Nearest Consulate or Embassy
205 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 3700
Chicago, IL 60601
312-327-5200
STEP 1 - Gather information on your situation
Seek information and check if you require a visa or not
This portal helps you assemble the information you will need before submitting your visa application online.
The visa wizard will help you determine, depending on your situation, the visa requirements to which you are subject, as well as the submission fee and required supporting documents.
If you have lived in the Schengen Area within the past 6 months please use the Visa Calculator tool to determine the precise number of days you have remaining. (online calculator).
Determine which authority is approved to receive your application
In addition to furnishing important general information, this link offers pages specific to your local, so that you can access the most accurate information for your visa application.
STEP 2 - Set up my online application
Fill out the visa application form
To submit a visa application, you must provide at least the following :
> A travel document (original + copy) in good condition, issued less than 10 years ago, with at least two blank pages, which is valid for at least three months after the date on which you have planned to leave the Schengen Area, or in the event of a long stay, which is valid for at least three months on the date on which the requested visa expires. However, in the event of a duly proven emergency, this final requirement may be waived.
> 2 recent ID pictures in ISO/IECI format (pdf)
> The supporting documents (originals and copy) depending on your situation and your plan
Important : All documents in languages other than French or English must be translated into French.
> Your application fees are due upon filing.
> If your home country is eligible, you must fill out the online application form. You will be guided through the whole process by on-screen explanations.
> Before validating and printing out your application, you will be asked to create a personal account that includes your email address in order to save your partially- or fully-completed form. After this step, you will receive the list of required supporting documents and have the opportunity to book your appointment.
STEP 3 - Book your appointment
Arrange an appointment with the visa application centre
Make sure you allow enough time before your departure date to schedule an appointment to have your application reviewed.
> Check on the average appointment wait times to ensure that you are able to submit your application three months to two weeks prior to your departure date for a long stay visa and 6 months to two weeks to your departure date for a short stay visa.
> In most cases, the consular services use external service providers to receive visa applicants and their documents. The consular services nonetheless remain fully responsible for reviewing applications and making visa issuance decisions.
> You will find all the necessary details to make an appointment on the country of application page.
STEP 4 - Submit your file
Application in person
> You must attend your appointment with all the required documents. Also bring a copy of each document, including the passport and its ID pages.
> The service provider (or consulate) will receive you, review your application, collect the visa fee, capture your biometric data (photo and fingerprints) and retain your passport and the copies of all your supporting documents in order to forward them to the consulate.
> The visa application submission will take approximately 20 minutes at the visa centre.
Biometrics
> All visas issued by France are biometric visas.
> Any visa applicant aged 12 or older must submit his or her visa application in person. The following biometric data will be required: a photo (scanned or taken during your appointment), and ten individually-taken fingerprints.
> If you hold a biometric Schengen visa issued within 59 months, either bearing the mention ‘VIS’ or issued after March 2016, your previous biometric data can be re-used.
Fees
Visa application fees are composed of :
> The administrative costs incurred for the processing of your application. The amount paid is kept by the administration, even in cases where visas are denied. For more details, please refer to the table of application fees by visa type (pdf).
> If application fees are received by an external service provider, this provider is responsible for collecting the appropriate fees. The service charge differs by country, but may not exceed € 40 per visa application. External service providers are also authorized by the administration to offer additional services at cost.
You may be exempt from attending your visa appointment in person if :
You have held previous Schengen visas and have used them in accordance with the law.
You travel regularly or frequently for the same purpose.
NOTE: To confirm whether someone else can apply for a visa on your behalf, please contact your visa centre
STEP 5 - Track your application
Tracking your application and collecting your passport
In most cases, you can track the progress of your application. For details, go to our track the progress of your application page.
You will be notified when your passport is ready for collection from the visa centre where you applied.
In some instances, the passport can be sent by postal services.
Other Typical visa application materials
1. You must complete the Campus France online application process. This application will be reviewed and you will be emailed of your approval
2. Request a student visa at your assigned French Consulate – you must go in person
3. Go to consulate for visa interview – you must appear in person, there will be a visa processing fee, bring copies of important documents (they will not make copies for you), bring admission letters for program
4. If relevant, register with the local immigration office once you’re in France
5. Original passport or travel document (+ ONE COPY of the identity pages). Your passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago, be valid for at least three months after your return to the US and have at least 2 blank visa pages left.
