Although the European portion of France is part of the Schengen Area, its overseas departments, collectivities and other territories apply their own visa policies, which have some additional exemptions or restrictions compared to the visa policy of the Schengen Area.
Overseas departments and regions |
Overseas collectivities |
Special status |
Overseas territories (no permanent population) |
Public domain of the state (uninhabited) |
---|---|---|---|---|
French Guiana[a] Guadeloupe Martinique[a] Mayotte[a] Réunion |
French Polynesia Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Wallis and Futuna |
New Caledonia | French Southern and Antarctic Lands |
Clipperton Island |
Visa exemption
editVisa exemptions for Overseas France: All territories, unlimited period All territories, up to 90 days | All or most territories, up to 90 or 15 days Some territories, up to 90 days Some territories, up to 15 days on organized trips |
Unlimited period
editNationals of the following countries can enter and reside for an unlimited period without a visa in Overseas France.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] They may use their national identity card instead of their passport as a travel document to enter any French territory.[10][b] They may also work freely in the parts of Overseas France that are part of the European Union (overseas departments and regions, and Saint Martin), but those who are not nationals of France need a permit to work in other parts such as French Polynesia, New Caledonia, and Wallis and Futuna.[7][8][9]
Short stays
editFor stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period,[c] visa-free entry is granted to nationals of the following countries and territories (except as otherwise noted):[d][1][2][3][4][5][6]
This exemption also applies to:
- Holders of a long-stay visa or residence permit issued by France or another Schengen Area country
- Nationals of the following countries holding a multiple-entry visa issued by France with validity between 6 months and 5 years:
Additional exemptions for specific territories
editFor specific territories, nationals of the following countries are also granted visa-free stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period (except as otherwise noted).
For French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique:[1]
For Saint Martin:[2]
|
For Saint Pierre and Miquelon:[1]
|
For Mayotte:[3]
For Réunion:[1]
For New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia:[4][5][6]
Summary of short-stay visa exemptions
editCountry | France (Schengen) |
French Guiana |
Guadeloupe and Martinique |
Saint Barthélemy |
Saint Martin |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon |
Mayotte | Réunion | New Caledonia |
Wallis and Futuna |
French Polynesia |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
France | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
EU (except France) and EFTA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Schengen 'Annex II'[p] | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Brazil | Yes | organized trips or in transit |
Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Venezuela | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Georgia | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
Kosovo | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Bolivia | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Nauru | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Ecuador | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
Mozambique | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
South Africa | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
Fiji | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Papua New Guinea | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
China | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | organized trips |
organized trips |
No | organized trips |
India | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | organized trips |
No | No | No |
Obtaining a visa
editForeign nationals who need a visa for a part of Overseas France can obtain one by lodging an application at a French embassy or consulate in their country of residence (or, in the case of foreign nationals already in a part of France, the local prefecture)[10] for a fee of up to €99 (depending on the destination, length of stay, age and nationality).[14]
Length of stay | Destination | Regular fee | Reduced fee | No fee |
---|---|---|---|---|
Up to 90 days | France (Schengen) | €90 | €45 for children ages 6 to 12; €35 for nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus | children under age 6, spouse of a French national, family members of other EU/EFTA nationals |
French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Réunion | €60 | €35 for children ages 6 to 12 | ||
Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia | €9 | spouse of a French national, family members of other EU/EFTA nationals | ||
More than 90 days | any | €99 | €50 for students; €15 for children adopted by a French national | spouse of a French national |
