How to Apply for France Schengen Visa from Canada in 5 Easy Steps – A Complete Guide

France is 1 of 26 Schengen countries and there are lots of reasons to go there. Romantic walks along the Seine, delicious food and drinks to savor in the hundreds of restaurants, cafes and bars, and iconic monuments like the Eiffel Tower. These things are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what France can offer! In this article learn more about how to apply for France visa at the French consulate in Canada, Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal, France visa appointment booking, Processing time at the French visa application center, flight itinerary for France visa, hotel bookings for France visa, Schengen travel insurance for France visa application, and France Visa Application Process at the Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal embassy.

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France Schengen Visas

In 2018, 4,010,604 France Schengen visa applications were received by embassies and consulates around the world. 629,997 of these were rejected. The Consulate General of France in Montreal received 6,570 and rejected 739. The consulate in Toronto received 1,289 and rejected 21 and the consulate in Vancouver received 1,153 applications and refused 4.

Applying for a Schengen Visa from Canada  

If you are a Canadian citizen, you do NOT need a Schengen visa for France. However, if you are a non-Canadian citizen and are currently living in Canada on a permanent basis, you DO need to apply for a visa for France. You can do this easily from Canada as long as you can prove you have a legal right to remain in the country.

Where to apply for a France Schengen visa

France Schengen visas are processed by the French Consulates-General in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. However, you will apply through France-Visas’ website and submit your application to VFS Global based in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver or Ottawa.

Therefore, you can choose which office to submit your application to depending on where you reside in Canada.

Types of Schengen visas offered at the Consulate General of France

There are 3 types of visas you may apply for and the one you choose will depend on the reason and duration of your trip:

1. Schengen visa: for tourism, business, or visiting family or friends for up to 90 days
2. Airport Transit visa: if you are passing through the international transit areas of airports situated in France or any other country in the Schengen area
3. National visa: for over 90 days for employment, study, research, family reunification or residence

How to Apply for a Schengen Visa from France-Visas

It is recommended that you apply at least 1 month before you plan to travel to France. You may apply up to 3 months ahead, so the earlier the better! The last thing you want is to apply too late and risk your application not being processed in time.

France-Visas has everything you need to know about applying for a visa, so check their website before you begin. They recommend that you:

1. Gather information on your situation – you can use their visa wizard to determine whether you need a visa. The wizard will also give information on what documents you need and the required fee. Just follow the instructions and key in the requested information

Then, once you’ve done that, follow these 5 easy steps to follow to help you apply for your visa:

Step 1: Complete your application form

To complete your application form, go to the Embassy of France’s website and click on the link for France-Visas:

Then, click on: “Start your visa application”:

On the next screen, read the instructions and click on: “Access the visa application”:

Then, you’ll need to create a new account before you log in to complete your application form:

Step 2: Make an appointment

Making appointments with the embassy, consulate or visa application center is generally free and can be done yourself. However, If you are running short of time or not sure which consulate to apply to or have no idea on how to get this done yourself then not to worry, we will make the appointment for you for a small service fee!

Booking a visa appointment using our services is pretty simple! All you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the link to schedule the visa appointment
2. Submit the appointment details, the visa you are applying for, consulate you need the appointment for, the country you need the appointment IN and make the payment
3. Receive appointment confirmation in email

You can also make an appointment on your own by following the steps below.

1. Go to France-Visas website again and click on: “Submit your application”
2. Select your continent and location
3. Click on the link where it says: “Whom should I contact?”
4. Then, select the visa application center you wish to submit your application to and click on: “Book an appointment”
5. You will have to register as a new user before logging in
6. You’ll then be able to make a convenient appointment

Step 3: Prepare your documents

The visa wizard on France-Visas website will give you a list of documents that you need to submit, so it’s advisable to use this tool before you start to prepare your documents. If you fail to provide anything that is required, your visa application may be rejected.

You should also prepare photocopies as well as providing the original documents, so don’t forget to do that too!

Documents include:

1. Visa application form – completed and signed
   
2. Passport photographs
   
3. Passport  – must be valid for at least three months after the date of departure from the Schengen zone, at least two empty pages and issued no more than 10 years ago
4. France-Visas receipt for your online application
5.  Proof of residence in Canada
6. Travel itinerary/airline reservation or detailed itinerary with tour operator’s name
7. Proof of Schengen travel medical insurance
8. Proof of financial means bank statements – and pay slips or pension statements for the last 3 months
9. Reservation of a hotel or sufficient resources to cover hotel expenses (to the amount of €120/day) or a tenancy agreement or certificate of ownership. If staying with a private individual: proof of accommodation (Cerfa form)
10. Proof of socio-professional status (e.g. employment contract, certificate of employment, extract from the trade and companies’ register, school attendance certificate, proof of pension) and any documents demonstrating the applicant’s personal links to the country of residence (e.g. copy of marriage certificate, family record book)
11. Letter of invitation along with host’s ID and/or residence permit (if applicable)