6. If you are not a U.S. citizen: A valid U.S. permanent residence card ("green card") or a valid U.S. visa with valid I-94 or valid I-20 (+ ONE COPY).
7. Positive proof of residence in the geographic area for which the consulate is responsible
8. Processing fee in the U.S. dollar equivalent of €50. Exceptions: Recipients of scholarships from the French government or European Union (Chateaubriand, Eiffel, Franco-American Fulbright Commission, Erasmus Mundus, Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie) are not required to pay the application and processing fee.
9. One application form filled out completely and signed by the applicant.
10. One passport photo glued/stapled onto the application form (white background, full face, no glasses nor hat, closed mouth).
11. "Attestation" from CAMPUSFRANCE: An e-mail message from CampusFrance (entitled “confirmation e-mail”) informing the student that he or she may begin preparations to apply to the consulate for the visa (make appointment, collect documents). This message should not be confused with the earlier message from CampusFrance notifying the student of the creation of his or her CampusFrance account, or with the message indicating that a receipt for payment was available for download.
12. Receipt for payment issued by CampusFrance (does not apply to exempted students).
13. Proof of registration: A copy of the student’s official acceptance letter or acknowledgment of enrollment, addressed to the student and mentioning his or her full name, printed on institutional letterhead and specifying the exact dates (day, month, year) of the academic program and including full contact information for the individual issuing the offer or acknowledgment, as well as the full address of the educational institution. Said address may serve as the student’s temporary address in France. Three cases are possible:
i. Students taking part in an exchange program between an American and a French institution. In this case, the acceptance or enrollment letter may be issued from either institution provided the formal exchange agreement is identified and the information specified above is provided.
ii. Students enrolling directly in a French institution as an independent student. In this case, the acceptance or enrollment letter must be from the admitting institution and include all of the information specified above.
iii. Students enrolling in an American program in France (operated by an American institution with a branch in France). In this case, the acceptance or enrollment letter must come from the American institution and include all of the information specified above.
14. Financial guarantee: Non-scholarship students must prove that they have access to at least $820 per month. Proof may be provided in the form of: the applicant’s bank statement showing a balance of $820 multiplied by the number of months to be spent in France,
i. or a notarized financial guarantee form signed by a guarantor declaring that the guarantor will provide the student applicant with at least $820 per month, plus the guarantor’s most recent bank statement.
ii. Or for students receiving scholarship and financial aid: Letter of scholarship award specifying amount and duration of award, issued by the financial aid office of the student applicant’s home institution.
15. The French immigration (OFII) form (upper part) [*] should be filled out by the following students:
ALL students who will be staying in France for more than six months (180 days);
i. Students who will be staying in France for a period of time between four and six months (for a total duration of 91-180 days) who wish to be allowed to work in France while studying.
ii. Students who will be staying in France for a period of time between four and six months (for a total duration of 91-180 days) who wish to be able to extend their visa once they are in France.
Applicants are requested to print their e-mail address very carefully to avoid any risk of confusion or error. Applicants will be notified of their OFII appointment by e-mail.
16. An airline reservation showing date of departure or a handwritten and legible statement from the applicant indicating the intended date of departure, as well as a formal commitment not to depart before that date. It is not possible to modify the start date of a visa once the application is made.
17. A self-addressed prepaid EXPRESS MAIL envelope from the US POST OFFICE ONLY - NO FEDEX / UPS / AIRBORNE EXPRESS accepted.
Additional materials may be required depending on the office processing your application
Processing Time and Cost
Campus France processing time is at least 3 weeks
Consulate process takes at least 2 weeks
Students can only apply beginning 90 days from departure date
Visa Fee: 50 Euros
Cost may change without notice.
Additional Information
Please note: Students must make an appointment at the consulate and apply for visas in person.
Specific Programs that this visa information applies to:
Only if your length of stay exceeds 90 days
France: Study at Sciences Po (Exchange)
France: Study at École Normale Supérieure
Paris IES: Advanced French Language Studies at IES
France and Sweden: Atlantis II Dual Degree Program
*The Paris Alliance Française Spring quarter program is under 90 days and therefore students DO NOT need a visa, unless they plan to travel within the Schengen Zone for more than 90 days. In that case, students may need a Schengen visa.