United States of America
Apply for a visa in the United States of America to visit France
Visa applications submitted in the United States of America are examined by the French Consulate in Washington DC, only the Consulate is authorised to take decisions about visas.
The visa section of the Consulate General of France in Washington has resumed issuing visas.
The reception of visa applicants and the receipt of applications are handled by the 10 VFS Global centres in the United States and 1 centre in Jamaica :
- Visa applicants living in the United States and the following territories (Bermuda, The Bahamas, The Cayman Islands, The Turks and Caicos Islands, The U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) can set up their appointment at one of the 11 VFS Global centers regardless of their location. Residents in Puerto Rico can also apply for short stay Schengen visas at the Spanish Consulate in San Juan :
- Edificio Mercantil Plaza, piso 11, oficina 1101. Av. Ponce de León s/n Hato Rey, Puerto Rico 00918
- Cog.SanJuandePuertoRico@maec.es
- https://www.exteriores.gob.es/Consulados/sanjuandepuertorico/es/Paginas/index.aspx
- During our busy periods, it can take longer to secure an appointment. We recommend you make sure your appointment is at least :
- 15 days before your date of departure for a short stay visa,
- 1 month before for a long stay visa
- Applications cannot be submitted more than 6 months before the departure date for short stay visa applications and more than 3 months before the departure date for long stay visa applications.
- Please be careful : Beware of scams and unofficial websites proposing, in USA, to pay for an appointment or for a French visa. Please refer only to the information and the links you will find on France-Visas website.
Kindly note that the visa application submission procedure does not end after filling the form online on the France Visas website. You still need to print the application form and take it with you, along with all other required documents, when you submit your application at VFS.
Whom should I contact?
If you are unable to attend your original appointment, you can reschedule your appointment via VFS online appointment system up to 48 hours before your original appointment. Rescheduling is allowed only once. If you cancel your appointment or do not attend your appointment, you will not be eligible for a VFS service fee refund. For more information, please check out the VFS Global website.
Centre VFS Global à Atlanta
Contact details
100 Peachtree Street NW
Suite 225
30303 Atlanta
GA
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157 / (+1) 3472523055
Website
Submitting applications
(appointment only)
| Monday | 09:00 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 09:00 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 09:00 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 09:00 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 09:00 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Informations
Open on President’s Day / Closed on Christmas Eve.
Collecting passports
NA
VFS Global Centre in Boston
Contact details
160 Federal Street
17th Floor
02110 Boston
MA
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157 / (+1) 3472523055
Website
Submitting applications
(sur rendez-vous uniquement)
| Monday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collecting passports
NA
VFS Global Centre in Chicago
Contact details
142 E. Ontario Street
17ème étage, Suite 1700
60611 Chicago
IL
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157 / (+1) 3472523055
Website
Submitting applications
(appointment only)
| Monday | 08:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 08:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 08:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 08:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 08:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collecting passports
NA
VFS Global Centre in Houston
Contact details
1001 Texas St. Suite 1020
Houston
TX 77479
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157 / (+1) 3472523055
Website
Submitting applications
(appointment only)
| Monday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collecting passports
NA
VFS Global Centre in Los Angeles
Contact details
8530 Wilshire Blvd
Suite 450
90211 Beverly Hills
CA
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157 / (+1) 3472523055
Website
https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/fra/attend-centre/Los-Angeles
Submitting applications
(appointment only)
| Monday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collecting passports
NA
VFS Global Centre in Miami
Contact details
2655 S Le Jeune Rd
Coral Gables Penthouse 1-A
33134 Miami
FL
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157/ (+1) 3472523055
Website
Submitting applications
(appointment only)
| Monday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collecting passports
NA
VFS Global Centre in New York
Contact details
128 E 32d Street
3rd Floor
10016 New York
NY
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157 / (+1) 3472523055
Website
https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/fra/attend-centre/New-York
Submitting applications
(appointment only)
| Monday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collecting passports
NA
VFS Global Centre in San Francisco
Contact details
2nd Floor
642 Harisson Street
San Francisco
CA 94107
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157 / (+1) 3472523055
Website
https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/fra/attend-centre/San-francisco
Submitting applications
(appointment only)
| Monday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Thursday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Friday | 08:30 a.m.-03:30 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collecting passports
NA
VFS Global Centre in Seattle
Contact details
2033 6th Ave, Suite 200
Seattle
WA 98121
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157 / (+1) 3472523055
Website
Submitting applications
(Appointment only)
| 1 wednesday every two weeks | 09:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
Collecting passports
NA
VFS Global Centre in Washington DC
Contact details
1025 Vermont Ave NW
2nd Floor
20005 Washington
DC
United States of America
Call center
(+1) 2127846157 / (+1) 3472523055
Website
https://visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/fra/attend-centre/Washington%20DC
Submitting applications
(appointment only)
| Monday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Tuesday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Wednesday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Thursday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Friday | 08:00 a.m.-03:00 p.m. |
| Saturday | Closed |
| Sunday | Closed |
Collecting passports
NA
Closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
Public holidays in 2022 :
January 01 : New Year's Day
January 17 : Martin Luther King Day
February 21 : Presidents Day
May 30 : Memorial Day
July 04 : Independence Day of USA
September 05 : Labor Day
October 10 : Columbus Day
November 11 : Veterans Day
November 24 : Thanksgiving Day
November 25 : Black Friday
December 26 : Christmas
Please read carefully this page before applying.
