What Are the Requirements for Entering France ?
Planning a trip to France? Let's first take a quick look at the state of the pandemic before discussing the rules to enter France. In this article, we tell you which documents you will need to travel to France for less than 90 days depending on your nationality. These may include a national identity card, passport, visa and supporting documents.
Requirements for Entering France (Covid)
Since August 1, 2022, travelers, regardless of their country of origin, no longer have to complete any health formalities to enter or leave French territory (metropolitan and overseas)! Foreign countries are no longer classified by color according to the state of the pandemic. A vaccination card is no longer required, there are no more justifications for travel or certifications of non-infection to provide.
On the other hand, you still need to meet the requirements for entering the country, which means showing the appropriate travel documents and a visa, if necessary.
Requirements for Entering France for Foreign Nationals
For a stay of less than 90 days, the rules to enter France depend on the country of origin of the traveler. This affects the travel documents that you must provide at the border and whether or not you need a visa. There are three possible situations, depending on your nationality:
- The traveler can enter French territory with their national identity card.
- The traveler must have a passport and supporting documents to enter French territory.
- The traveler must obtain a short-stay visa (type C) in advance and show their visa, passport and supporting documents to enter French territory.
Schengen Area and European Union Countries: NATIONAL IDENTITY CARD OR PASSPORT
Citizens of the European Union and Schengen Area, as well as a few associated countries, may enter French territory (including overseas territories) with either a valid national identity card or passport valid for the duration of their stay in France.
These countries are (EU + Schengen + Associated States):
- Germany
- Andorra
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bulgaria
- Cyprus
- Croatia
- Denmark
- Spain (including the Balearic Islands and Canary Islands)
- Estonia
- Finland
- (France)
- Greece
- Hungary
- Ireland
- Iceland (non-EU)
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein (non-EU)
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Norway (non-EU)
- The Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal (including the Madeira and Azores Archipelagos)
- Czech Republic
- Romania
- San Marino
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Sweden
- Switzerland (non-EU)
- The Vatican
Example - rules for entering France from Italy: X is of Italian nationality and wishes to go to France for 10 days for a vacation. They have nothing to do, and can go to France with either their national identity card or a valid passport. But be careful, because even if X can cross the border without going through passport control, they may be subject to controls while in French territory. They must be able to show their identity card or passport at all times during their trip.
Countries Exempt from Visa Requirements for France: PASSPORT + DOCUMENTS
Citizens of the following countries are exempt from visa requirements for entry into France (excluding overseas territories) for a short stay (90 days maximum). However, they must have a passport that is valid for the duration of their stay in France. They may also be asked for supporting documents at passport control. Find out which ones at the end of this article.
- Albania
- Andorra
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Argentina
- Australia
- The Bahamas
- Barbados
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- South Korea
- Costa Rica
- Dominica
- The United Arab Emirates
- The United States
- Hong Kong, provided you hold a "Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" passport.
- Georgia
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Mauritius
- Marshall Islands
- Solomon Islands
- Israel
- Japan
- Kiribati
- Macau, provided that you hold a "Região Administrativa Especial de Macau" passport.
- Macedonia
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- The Federated States of Micronesia
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Nicaragua
- New Zealand
- Palau
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- El Salvador
- Samoa
- Serbia
- The Seychelles
- Singapore
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- San Marino
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Saint Lucia
- Taiwan
- East Timor
- The Kingdom of Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Ukraine
- Uruguay
- Vanuatu
- The Vatican
- Venezuela
Example - rules for entering France from Israel: X is of Israeli nationality and wishes to go to France for less than 90 days. They have nothing to do, and can go to France with their valid passport. Be careful, because even if X does not need a visa, they may be asked to provide documents (proof of resources and accommodation, proof of insurance, etc.) when crossing the border.
Starting at the end of 2022, the requirements for entry into France (and the rest of the Schengen Area) will change for citizens of these countries and territories. They will have to apply for an ETIAS travel authorisation to enter French territory. You apply online a few days before your trip by filling out an individual form and a security questionnaire and paying the ETIAS application fee. Your ETIAS travel authorisation is sent by email within 4 days after you apply and is valid for 3 years or until your passport expires.
Other countries: PASSPORT + VISA + DOCUMENTS
Citizens of the following countries must have a valid passport and a short-stay Schengen visa (type C) to enter France (excluding overseas territories). You apply for a Schengen visa with the French consular authorities in your country of origin or residence (if different). The application requires a travel itinerary, a return ticket, proof of accommodation, a travel insurance policy and other documents. Once you have received your visa, the border police may ask to see these documents again. Find out which documents you need at the end of this article.
- Afghanistan
- South Africa
- Algeria
- Angola
- Saudi Arabia
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Bangladesh
- Belize
- Benin
- Bhutan
- Belarus
- Burma/Myanmar
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Burkina Faso
- Burundi
- Cambodia
- Cameroon
- Cape Verde
- China
- Comoros
- Congo
- North Korea
- Ivory Coast
- Cuba
- Djibouti
- Egypt
- Ecuador
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Equatorial Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Guyana
- Haiti
- India
- Indonesia
- Iraq
- Iran
- Jamaica
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kyrgyzstan
- Kuwait
- Laos
- Lesotho
- Lebanon
- Liberia
- Libya
- Madagascar
- Malawi
- The Maldives
- Mali
- Morocco
- Mauritania
- Mongolia
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- Nepal
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Oman
- Uganda
- Uzbekistan
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- The Philippines
- Qatar
- Central African Republic
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominican Republic
- The United Kingdom
- Russia
- Rwanda
- Sao Tome and Principe
- Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Somalia
- Sudan
- South Sudan
- Sri Lanka
- Suriname
- Swaziland
- Syria
- Tajikistan
- Tanzania
- Chad
- Thailand
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Turkmenistan
- Turkey
- Vietnam
- Yemen
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
- Kosovo
- Palestine
However, if you have one of the following documents, you are exempt from the Schengen short-stay visa requirement:
- A valid residence permit issued by a Schengen State (including France)
- A long-stay type D visa issued by France or another Schengen State
- Certain travel documents issued by an EU Member State
- A special card issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the staff of a diplomatic or consular mission.
Example - rules for entering France from Morocco: X is of Moroccan nationality and wishes to visit France for 3 weeks. They must apply for a type C Schengen visa (short stay) at the French consulate in Morocco. To do this, they must first fill out the online visa application form and follow the steps as indicated. In addition to a visa, they may be asked to provide documents (proof of resources and accommodation, proof of insurance, etc.) when crossing the border into France.
Other Documents Required at the Border of France or the Schengen Area
Whether or not you are exempt from a short-stay visa, if you are not a citizen of the European Union, Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, you may be asked for several documents upon your arrival in France, including:
- proof of the reason for your travel to France
- proof of resources during your stay
- proof of your return journey to your country of origin
- Proof of insurance covering all medical, hospital and death expenses that may be incurred during your entire stay in France, including medical repatriation expenses.
Need insurance? With Europ Assistance's Schengen travel insurance, you get 24/7 emergency travel assistance in any Schengen Area country for as long as you wish. Starting at 3 euros and recognised and accepted by Schengen embassies and consulates around the world, our policies meet all the requirements for obtaining a Schengen visa.
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To learn more about the type of visa and supporting documents you will need to provide for your trip to France, go to the visa assistant page. And for those who are planning a long stay in France, i.e. more than 90 days, please see our article on long-stay Schengen visas.