Due to the sanitary context, and until further notice, passports will be returned by tracked mail exclusively.

Social distancing measures and use of protective equipment are put into place for the health and safety of all :

The issuance of a visa does not guarantee entry into a French territory, which remains governed by the restrictions applicable at the borders. Before travelling, it is thus recommended that you check whether or not you are authorized to enter France by referring to the following link : Attestation de déplacement et de voyage.

In order to contribute to the respect of sanitary measures and to reduce the presence at the VFS centre to the strict minimum, it is recommended to make sure that the file is complete and accompanied by all the supporting documents indicated by France-Visas, as well as the useful photocopies.

 

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 9 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 10 VFS Global centers regardless of their location.
  • 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.

Make an appointment

To make an appointment and find information about the visa application centres, please check the “Whom should I contact ?”.

Special cases

For all special cases, as well as for the holders of service, official and or diplomatic passports, please refer to the section “Particular situations”.



News

Caution: Cerfa form in draft

The day of your appointment you must imperatively present your CERFA in final paper version. It must not have the word "DRAFT".

If your CERFA has the mention "DRAFT", this means that your application is not finalized on France-Visas and will therefore be refused on the day of filing.


Beware of fraudulent sites

Visa applicants are advised to be cautious in all dealings with companies that claim to offer assistance in obtaining French visas.


The day of your appointment:

Attention, the day of your appointment you must print and come with your receipt. In case of absence of a document present on your receipt, your visa application can be refused.