Schengen short-stay visas are not valid for Overseas France (except for nationals of certain countries as listed above), and vice versa. A visa with the designation "départements français d'Amérique" (DFA) allows visiting all parts of Overseas France in the Americas (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon).[1][2] A visa with the designation "valable pour France sauf CTOM" allows visiting all parts of Overseas France in the Americas as well as Réunion.[1][2]
Visitor statistics
editCountry/territory | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 67,908 | 63,913 | 62,278 | 53,656 |
France | 39,086 | 35,765 | 34,887 | 32,946 |
Japan | 12,174 | 11,447 | 12,527 | 13,175 |
Australia | 9,757 | 9,167 | 9,315 | 9,167 |
Italy | 7,888 | 7,993 | 7,887 | 8,103 |
New Zealand | 7,221 | 7,315 | 7,136 | 6,477 |
Canada | 6,326 | 8,402 | 9,279 | 7,206 |
China | 5,987 | 5,555 | 3,268 | 1,876 |
New Caledonia | 4,206 | 4,185 | 4,111 | 3,826 |
United Kingdom | 3,980 | 4,711 | 4,834 | 3,255 |
Germany | 3,951 | 3,538 | 4,028 | 3,477 |
Total | 192,495 | 183,831 | 180,602 | 164,393 |
Country/territory | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
---|---|---|---|---|
Metropolitan France | 36,725 | 37,245 | 36,545 | 39,183 |
Australia | 22,809 | 20,926 | 18,065 | 15,722 |
Japan | 21,151 | 20,056 | 19,087 | 15,674 |
New Zealand | 9,143 | 8,529 | 6,780 | 6,334 |
Wallis and Futuna | 6,128 | 6,329 | 6,128 | 6,763 |
Vanuatu | 3,648 | 3,520 | 3,616 | 3,950 |
French Polynesia | 3,453 | 3,552 | 3,371 | 3,946 |
Italy | 1,045 | 1,104 | 832 | 718 |
Total | 115,676 | 113,951 | 107,187 | 107,753 |
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ a b c Single territorial collectivity with the competences of a department and a region.
- ^ A passport may be necessary if not traveling directly from a European country or another French territory.
- ^ For New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia, up to 3 months in a 6-month period.[4][5][6]
- ^ The visa exemption also applies to nationals of Vanuatu holding passports issued before 25 May 2015, but such passports had a validity of 5 years so they already expired.[11][12][13]
- ^ a b c d e f g h With biometric passport.
- ^ For French Guiana, nationals of Brazil may enter without a visa only in the following cases: up to 15 days for trips organized by an approved travel agency; up to 3 days when in transit to France (including all territories) or Brazil; residents of Oiapoque holding a special card authorizing visits to only Saint-Georges for up to 72 hours; or members of emergency services.
- ^ a b For French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, visa-free up to 15 days per stay, as long as the stays do not total more than 120 days in a 12-month period.
- ^ Except with passport issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate.
- ^ With passport bearing identity card number.
- ^ Including all classes of British nationality.
- ^ Except for Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin.
- ^ a b c Visa-free entry of up to 15 days for each stay, for trips organized by an approved travel agency.
- ^ Only for New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
- ^ a b c For stays of up to 3 months in a 6-month period.
- ^ Only for New Caledonia.
- ^ Except Brazil, Georgia, Kosovo and Venezuela.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Order of 26 July 2011 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion and the collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Légifrance, consolidated version of 9 May 2022 (in French).
- ^ a b c d e Order of 18 April 2012 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of the collectivities of Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, Légifrance, consolidated version of 12 May 2022 (in French).
- ^ a b c Order of 4 February 2015 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of Mayotte, Légifrance, consolidated version of 9 May 2022 (in French).
- ^ a b c d Order of 22 July 2011 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of New Caledonia, Légifrance, consolidated version of 9 May 2022 (in French).
- ^ a b c d Order of 26 July 2011 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of Wallis and Futuna, Légifrance, consolidated version of 7 May 2022 (in French).
- ^ a b c d Order of 29 December 2011 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of French Polynesia, Légifrance, consolidated version of 9 May 2022 (in French).
- ^ a b You are a national of a country in the European Union, Services of the state in French Polynesia (in French).
- ^ a b You are a national of a country in the European Union, Services of the state in New Caledonia, 1 May 2021 (in French).
- ^ a b Entry and stay in Wallis and Futuna, Services of the state and of the territory in Wallis and Futuna, 24 September 2019 (in French).
- ^ a b Does a foreigner need a visa for travel to Overseas France?, Government of France, 10 March 2022 (in French).
- ^ FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions), Government of Vanuatu, 2015.
- ^ No More Passport, Daily Post, 10 May 2018.
- ^ Upgraded Passport Launched, Daily Post, 24 July 2019.
- ^ a b Visa fees, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France.
- ^ "Données détaillées". www.ispf.pf.
- ^ "Touristes selon le lieu de résidence". isee.nc.