Entry
The Schengen Area, which includes France, is a bloc of European countries applying a single set of rules to short stays. Those rules cover non-EU visitors, a term for everyone whose nationality is not that of Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, Iceland or an EU country. Such visitors may stay for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, with the count covering the entire area. Which rules apply to you comes down to the passport you hold. Citizens of some countries need a Schengen visa ahead of the trip; citizens of others can come in visa-free for a short stay. The country lists are on the EU's visa-policy page, linked below. A required visa is applied for at the consulate of the destination country. When the trip covers several countries, the consulate to use belongs to the country with the longest stay, and if the stays are equal, to the country entered first. Submit the application through the consulate covering the country of your legal residence. Medical insurance is required of applicants and must cover repatriation, hospital treatment and emergency care. They must also supply documents that show the reason for the trip, their money, their accommodation and their intention of returning home, and the consulate may request more. The passport should remain valid for 3 months or more beyond your planned departure date, and it must date from within the last 10 years. Officers at the border may ask you to explain why you are visiting and the details of your stay, and to show you have enough money. Passport stamps have been replaced by the EU's Entry/Exit System (EES), in full operation since 10 April 2026. Registration happens at the border for short-stay visitors from outside the EU, whether or not they hold a visa: a facial photo and/or fingerprints are taken along with passport data, and every entry, exit or refusal gets recorded. Certain travellers are exempt, and that list is below. Plan extra time for the first crossing, because later ones are quicker. France is one of 30 European countries for which visa-exempt travellers will need an ETIAS travel authorisation. Status in November 2026: it is not operating, no applications are accepted and no start date is confirmed. The date will be announced by the EU several months before launch, it says; before travelling, look at the official ETIAS page, and disregard sites that offer to sell an ETIAS at present.
- EU - Visa policy (Schengen) OfficialOfficial EU information on Schengen visas, with links to the country lists.
- EU - Applying for a Schengen visa OfficialWhere to apply and which documents you need.
- Your Europe - Travel documents for non-EU nationals OfficialPassport validity and entry conditions.
- EU - Entry/Exit System (EES) OfficialWhat the new border registration means for you.
- EU - How the EES works OfficialWhat happens at the border on your first and later crossings.
- EU - Who the EES does not apply to OfficialThe full list of exempt travellers.
- European Commission - EES status OfficialStates that the system became fully operational on 10 April 2026.
- EU - ETIAS OfficialFor visa-free nationalities only; check the current status and start date here.
- EU - ETIAS: who should apply OfficialWhich nationalities and countries ETIAS will cover.
- EU - Short-stay (90/180) calculator OfficialCount how many days you may still stay.