Application processing times
Processing times - upon receipt of a complete application - are given as general guidelines and will vary according to the applicant’s nationality and the type of visa.
There is no expedite procedure for a visa, and the Visa Section cannot influence this timeline of process.
Reminder: Do allow at least 15 days for visa processing.
Applications cannot be submitted more than 6 months before the departure date for short stay visa applications and more than 3 months before the departure date for long stay visa applications.
Security Information
For security reasons, luggage, suitcases, backpacks, and any other large bags are not allowed on the premises of the Consulate of France.
Please make the proper arrangements before visiting the Consulate, since there is nowhere to store bags in the building.
You will not be allowed to enter the Consulate with any of the aforementioned bags under any circumstances.
The Consulate allows no guns on its premises, whether carried openly or concealed, under any circumstances.
Track your application status
You can follow the progress of your request from your France-Visas account, under "My requests".
Collecting your passport
Due to the health situation, and until further notice, passports will only be returned by registered mail.
Particular situations
Visa requirements for American passport holders
Short Stay Visa Requirements: up to 90 days
American passport holders are not required to obtain a visa prior to visiting France for up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
As of October 18th, 2013, the rules for calculating short stays within the Schengen area have changed. More details and a calculator online on the European Commission website. Visitors who intend to work in France do need to obtain a work authorization or get their "convention d’accueil" prior to their arrival in France.
Long Stay Visa Requirements: more than 90 days
American passport holders are all required to obtain a visa to spend more than 90 days in France.
Visa requirements for official passport holders
Holders of official or diplomatic passports can submit their application directly to the visa section of the Consulate general of France in Washington DC (no appointments required, Monday to Friday, except holydays, from 2.30 to 3.30 pm).
They have the possibility as well to apply at one of the nine VFS Global centers regardless of their location (without appointment, from 1.00 to 3.00 pm).
Visas issued to holders of official passports (i.e. related to their functions) are free of charge (visa and service fee, if submission in a VFS visa application center).
Visa requirements for holders of a refugee travel document or a permit to reenter
A visa is required for holders of a refugee travel document or a permit to reenter. We invite you to contact the French consulate of your residence for further information.
Fees
Fees
The fees required for filing a visa application are composed of:
- Fees are seen in dollars (USD) by the French administration for the processing of your application. Payment is only accepted in US dollars (USD) and only by credit or debit card (only Mastercard or Visa). The amount received is kept by the administration, even in the case of refusal of Visa.
- Service fees collected by VFS when you submit your application to the external service provider. The basic service fees are paid in the local currency and costs 34.29 USD per submitted application. Please note that the service fee cannot be reimbursed.
Help
Help
If you need assistance, VFS GLOBAL will gladly help you by phone or email:
- Helpline: +1 2127846157 or + 1 3472523055 (from 9:00 Atlantic time until 16:00 Pacific time)
- Email ID: info.FranceUSA@vfsglobal.com
The visas office of the consulate general in Washington D.C. also answers requests by email. A quick answer will be given to your query, unless it is already explained on FranceVisa, therefore please do not send repeated messages and do not call the French Embassy nor the French consulates in the US.