C4.5 French Visa¶
How to Apply for a French Visa in the UK
Reminder from Shishengmiao:
It is recommended to purchase insurance 6 months before your UK visa expires. Not all travel insurances are suitable, as most insurances in the UK only cover UK residents.
It is advisable to apply for the French visa 3 months before your UK visa expires; otherwise, your application may be rejected.
Different visa officers may grant different visa durations. France typically issues visas for 1 month, around 20 days, 3 months, 6 months, or 1 year. I was granted a 3-month visa at that time.
In fact, all visa types share a common principle: as long as you can prove that you will not stay in France for an extended period, your application will generally not be rejected.
Currently, all French visa applications (and applications for visas of other countries) in the UK are not submitted directly to the embassy. Instead, they are handled by outsourced agencies. The advantage of these visa application centres is speed—visas are usually processed within 2 to 3 working days. You can pay an additional service fee for faster processing if needed.
You need to book an appointment with the visa application centre. The French Visa Application Centre is a separate location. Unlike Germany, Italy, Spain, and over a dozen other countries (whose visa applications are handled by another outsourced agency and thus concentrated in a single small building).
Print all documents on separate pages. It is recommended not to print double-sided. Both black-and-white and colour prints are acceptable. Organise them in advance and place them in a folder. It is advisable to prepare an extra copy for emergencies.
Steps to Apply for a French Visa
First, visit the website: [https://france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/]. You can switch between Chinese and English in the top right corner.
Click on "Fill in the application form online", then register and activate your email as required, and fill in all the information.
After completing the form, check it for errors. Once confirmed correct, submit it. After submission, download and print the entire form.
Return to the homepage and find "Book a visa appointment". Select the UK, then choose "Whom should I contact?", and click "BOOK AN APPOINTMENT".
The page will then redirect to the TLS website. Select a city, scroll to the bottom of the page, and select "I have completed my France-Visas form".
You will see "Create your TLScontact Account". Scroll down to find the registration section, fill in the required information, and click to register. Reminder: Use a different email address for this registration than the one used for the French visa form mentioned above.
After booking the appointment, download and print the appointment confirmation.
Reminder: You can also book an appointment in advance on TLS, but remember to prepare the required documents in advance and allow sufficient time for preparation.
Prepare Documents and Visit the Centre on the Appointed Date
Printed documents after submitting the France-visas application: one application form and one application form receipt.
Printed TLS appointment confirmation. Reminder: It is recommended not to change the appointment time once confirmed. Although free rescheduling is allowed, it can only be done once for free.
Original passport and 2 copies of the passport's front page. Reminder: If you have previously applied for a French visa, make a copy of that visa page. If you have an old passport, bring it along and prepare 2 copies of it in advance.
Original BRP (Biometric Residence Permit) and a copy. Reminder: The validity of your visa should be at least 3 months beyond your return date.
Recent student certificate issued by your school. Generally, every university in the UK has a student system where you can print the student certificate independently. You may also be able to customise the header. If possible, set the header to "To France Embassy"; if not, the general header is also acceptable. If you do not know how to print it, contact the student centre.
Prepare several passport-sized, bare-headed photos. You can bring both 2-inch and small 2-inch photos (generally, passport-sized photos are required). The staff will usually collect 1 or 2 photos on-site, but sometimes only digital versions are needed. If the staff deems your photos non-compliant, they will ask you to retake them using the self-service machine on-site. Remember to bring appropriate cash. Try to avoid wearing all-white clothing; you can bring a collared garment instead. Wear earrings or other jewellery that can be easily removed, and it is advisable not to wear heavy makeup—these preparations are for the fingerprinting and photo-taking process.
Hotel accommodation proof. Remember that it must correspond to your travel itinerary; the duration of accommodation proof should match your stay in France. You can book through Booking.com and select hotels that allow free cancellation or modification. After booking, you can edit the reservation in the backend to add the full names of yourself and your travel companions. Ensure the names match those on your passports—this way, you won’t need to email the hotel to request a separate reservation confirmation. The French visa requires proof of payment, not just a reservation. Do not cancel the hotel booking before your visa is approved.
