Indian passport · France
Do Indian passport holders need a visa for France?
In brief
Yes. Indian passport holders need a visa for France, arranged before travel.
France visa fee for Indians: The Schengen visa fee, set by EU rules, is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12; visa centres may charge an extra service fee. Official fee. Source: European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs, checked .
France visa processing time for Indians: Normal processing is 15 days and can be extended to up to 45 days if the application needs a closer look or more documents. Source: European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs, checked .
LIST OF THIRD COUNTRIES WHOSE NATIONALS ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN POSSESSION OF A VISA WHEN CROSSING THE EXTERNAL BORDERS OF THE MEMBER STATES
European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025)
Checked 6 Nov 2026Source: European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025)Report a change
Independent reference, not a government website. We don't issue visas or sell visa services.
ContentsIn brief
At a glance
| Access | Visa required |
|---|---|
| Stay | A Schengen visa allows short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.2 |
| Validity and entries | Not stated by the official source |
| Official fee | The Schengen visa fee, set by EU rules, is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12; visa centres may charge an extra service fee.2In India the French visa fee is set in euros and paid in rupees at the chancery exchange rate; it is not refunded if the visa is refused.31 more below |
| Official processing | Normal processing is 15 days and can be extended to up to 45 days if the application needs a closer look or more documents.2In the UAE, residents of every emirate, Dubai included, lodge French visa applications at the VFS Global centre in Abu Dhabi, and the visas are processed only by the consular section in Abu Dhabi; the Consulate General in Dubai has had no visa service since 2019.10 |
| Where to apply | Residents of India who travel mainly to France apply at any VFS Global centre of their choice: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kochi, Chennai, Mumbai, Puducherry or Pune.3 |
Do Indians need a visa for France?
The European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025) lists India among the countries whose nationals need a visa before they travel.
“LIST OF THIRD COUNTRIES WHOSE NATIONALS ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN POSSESSION OF A VISA WHEN CROSSING THE EXTERNAL BORDERS OF THE MEMBER STATES”
Conditions and exceptions
Indian nationals with a Master's or higher degree (from any country) who studied at least one semester in France can get a multiple-entry short-stay visa valid up to 5 years, applied for at VFS; it does not allow work or job search.
Indian nationals who have obtained a Master's or higher degree, regardless of the country in which the degree was obtained (France, India, or a third country) and regardless of the year in which the degree was obtained, provided that the applicant has studied for at least one semester in France during their university studies (including before obtaining their Master's degree). Only alumni of Indian nationality may apply for this visa through a VFS centre. [...] You will be issued a multiple-entry short-stay visa with a maximum validity of 5 years. [...] This visa does not allow you to work in France or look for a job.
Campus France India · checked
France visa types for Indians
A Schengen visa allows short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs · checked
How to apply from India
Residents of India who travel mainly to France apply at any VFS Global centre of their choice: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kochi, Chennai, Mumbai, Puducherry or Pune.
France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government · checked · read from an archived copy of 23 Apr 2026Visa applications lodged in India are examined and decided only by the French consulates in Mumbai, Puducherry, Kolkata and Bengaluru and the visa section of the French Embassy in Delhi.
France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government · checked · read from an archived copy of 23 Apr 2026France-Visas asks holders of Indian passports born in India to lodge a short-stay application at least 5 days before departure, and never more than 6 months before.
France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government · checked · read from an archived copy of 23 Apr 2026The French Embassy in New Delhi covers Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and Nepal.
Embassy of France in India · checkedThe Consulate General of France in Mumbai covers Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu.
Consulate General of France in Mumbai · checkedThe Consulate General of France in Bengaluru covers Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, with a Bureau de France in Hyderabad.
Consulate General of France in Bangalore · checkedThe Consulate General of France in Pondicherry covers Kerala, Tamil Nadu, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Puducherry, with a Bureau de France in Chennai.
