India to France visa requirements

Schengen short-stay visa required, EUR 90. Eligible India-resident applicants can qualify for 2-year, then 5-year, multiple-entry visas under the EU cascade. Indian ordinary passport holders need a Schengen short-stay (Type C) visa before travelling to metropolitan France for tourism, family visits, business meetings, or other short stays. France is part of the 29-country Schengen Area, so a uniform Schengen visa generally allows travel across the Schengen states for up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The standard short-stay fee is EUR 90 for adults and EUR 45 for children aged 6 to under 12; VFS/service-provider fees and optional services are separate and paid in local currency. Apply through France-Visas, then book the relevant VFS appointment in India; France-Visas lists centers in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Puducherry, Pune and related Bhutan/Nepal arrangements. Processing is normally 15 calendar days after an admissible application reaches the consular authority, but can extend to 45 days, so apply early and no more than 6 months before travel. The 2024 EU India visa cascade is not a blanket France-only 5-year promise: Indian nationals residing and applying in India may receive a 2-year multiple-entry Schengen visa after two lawfully used visas in the previous 3 years; that is normally followed by a 5-year visa if passport validity allows. EES is fully operational since 10 April 2026 and records biometrics at Schengen external borders. ETIAS is expected in Q4 2026 but applies to visa-exempt travellers, so it does not replace the Schengen visa requirement for Indians.