Three months of bank statements. Calculate the estimated expenses you may need, and ensure you have sufficient savings. Generally, for a short trip, around £2,000 is recommended, but £1,000 or more may also be acceptable if your account is active. The more savings you have, the better. If your bank account has been open for less than 3 months, print a bank account opening certificate and ensure it shows a substantial amount of funds. Maintain active transaction records from the account opening date to the date of printing. I used a NATWEST bank account, so I printed the statements directly online. Note: Do not keep the funds in a savings account.
Reminder from Shishengmiao: Your name and address must be clearly stated on the bank statements. After printing, have the bank stamp them, or print them directly at the bank and get them stamped. Some banks may not require stamping—confirm this with your bank. It is recommended to use the original statements mailed by the bank. If you don’t have the originals, printing them at the bank is acceptable, but they must include your name and address. The more savings you have, the better; you can transfer funds from your savings account to your current account. Generally, more funds may result in a longer visa validity period.
9. Printed travel insurance. Travel insurance is a mandatory document; the printed copy must include your full name and insurance coverage details.
From many experience posts I’ve read, people recommend buying insurance from the post office or via the Money Supermarket website. When applying for a visa for the first time, people often fear rejection, so they purchase insurance. However, post office insurance is somewhat expensive, and more importantly, some insurances are invalid for non-UK residents and non-permanent residents. Therefore, read the insurance policy carefully before purchasing. Post office insurance generally only covers UK Permanent Residents, meaning it does not apply to us (unless you hold permanent residency or have naturalised as a UK citizen). Insurance is a mandatory visa requirement, so many people only view it as a formality and buy any random insurance. However, in the event of issues such as lost or stolen mobile phones, passports, or luggage, or health problems, you may not be eligible for compensation (different insurances cover different items—always check the policy), as most of these insurances only cover UK citizens. Many cheap insurances on Money Supermarket also only cover UK Permanent Residents, so read the terms carefully before purchasing. You can also buy insurance from local physical companies in the UK—remember to ask questions and review the terms thoroughly.
10. Proof of round-trip transportation. This can be flight tickets, Megabus tickets, Eurostar tickets, etc. It is recommended to choose flexible options that allow rescheduling or refunds.
11. Detailed travel itinerary. You can create a table in Word, clearly outlining your daily plans (e.g., which day you will take which transportation and visit which attractions). If the staff at the visa centre find this document missing during the check, they will give you a form to fill out on-site. Therefore, it is better to prepare it in advance.
12. Arrive at the visa application centre 1 hour or 30 minutes before your appointment time. Use the toilet in advance and drink as little water as possible—there may be long queues if the centre is busy. Note: You may not be allowed entry if you are late. On the day of your appointment, do not wear earrings that are difficult to remove or all-white clothing (this is for the photo-taking process). You will also need to go through security checks upon entry. After the staff verify your documents, you will be asked to make the payment. Mailing services cost around a dozen pounds—prepare enough funds in advance (you can use a bank card, cash, or other payment methods). After payment, you will proceed to fingerprinting and photo-taking. If there is a long queue, wait patiently and do not leave the queue area—missed queue calls can cause significant inconvenience.
Other Preparations for Travel to France
Exchange Euros: You can do this at a bank or a legitimate foreign exchange agency. Exchange more small change. I use NATWEST, and its exchange rate is lower than some external foreign exchange agencies, which I find quite good. You can also exchange Euros via online platforms, but this is generally not recommended. Compare exchange rates across different providers before making a purchase. The platform will deliver the Euros to your home, and delivery is free for orders over £500, with next-day delivery.
Mobile phone SIM card: You can buy one in advance in the UK or activate international roaming on your existing UK SIM card. Local French SIM cards—SFR’s PAY AS YOU GO (French: carte sim prépayée) cards are relatively affordable. However, they can be difficult to use if you don’t understand French, as there is no English explanation. The three major French mobile operators (SFR, Orange, Bouygues) all have relatively high rates. Wi-Fi access: Free Wi-Fi is available at airports, train stations, and in fast-food chains such as Quick and McDonald’s. To make a direct call from France to China: dial 00, followed by China’s country code 86, then the area code of the Chinese region, and finally the recipient’s phone number. To make a direct call from China to France: dial 00, followed by France’s country code 33, then the recipient’s phone number. Note: Omit the leading "0" of the French domestic phone number—dial the first digit after the "0" directly.
