# France Visa for Indian Parents and Senior Citizens > How Indian parents and retired travellers apply for a France visa: which visa fits, how to prove funds without pay slips, sponsorship, VFS help and multiple-entry rules. _Published: 2026-11-05 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1224_ ## TL;DR Indian parents visiting a child in France use the standard short-stay Schengen visa, filed on France-Visas and lodged at VFS Global. The fee is 90 euros, insurance must cover at least EUR 30,000, and staying with your child lowers the reference funds to EUR 32.50 a day. Long-stay options exist only if the child is a French national. ## Key takeaways - Parents use the standard short-stay Schengen visa; France has no separate parents or senior-citizen category. - Visa fee 90 euros plus a VFS service fee of 22 EUR per applicant. - Reference funds: EUR 32.50 a day with proof of accommodation, EUR 120 a day without it. - Family reunification covers spouses and minor children only; a long-stay route for dependent parents exists when the child is a French national. - Repeat travellers can move to 2-year and then 5-year multiple-entry visas under the EU cascade. **Indian parents visiting a child in France apply for a short-stay Schengen visa (family visit or tourism) on France-Visas, then submit it at a VFS centre. According to France-Visas and VFS, the fee is 90 euros, travel medical insurance must cover at least EUR 30,000, and the decision is due within 15 calendar days of lodging, extendable to 45.** ## Article France has no dedicated visa category for parents or senior citizens. Retired applicants follow the same Schengen rules as everyone else, and France-Visas generates the document checklist for each application. What changes for older travellers is how they prove funds, who pays, and the practical help available at the visa centre. The rules below are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. ### Which France visa should Indian parents apply for? The right visa depends on how long your parents will stay and on your own status in France. SituationVisaWhat it requiresVisit of up to 90 days in any 180-day periodShort-stay Schengen visa (family visit or tourism)France-Visas checklist, EUR 30,000 travel medical insurance, proof of means of subsistenceChild is a French national; dependent parent settling in FranceLong-stay visa as family of a French nationalProof of relationship, the child's French nationality, dependency, accommodation and medical insurance for the first 3 monthsChild is a non-EU national living in FranceFamily reunification is not available to parentsThat route covers the resident's spouse and minor children onlyMost families fall into the first row. The short-stay visa fee is 90 euros, and the VFS service fee is 22 EUR per applicant, payable in rupees at the rate set by the French authorities. The visa fee is kept even if the visa is refused. ### How should retired parents prove they can pay for the trip? The France-Visas FAQ lists the usual proof of means: personal bank statements for the last 3 months, the last 3 pay slips, credit or debit card statements, and traveller's cheques. The EU Visa Code Handbook adds that consulates may check the reliability and stability of amounts credited to a bank statement. Retired parents have no pay slips to submit. Their bank statements therefore need to show regular credits and a balance that fits the trip, without sudden deposits made just before applying. The European Commission's table for France (8 June 2026) sets reference amounts per person: Accommodation situationReference amountGeneral minimumEUR 65 per day and per personHolding proof of accommodationEUR 32.50 per dayNo proof of accommodationEUR 120 per dayHotel reservation for part of the stayEUR 65 for that period, EUR 120 for the rest ### Can your son or daughter in France sponsor the visit? Yes. Under the EU Visa Code Handbook, proof of sponsorship or private accommodation is one accepted way to show means of subsistence. If your parents stay with you, proof of accommodation also brings the reference amount down to EUR 32.50 per day. France does not publish a static list of sponsor documents. The exact papers for your parents' case appear on the checklist France-Visas generates with the application form. Present every document in the same order as that checklist. A short explanatory note of up to one page, with the applicant's identity, passport number and France-Visas reference, is optional but useful for a family visit. ### What help can senior applicants get at VFS? There is no senior-citizen exemption from biometrics. Photo and 10 fingerprints are collected at the VFS centre, and only children under 12 are exempt from fingerprints. Applicants whose fingerprints were registered for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months are exempt from biometrics, and only they can use the Collection from Home service. Optional VFS service (France, India)PricePremium Lounge40 EURForm filling1 300 INRPrime Time3 000 INRCollection from Home (biometric-exempt applicants only)3 000 INRCourier550 INRPhotograph (4 photos)200 INRParents do not have to come back to collect their passports. An immediate family member, including a child or spouse, can collect them with a photocopy of a government ID card, the original VFS receipt (ICR) and an authorisation letter from the applicant. ### Which French office decides your parents' application? Applications are