Useful information - La France en Inde / France in India

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U sefulinform ation
Visa applications cannot be accepted if submitted more than three months before the date of the planned trip (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ
/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2009:243:0001:0058:EN:PDF) .
To be accepted, the visa application form must be signed.
The visa application is an administrative file. Only documents printed on a single side of a fresh sheet will be accepted. (Sheets with one side already printed with other matter
will not be accepted.)
The visa application must be submitted with all required documents. Submission of the listed documents does not guarantee a visa. Additional documents may be asked
during the visa processing. All the documents must be translated in English or French. No documents will be returned, so please submit photocopies only (unless originals are
asked by the Visa Section). Applicant could be requested to sit an interview at VFS center in Nepal. Visa information is subject to change without prior notice.
The Visa Section does not entertain Attestation daccueil (cerfa n 10798*03 (http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F2191.xhtml) ) that are directly sent to it.
From the 16th of June 2014, providing an hotel booking for a visa application is no longer required. However, Schengen visa applicants will still have to mention the address
where they intend to live during their stay in the visa application form.
Moreover, every foreigner should be able to present the followings documents on arrival at a French border :
1. Proof of Residence in France :
a) for a touristic stay: valid hotel reservation (in case there is no hotel reservation, the passenger will have to provide means of subsistence higher than 120 Euros multiplied
by each number of days and persons, children included, during their stay in the Schengen area, with the payment means specified in point 2) or registration with an organized
travel agent ;
b) for a professional stay: letter from the employer, invitation from a French Organisation,
c) for a private stay: attestation daccueil signed by the host who proposed to provide accommodation during the stay ;
2. Proofs of the means of subsistence in France (cash money, travellers cheques, valid international credit card,);
3. Return guaranty to the country of origin (Air ticket,).
Photos submitted with the application form must adhere to the prescribed format. Kindly check the photo specifications here (http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/IMG
/pdf/sample_photos_france.pdf) .
Before embarking on your trip in the Schengen Area, inform yourself about the countries you intend to visit. The French consular services cannot be held responsible for the
lack of preparation in your trip.
You have been issued a long-stay visa. On your arrival in France, you lose your passport in which the visa has been issued. Immediately contact the diplomatic and
consular representation (http://www.mfe.org/index.php/Annuaires/Ambassades-et-consulats-etrangers-en-France/) of the country whose nationality you hold. It is this
representations duty to take care of you and will guide you in the formalities you will need to complete.
Delays in processing short-stay visas:
In keeping with Article 23 of European Regulation (EC) N 810/2009 of 13 July 2009, decisions on short-stay Schengen visa applications are given within 15 calendar days from
their submission date. However, insofar as feasible, the Visa Section of the Embassy of France endeavours to issue the visas as swift as possible.
Characteristics of the Schengen circulation visa.
How to read a visa vignette/sticker (http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/getting-a-visa/article/what-does-my-sticker-visa-mean)

How to read a Schengen visa vignette/sticker (http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/en/coming-to-france/getting-a-visa/article/what-does-my-sticker-visa-mean) .

The French consular services in India cannot, under any circumstances whatsoever, be held responsible for any incident that may occur during your trip to France and the
Schengen Area.
In this regard, it is recalled to travellers that the adoption of measures for border checks and surveillance at borders external to the European Union adhere to the aim of
maintaining and developing a space of freedom, security and justice. Since the Treaty of Amsterdam, these issues come under the competence of the EU (http://europa.eu
/legislation_summaries/justice_freedom_security/free_movement_of_persons_asylum_immigration/l14514_en.htm) . Travellers should abide by these measures.
You are therefore requested to respect the laws of each European State that you visit. The traveller alone is responsible for ignorance of and failure to respect the law. The
Schengen visa that has been issued to you is necessary but not sufficient to visit France. When you arrive at French immigrations, apart from your valid passport bearing a visa
( except nationals qualifying for visa waiver) you should be in a position to produce the following documents:
1. Supporting documents for your stay in France (for touristic purpose: Attestation daccueil, Hotel reservation, subscription to a package tour etc; For professional purpose:
Invitation letter from French organisation, Attestation letter from employer )
2. Financial proof of subsistence in France (cash, travellers cheque, valid international credit card)
3. Guarantee of return to your country of origin (confirmed air ticket, etc)
In application of decree n 2008-1176 (http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr
/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=B7476248E462A1F3330F77BBF2149198.tpdjo06v_1?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000019761791&categorieLien=id)
applicants must submit their applicants at the consulate of their habitual residence.

of 13 Novermber 2008, visa

If you are on a brief trip in or transiting through India or Nepal;

If you are domiciled in India or Nepal, but habitually live abroad;
If you are an Indian or Nepali national but reside abroad;
The same decree (http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do;jsessionid=B7476248E462A1F3330F77BBF2149198.tpdjo06v_1?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000019761791&
categorieLien=id) is applicable to you.
Foreigners living in Nepal must show their Non-Tourist Visa.
Indians living in Nepal must provide a copy of their Indian Registration Certificate.

