Traveling is an integral part of the life of a modern person. They open the horizon, helping to learn more about the people who live on the planet. But all this just sounds romantic, but actually going on a trip is not so easy, because you need to collect a lot of documents, especially for the countries of the European Union and, in particular, France.
Visa to France: on your own or with the help of a specialized company?
This is probably the first question that arises in the head of a person when he is going to go on a trip to this country. Each option has its pros and cons. Registration through special offices will save time, but the cost of such a service sometimes exceeds the price of the visa itself.
More time is spent on independent paperwork, but this gives confidence that they are all assembled correctly, in addition, no company can apply for a visa without the participation of its customer. Therefore, the choice should be made clearly towards independent design. A visa to France, with proper observance of all the necessary conditions for obtaining it, is done without unnecessary problems.
How much does a visa cost?
A Schengen visa to France, like to other EU countries, costs 35 euros. This amount must be paid at the French Consulate General. You must be very careful not to believe scammers who require an additional fee. The only case when a visa will cost more is when applying 3 days before the trip. In this case, urgent clearance will be required, which will cost 70 euros.
Who is exempted from paying the consular fee?
It should also be remembered that there are certain benefits for certain categories of citizens. The following are exempted from paying the consular fee: participants in sports competitions, children under 6 years of age, persons with disabilities of all groups and their accompanying persons, members of the government and official delegations, students and schoolchildren planning an internship. Also, those who have close relatives in France can be exempted from paying the fee. A detailed list of them and other conditions for exemption from payment can be found at the consulate.
Step one: collecting the necessary documents
Perhaps for some tourists who have traveled to a significant part of Europe, a visa to France has remained unattainable. The documents necessary to receive it must be collected especially carefully and carefully, because this greatly increases the chances of a positive answer. Required Papers:
- The original passport, as well as a copy of its first page.
- Copies of all pages of a passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation.
- Profile.
- Copy of health insurance.
- A document confirming the presence of a place of residence in France. This can be a voucher from a travel company or a hotel reservation, confirmation of a house rental. If the trip is planned to a friend or relative, then there should be an invitation from him.
- Copies of train, plane or bus tickets. In the case of a trip in your own car, you must provide a certificate of registration of the vehicle, insurance and driver's license.
- A document that confirms adequate financial security. This is a very important point that can cause failure. It is best if the document will show earnings of 20,000 rubles per month. Such confirmation may be a salary certificate, a letter from the sponsor, a bank statement, a copy of the 2-NDFL certificate.
- Copy of marriage certificate.
Basic requirements for paperwork
Basic requirements for photographs: good quality and clarity. The background is best white or light gray, and the face should occupy most of the photo. It is best to take pictures in a special photo studio. Specialists working there know all the nuances and requirements for photographs for obtaining a Schengen visa. The photo should be without any damage. The person on her should look straight. From clothes it is better to wear a strict shirt.
A visa to France is not possible without filling out a special application form at the consulate. Very often people with the design of this document have questions. Fill out the questionnaire in French or English. If you do not know them, then it is better to use the help of a translator. This is an important point, because the incorrect filling of a visa to France is a common reason for refusal.
You should carefully consider all points; when filling out the questionnaire, do not rush, but carefully check the completion of each column. In order to find out what questions and columns are in the questionnaire, you can go to the consulate's website and see how the sample is filled. Visa (France) is desirable for many. Serious attitude and compliance with all conditions will make the dream of a trip a reality.
Passport requirements: it must be valid for three months after the expiration of the visa. Those tourists who have already traveled to countries Schengen area and their visas remained in the old passport, they can provide copies of these documents. This will increase the chance of a positive response from the consulate.
The nuances of paperwork when traveling with a child
To travel with a child under the age of majority, you must also take care of some documents. First of all, it must be inscribed in the passport of the parents. When traveling with one of them, the second parent must give written permission to travel.
In addition, it is necessary to prepare a notarized copy of the birth certificate of the child and an extract from the bank of the person sponsoring him. The child and the sponsor must be in family ties This fact must be documented.
Step Two: Register at the Consulate
Before you submit documents to the consulate, you must register there. This can be done by phone or via the website. It’s better to do this using the phone, since with this method there is less chance of misunderstandings and errors during recording. Pre-recording is an optional procedure, but it saves a lot of time. After all, if you come to the consulate without her, you will need to wait in line, which is not very convenient.
In order to find out the addresses and phone numbers of consulates in various cities of Russia, you need to go to the site and see all the necessary data. There are visa centers and consulates in France in all major cities, so there should be no problems with this. You need to submit documents to a special visa center. France is a Schengen country, therefore, the personal presence of a person who needs to request permission to enter the country is necessary.
In this case, there may be an exception. If for any reason the future traveler cannot come to the consulate, an authorized person or relatives can do this for him. But this option is possible when applying for only a short-term visa. And it is absolutely necessary to document that another person has the right to obtain a visa.
Step Three: Submitting Documents
When the documents are collected and the preliminary registration is made at the consulate, all that remains is to arrive there at the appointed time, and preferably a little earlier. In no case should you be late. All necessary documents must be carefully folded into a folder in the order in which they are listed on the consulate's website. Before that, make one copy of all documents.
Everyone who comes to the consulate by appointment is assigned a number. It is necessary to wait until it lights up on a special board, then go to the window indicated on the board. Next, you need to give the documents to the center employee, he can ask a few questions and then prepare everything necessary to pay the consular fee. After that, it is necessary to pay the fee at the cash desk and receive confirmation that the application has been accepted.
After this, you need to wait 5-10 working days until the visa to France is ready. To find out whether a passport is ready or not, you can contact the call center or website, where you can track the readiness of the application by the number issued during the filing of documents.
Step Four: Consulate Interview
This stage is scary for many people, but in fact, if you do not hide anything and be honest, then this is just a formal procedure. You will need to answer some questions. Successfully completed interview - and a visa to France is already in your hands.
Step Five: Getting a Visa
The last step is to obtain an already prepared visa. To do this, you must personally come to the consulate or visa center. Just as in the case of filing documents, this can be done by an authorized person or close relative, if there is documentary evidence.
As you can see, a visa to France is independently issued simply. The main thing is to be attentive to all the requirements for paperwork, to be honest, not to be late. Good preparation for a visa is the key to success.
What could be the reasons for refusing a visa
There can be many reasons. The main ones are errors in paperwork. They can also refuse if there are debts on loans or taxes. Inadequate financial support is a common cause. Therefore, before submitting documents, it is necessary to carefully check their compliance with the requirements. And if something happens, make sure that the consulate employees do not have any questions.
