United Kingdom

Closed on Saturdays and Sundays.

Public Holidays in 2026 :

• Thursday 1st of January : New Year's Day
• Friday 3rd of April : Good Friday
• Monday 6th of April : Easter Monday
• Friday 1st of May : Labour Day
• Monday 4th of May : Early May Bank Holiday
• Friday 8th of May : Armistice 8 May 1945
• Thursday 14th of May : Ascension Day
• Monday 25th of May : Spring Bank Holiday
• Monday 21st of August : Summer Bank Holiday
• Friday 25th of December : Christmas
• Monday 28th of December : Boxing Day

Security information

For security reasons, visa applicants are not permitted to bring any objects deemed to be a security risk for the Visa Application Centre such as :

• Any sharp objects ;
• Weapon or weapon-like objects.

The use of mobile phones, cameras and other video recording devices is strictly forbidden.

Bags may be subject to search at the entrance of the Visa Application Centre. Anyone carrying a luggage will not be authorized to enter the Visa center as bringing luggage is not permitted.

Only applicants and authorized accompanying parties (such as those providing assistance to the mobility-impaired or those requiring translation) will be allowed access to the VAC via the security checkpoint.

Children who are below 12 are not allowed in the premises of the Visa Application Center.

Tracking your application

You can follow the progress of your request from your France-Visas account, under "My requests".

Collecting your passport

Once informed of your passport return at the TLScontact center, you will be invited to collect it without appointment. You will need :

• Your application checklist ;
• A valid ID ;
• The birth certificate of your child/children if you wish to retrieve his/her/their passport(s).

Do not forget that if you fail to produce the original of your application checklist and a valid ID, you won’t be able to retrieve your passport.

If you wish to designate a third party to pick up your passport, your representative should bring :

• Your application checklist ;
• A photocopy of your valid ID ;
• Original and photocopy of his/her own passport, driving license or other valid ID;
• A written authorization letter signed by you.

Territorial competence of France and extension to neighbouring countries

The Consulate General of France in London is accepting visa applications from all United Kingdom residents (England, Northern Ireland, the Bailiwicks of Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, Isle of Wight, Scotland and Isle of Man).

Représentation Schengen

All Member States of the Schengen area have a Consulate or are represented in the United Kingdom. Please make sure you apply for your visa at the correct Consulate, according to your main destination and duration of stay.

Monaco

France processes visa applications for Monaco, for short (less than 90 days) and long (more than 90 days) stays.

Family members of an EU national

British citizens, married to EU nationals, wishing to settle or reside more than 90 days in France (at the same time as their spouse or rejoining him/her) do not require a settlement visa (pursuant to the EU Directive 2004/38).

Since 2021, Third country nationals, family members of UK citizens, can no longer pretend to visas as "family members of EU nationals" (unless your UK family member benefited from the withdrawal agreement and lives in France). You are submitted to the rules set by the Community Code on Visas (CCV) for short stays: you will need to pay the visa and service fees and provide all documents as per the purpose of your stay in France. Those who wish to move to France will have to apply for a Long Stay visa.

Etudes en France - Campus France platform

If you have been accepted into a French higher education program and wish to apply for a student visa at the Consulate of France in London, it is mandatory to first go through the "Studies in France" procedure managed by Campus France UK in order to get your EEF certificate.

Please explore and initiate your procedure through the dedicated platform "Etudes en France" to know how to get this certificate and carry out this process before booking an appointment and submitting your student visa application.

School trips

Non-EU schoolchildren living in the UK can travel visa free to France as long as:

• They are pupils at a general education school (up to sixth form);
• They are travelling on an organized school trip with their own school;
• They have their own valid passport, recognized by France and they are resident in the UK (valid residence permit);
• They are accompanied by a teacher from the school;
• The school must ensure it provide the accompanying teacher with a list of the pupils (full name, date and place of birth, nationality) on a headed paper signed, dated and stamped by the head of the establishment.

Official passports

Holders of Diplomatic, official and service passports are invited to fill in their visa application form on France-Visas and create à an account and enter the necessary information required on TLScontact to proceed with their application. They are however not required to pre-schedule an appointment and may attend the Visa Centre to submit their applications and biometrics.

All the information you require to apply for a visa can be found on the TLS FAQ page and other pages of the TLScontact website.

However, if you have specific queries about the visa application, you can :

• Fill the form, after registration on the TLScontact website ;
• Call us : (+44) 2038921485, Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.