Consulate General of France in Pondicherry · checkedThe Consulate General of France in Kolkata covers West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim and the north-eastern states (Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura), and Bhutan.
Consulate General of France in Kolkata · checked
How to apply from the UAE
Indian citizens who live in the UAE:
In the UAE, residents of every emirate, Dubai included, lodge French visa applications at the VFS Global centre in Abu Dhabi, and the visas are processed only by the consular section in Abu Dhabi; the Consulate General in Dubai has had no visa service since 2019.
France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government · checked · read from an archived copy of 27 Feb 2026For a short-stay visa from the UAE, France asks applicants to get their appointment at least 3 months before departure and to allow at least 15 days for processing.
France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government · checked · read from an archived copy of 27 Feb 2026
Fee
The Schengen visa fee, set by EU rules, is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12; visa centres may charge an extra service fee.
European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs · checkedIn India the French visa fee is set in euros and paid in rupees at the chancery exchange rate; it is not refunded if the visa is refused.
France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government · checked · read from an archived copy of 23 Apr 2026In the UAE the French visa fee is paid only in dirhams (AED), and VFS Global charges a non-refundable service fee of EUR 30.33 per application, paid online in AED when booking.
France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government · checked · read from an archived copy of 27 Feb 2026
These are government fees as the official sources state them. Agencies add their own service fees; those are not visa fees, and we don't list them.
Processing time
Normal processing is 15 days and can be extended to up to 45 days if the application needs a closer look or more documents.
European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs · checkedIn the UAE, residents of every emirate, Dubai included, lodge French visa applications at the VFS Global centre in Abu Dhabi, and the visas are processed only by the consular section in Abu Dhabi; the Consulate General in Dubai has had no visa service since 2019.
France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government · checked · read from an archived copy of 27 Feb 2026
Documents and entry checks
Not stated by the official sources we read, beyond a valid passport.
If you live in the UAE
We have not checked a separate rule for UAE residents for France.
If you need a visa, see How to apply from the UAE.
What changed
- Since 10 April 2026 the EU Entry/Exit System (EES) is fully operational: non-EU visitors' fingerprints and facial images are registered each time they cross the Schengen external border, replacing passport stamps (the system started progressively on 12 October 2025). European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs · checked
- Checked against the official sources on this page: the rule above still holds.
FAQ
Is France visa-free for Indians now?
No. Indians need a visa before they travel.
How much does a France visa cost in India?
The Schengen visa fee, set by EU rules, is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to 12; visa centres may charge an extra service fee. In India the French visa fee is set in euros and paid in rupees at the chancery exchange rate; it is not refunded if the visa is refused. In the UAE the French visa fee is paid only in dirhams (AED), and VFS Global charges a non-refundable service fee of EUR 30.33 per application, paid online in AED when booking.
Can I get a France visa in 7 days?
Normal processing is 15 days and can be extended to up to 45 days if the application needs a closer look or more documents. In the UAE, residents of every emirate, Dubai included, lodge French visa applications at the VFS Global centre in Abu Dhabi, and the visas are processed only by the consular section in Abu Dhabi; the Consulate General in Dubai has had no visa service since 2019.
Other trips on an Indian passport
Sources
Official sources only. Each was checked on the date shown.
- European Union, Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 (EUR-Lex consolidated text of 30.12.2025): entry rule
- European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs: fees, visa types and processing time
- France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Interior): fees and how to apply
- Embassy of France in India (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs): how to apply
- Consulate General of France in Mumbai (Embassy of France in India website): how to apply
- Consulate General of France in Bangalore (Embassy of France in India website): how to apply
- Consulate General of France in Pondicherry (Embassy of France in India website): how to apply
- Consulate General of France in Kolkata (Embassy of France in India website): how to apply
- Campus France India (French public agency for the promotion of higher education, part of the French Embassy network in India): entry conditions
- France-Visas, the official visa portal of the French government (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and Ministry of the Interior): applying from the UAE and fees
- European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs: changes