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Useful information - La France en Inde / France in India

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http://www.ambafrance-in.org/Useful-informations

Your visa application must be submitted to the French consular representation under which your habitual residence falls.
Further, should you be residing illegally abroad, this will not be accepted as an argument for the French consular services in India or in Nepal to process your application.
Obligation to take in insurance policy compliant with European Union regulations:
Nationals from a third State to the European Union, European Economic Area, or from Switzerland, irrespective of whether they require a visa to enter the Schengen Area, must
mandatorily take a travel medical insurance policy of not less than 30,000 Euros. The policy must cover medical and hospitalisation expenses for the entire period of valid stay
on Schengen territory as well as repatriation costs. You must mandatorily contract an insurance policy that fulfils the abovementioned criteria prior to your departure.
Recourse if your Schengen visa application is rejected:
If your short-stay Schengen visa application is rejected, you will receive a written reply on the reasons guiding such decision.
The Schengen visa that has been issued to you is necessary but not sufficient to visit France. When you arrive at French immigrations, apart from your valid passport bearing
a visa (except nationals qualifying for a visa waiver), you should also be in a position to produce the following:
supporting documents for your stay in France (if visiting for touristic purposes: hotel reservation, subscription to a package tour, etc.; for professional purposes: attestation letter
from employer, invitation letter from a French organisation, etc.; for a private trip: "Attestation daccueil" issued by the competent French Town Hall signed by the host who will
provide the applicants accommodation).
financial proof of subsistence in France (cash, travellers cheques, valid international credit card, etc.).
guarantee of return to your country of origin (confirmed air ticket, etc.).
Reminder: A Schengen visa does not authorise you to enter a French overseas department or autonomous territory.
What is the Schengen Area?
The list (http://vosdroits.service-public.fr/F2712.xhtml) of the 22 Member countries of the European Union who are signatories to the Convention implementing the Schengen
Agreement: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden. Please see the Schengen Area Map (http://www.ambafrance-in.org/IMG/pdf
/carte_espace_schengen-7.pdf) .
Reminder: Foreigners with nationalities that either mandatorily require them to obtain short-stay visas or are exempt from this requirement may not stay on Schengen territory
for more than 90 days per semester with effect from their date of first entry in the Schengen Area.
Main legal texts
The procedures for the examination of applications and issuance of visas are governed by various European and national texts. Certain specific visas are also governed by
bilateral agreements or specific codes.
The main texts are:
European Union law
Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:42000A0922%2802%29:en:HTML)
Council Regulation (EC) No 1683/95 of 29 May 1995 laying down a uniform format for visas (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ
/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31995R1683:EN:HTML)
94/795/JHA - Council Decision of 30 November 1994: travel facilities for school pupils from third countries resident in a Member State (http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ
/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31994D0795:EN:HTML)
Community Code on Visas (http://ec.europa.eu/justice/index_en.htm)
French law
Law on the entry and stay of foreigners and right to asylem-CESEDA (Code de lentre et du sjour des trangers et du droit dasile) (http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr
/affichCode.do?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006070158&dateTexte=20090717)
Law of 22 August 2001 on the creation of a digitised personal information processing system for the issuance of visas in diplomatic and consular posts
(http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000771780&dateTexte=&fastPos=1&fastReqId=2082220374&oldAction=rechTexte)
It would be useful for applicants of a long-stay visa for the purposes of carrying on a commercial/ industrial activity or handicrafts production or a long-stay visa skilled worker
residence permit to refer to the French commercial code (Code franais du Commerce) (http://droit-finances.commentcamarche.net/legifrance/3-code-de-commerce) .
Visa applicants under the salaried workers category may consult the French labour code (Code du travail) (http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr
/affichCodeArticle.do;jsessionid=F68369FC89C3824AE2D0A72F899FEA87.tpdjo10v_2?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006072050&idArticle=LEGIARTI000006648426&
dateTexte=20100330&categorieLien=cid#LEGIARTI000006648426) .

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