for tourist purposes. Gather certificates of ownership of real estate and cars, business documents or the presence of elderly relatives or dependent children!