lodged in the country where the applicant legally resides, so parents living in India apply in India even if you live in France. The deciding office depends on their state. OfficeStates and UTs coveredEmbassy of France, New DelhiHaryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand; Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, LadakhConsulate General, MumbaiChhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra; Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and DiuConsulate General, BengaluruAndhra Pradesh, Karnataka, TelanganaConsulate General, PuducherryKerala, Tamil Nadu; Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, PuducherryConsulate General, KolkataArunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal ### Can parents get a multiple-entry visa for repeat visits? Yes, through the EU cascade for Indian nationals. Parents who have obtained and lawfully used two Schengen visas within the previous three years can be issued a 2-year multiple-entry visa. Lawful use of a 2-year visa within the previous three years can then lead to a 5-year visa, if passport validity allows. Validity ends 3 months before the passport expires, so renew an old passport before applying. ### What should parents check before the appointment? - Passport issued within the previous 10 years, valid at least 3 months after leaving the Schengen area, with 2 blank pages. - Two ICAO photos on a neutral light gray background (not blue), not stapled to the form. - Insurance covering emergency medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation, minimum EUR 30,000, for the whole stay and the whole Schengen area. - Timing: apply no more than 6 months ahead; France-Visas says at least 5 days before departure and VFS advises at least two weeks. Refusals happen. European Commission data shows a refusal rate of 15.3% for Schengen applications lodged at French consulates in India in 2025 (31,058 visas not issued; 204,184 applications lodged). If you are booking accommodation for them, a hotel reservation can cover nights away from your home. Fees, centres and long-stay routes are covered on our France visa page for Indians, and the long-stay family rules are on France-Visas. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa files, priced from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the complete set. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or visit our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Do senior citizens have to give fingerprints for a France visa? Yes, unless they are exempt for another reason. Children under 12 are exempt, and so are applicants whose fingerprints were registered for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months. Age above a certain limit is not listed as an exemption. #### Can I collect my parents' passports from the VFS centre? Yes. An immediate family member, such as a child or spouse, can collect the passport with a photocopy of their government ID card, the original VFS receipt (ICR) and an authorisation letter from the applicant. #### How early can my parents apply for a France visa? No more than 6 months before travel. France-Visas says Indian passport holders born in India can apply at least 5 days before departure, while VFS India advises at least two weeks. Applying earlier leaves room for the 45-day extension. #### Are parents' visa fees refunded if France refuses the visa? No. The 90-euro visa fee is kept even if the visa is refused. A refusal can be appealed within 30 days, in French, by post to the Deputy Director of Visas in Nantes. ## FAQ ### Do senior citizens have to give fingerprints for a France visa? Yes, unless they are exempt for another reason. Children under 12 are exempt, and so are applicants whose fingerprints were registered for a Schengen visa in the last 59 months. Age above a certain limit is not listed as an exemption. ### Can I collect my parents' passports from the VFS centre? Yes. An immediate family member, such as a child or spouse, can collect the passport with a photocopy of their government ID card, the original VFS receipt (ICR) and an authorisation letter from the applicant. ### How early can my parents apply for a France visa? No more than 6 months before travel. France-Visas says Indian passport holders born in India can apply at least 5 days before departure, while VFS India advises at least two weeks. Applying earlier leaves room for the 45-day extension. ### Are parents' visa fees refunded if France refuses the visa? No. The 90-euro visa fee is kept even if the visa is refused. A refusal can be appealed within 30 days, in French, by post to the Deputy Director of Visas in Nantes. ## Sources 1. [France-Visas - Frequently asked questions (photo size, means of subsistence, appeals, return visa, where to apply)](https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/faq) — France-Visas (Government of France) 2. [VFS Global India - France: Optional services](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/fra/optional-services) — VFS Global 3. [European Commission - Reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border (8 June 2026)](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/9bf9a98f-3bd1-4e14-9b39-c9087a08a32f_en?filename=Reference_amounts_table.pdf) — European Commission 4. [France-Visas - Family of French national](https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/famille-de-francais) — France-Visas (Government of France)