FRANCE

The French Embassy outsource their consular services to VFS Global.

During the visa application process, including scheduling the mandatory appointment, you will therefore be required to liaise directly with VFS Global.

Please kindly note, that it is the French Embassy that ultimately make the final decision as to whether or not to approve or deny any visa to France.

All steps have been outlined below for your reference:  

1. Schedule the mandatory visa appointment 
2. Collect and collate all required paperwork
3. Attend the visa appointment in-person
4. On average, the visa process takes 15 calendar days
5. Collect/receive passport with attached visa
6. All set – we hope your child has a great trip!

The earliest you can apply is 6 months before departure.

Due to the high demand for visa appointments, we would recommend that you schedule your child’s visa appointment as soon as the trip has been confirmed.

If you are fortunate to receive a prompt appointment, please ensure you have enough time to request the supporting documents from both the school and trip provider.

Parent/Guardian to provide:

• France visa application checklist
• France visa application form
• 2 x studio-quality passport photograph (<6 months old)
• Photocopy of child’s passport
• Photocopy of child’s UAE residency visa
• Photocopy of child’s Emirates ID
• Photocopy of all child’s previous visas
• Photocopy of child’s birth certificate (English)
• Parental no objection certificate (NOC)
• Photocopy of parent/guardian(s) passport
• Photocopy of parent/guardian(s) UAE residency visa
• Salary certificate (From the child’s UAE sponsors employer)
• Trade licence (If child’s UAE sponsor is self-employed)
• Bank statements (Last 3 months, original, stamped by the bank, in the name of the child’s UAE sponsor). Foreign accounts will not be considered.
• Pay slips (Last 3 months, in the name of the child’s UAE sponsor)
• Divorce certificate (If applicable)

Parent/Guardian to request from school:

• School no objection certificate – the NOC should include the child’s full name as per their passport, along with the details and ID copy of the accompanying teacher(s).

Parent/Guardian to request from trip provider:

• Invitation letter
• Flight confirmation
• Proof of accommodation 
• Full day-to-day itinerary
• Travel insurance (EUR 30,000 minimum coverage & repatriation)

Unless extenuating circumstances, it is mandatory for both parent/guardian(s) to attend the biometric appointment with the travelling student. This requirement is of utmost importance.

On average, visa applications take 15 calendar days.

Yes, the French Embassy/Consulate will keep your child’s passport whilst their application is being processed. 

If you cannot secure an appointment with VFS Global, you will need to contact the Embassy directly to request an appointment. This is not guaranteed, but on occasion they will manually release an appointment for students travelling with their school. 

Please note, VFS Global cannot simply facilitate an additional appointment, or ‘squeeze one more person in.’ All appointments are pre-approved and released by the relevant authority.