If you’re planning to obtain your flight reservation for visa without paying for the ticket, all you have to do is follow the 3 simple steps below:

1. Visit the Visa Reservation website to choose the right package
2.  Submit the travel details and make the payment online
3. Receive flight itinerary in email

Step 4: Attend your appointment

On the day of your appointment:

1. Don’t be late – it’s advisable to arrive at the visa application center early to avoid a missed appointment
2. Don’t forget your paperwork – just 1 missing document could result in a rejected application
3. Don’t turn up in shorts and a t-shirt – even the smallest things can help you be successful

You may be asked questions by the visa officer if they need to clarify anything with you. If this happens, just give true answers. Common questions include:

1. What do you do in Canada?
2. Have you been to France before?
3. Do you know anyone in the Schengen area or the EU?
4. What are you going to do in France?
5. Are you paying for this trip yourself?

Don’t jeopardize your Schengen visa interview at the last minute. Use this comprehensive and thorough visa interview guide to crack the visa interview!

You will also pay the fee for your visa. You can pay by cash or debit card. There is also a service fee to VFS Global of €25.50. Please note, the fee is non-refundable even if your application gets rejected.

You may also need to provide biometric data which is a fingerprint scan and photograph, especially if this is your first time applying for a Schengen visa.

Step 5: Receive your visa

After you have submitted your application, you can track its status by using VFS Global’s tracking tool. You’ll need your reference number for this.

Once your application has been processed, you will collect your passport from the visa application center. Some centers offer a passport courier service, so you should check with the respective office as to whether they provide this service.

The decision will be either:

1. Approved – your visa will be inside your passport
2. Rejected – this would have been for a specific reason and you can appeal the decision within 30 days

Common rejection reasons include:

1. No invitation letter – if you are being invited to France by a person or company, you must provide an invitation letter. This is a mandatory requirement
2. Lack of funds – you must be able to afford your trip and you must provide documents such as bank statements to prove this
3. Invalid passport – if your passport is not valid for 3 months after your return to Canada, has not been issued within the last 10 years or does not have 2 free pages, you must get a new one before applying for a visa
4. Proof of legal residence not provided – you must be able to prove that you have a legal right to stay in Canada when you apply for a Schengen visa

Contact details of VFS Global in Toronto

Address: 208 Bloor Street West, 4th floor on the right, M5S 3B4 Toronto, Ontario

Phone: (+1) 613 927 9266

Email: info.FranceCanada@vfsglobal.com

Hours: Monday to Friday – 9.00 am – 4.00 pm (Submitting applications); Monday to Friday – 9.00 am to 4.00 pm (Collecting passports)

Contact details of VFS Global in Montreal

Address: Unit 820, 1010 rue Sherbrooke Ouest, Entrée par la rue Metcafe, Montreal

Phone: (+1) 613 927 9266

Email: info.FranceCanada@vfsglobal.com

Hours: Monday to Friday – 9.00 am – 4.00 pm (Submitting applications); Monday to Friday – 9.00 am to 4.00 pm (Collecting passports)

Contact details of VFS Global in Vancouver

Address: 580 Hornby Street Unit 440, BC V6C 3B6 Vancouver

Phone: (+1) 613 927 9266

Email: info.FranceCanada@vfsglobal.com

Hours: Monday to Friday – 9.00 am – 4.00 pm (Submitting applications); Monday to Friday – 9.00 am to 4.00 pm (Collecting passports)

Contact details of VFS Global in Ottawa

Address: 2211 Riverside Drive, Unit 403, ON K1H7X5 Ottawa

Phone: (+1) 613 927 9266

Email: info.FranceCanada@vfsglobal.com

Hours: Monday to Friday – 9.00 am – 4.00 pm (Submitting applications); Monday to Friday – 9.00 am to 4.00 pm (Collecting passports)

Conclusion

To apply for a Schengen visa for France, follow these simple steps:

1. Complete your application online or download it
2. Make an appointment
3. Prepare your documents
4. Attend your appointment
5. Receive your visa

At Visa Reservation, we strive to simplify the visa process by providing free visa consultations, cover letter templates and no objection letter templates for our clients from US, UK, Canada, Philippines, India, China, UAE, Europe, Nigeria and globally. We also offer flight itinerary for visa, travel medical insurance, hotel reservations for visa , Book Visa Appointment, Travel Guides, Visa Interview Guides and many more. To learn more about how we can help you with our visa services, please feel free to contact us today.

See Also

Apply for Schengen Visa from Canada

Apply for Austria Schengen Visa from Ottawa, Canada

Apply for Belgium Schengen Visa from Montreal, Canada

Apply for Czech Republic Schengen Visa from Ottawa, Canada

Apply for Denmark Schengen Visa from Ottawa, Canada

Apply for Estonia Schengen Visa from Ottawa, Canada

Apply for Finland Schengen Visa from Canada