# France Visit Visa for Indians Visiting Family or Friends > How Indians visit relatives or friends in France: the right visa, money to show when staying with family, documents, where to apply, multiple-entry rules and refusal appeals. _Published: 2026-11-05 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1090_ ## TL;DR Indians visiting family or friends in France for up to 90 days apply for a Schengen short-stay visa through France-Visas and VFS Global. The fee is 90 euros (free for a French citizen's foreign spouse and family of EU citizens), and the European Commission's reference amount for France is EUR 32.50 a day if you hold proof of accommodation. ## Key takeaways - Visits of up to 90 days in any 180 use the Schengen short-stay visa (Family visit category). - Fee: 90 euros for adults, 45 euros for children 6-12; free for children under 6, a French citizen's foreign spouse and family of EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. - France's reference amount: EUR 32.50 a day with proof of accommodation, EUR 120 a day without, and EUR 65 minimum per day. - Decisions within 15 calendar days of lodging, extendable to 45 in individual cases. - European Commission data: 15.3% refusal rate at French consulates in India in 2025. **Indians visiting family in France apply for a short-stay Schengen visa in the 'Family visit' category: complete the form on France-Visas, then submit it at a VFS Global centre. According to France-Visas, the fee is 90 euros, and it is free for a French citizen's foreign spouse. Decisions usually come within 15 calendar days.** ## Article The rules below come from France-Visas, the Embassy of France in India, VFS Global and the European Commission, as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For every visa type and the full fee table, see our France visa guide for Indian applicants. ### Which visa do you need to visit relatives in France? The answer depends on who you are visiting and how long you stay. France-Visas lists family visit as a short-stay purpose and has separate long-stay categories for people settling with family. Your situationVisaVisa feeVisiting a son, daughter, sibling or friend for up to 90 daysSchengen short-stay visa, Family visit90 euros (45 euros for children 6-12; free under 6)Foreign spouse of a French national, stay up to 90 daysSchengen short-stay visaFreeFamily member of an EU, EEA or Swiss nationalSchengen short-stay visaFreeSpouse settling with a French nationalLong-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS)FreeSpouse or minor child joining a non-EU resident of FranceFamily reunification long-stay visa via OFIILong-stay visa fee (standard rate 99 euros)Family reunification is not a visiting route. It requires the family member in France to have lived there regularly for at least 18 months and to prove sufficient resources and suitable accommodation. For a holiday with relatives, the short-stay visa is the one to apply for. ### How much money should you show if you stay with family? The European Commission publishes reference amounts that France applies at the border. As of 8 June 2026 they are: - EUR 65 minimum per day and per person; - EUR 32.50 per day if you hold proof of accommodation, such as a stay with relatives; - EUR 120 per day if you have no proof of accommodation; - where a hotel covers only part of the stay, EUR 65 for that period and EUR 120 for the rest. Proof of means follows the EU Visa Code Handbook: bank statements showing movements over at least the last three months, salary slips, a certificate of employment, and credit card statements. The Handbook also accepts proof of sponsorship or private accommodation. If your relative is paying, their sponsorship counts, but consulates may check the reliability and stability of amounts credited to a bank statement, so keep the funding trail clear and easy to follow. ### What documents does a family-visit file need? France-Visas generates your exact checklist when you fill the online form, and you present documents in the same order. The common items for every short-stay applicant are: - The VFS appointment confirmation letter (PDF printout). - A passport issued within the previous 10 years, valid at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen area, with 2 pages blank on both sides, plus a copy. - The signed France-Visas form and its receipt. - Two recent ICAO photos with a neutral light gray background. - Travel medical insurance with cover of at least EUR 30,000. - Proof of private accommodation from your relative or friend, and proof of means. - Optional: a factual explanatory note of up to one page with your identity, passport number and France-Visas reference. A foreign spouse of a French national adds proof of marital status and of the spouse's French nationality. Documents in languages other than English or French may need a French translation. ### Where and when should you apply? VFS Global is France's exclusive provider in India, with 14 regular centres and 4 temporary service points. Book with your France-Visas reference number. Spouses of French citizens and family members of EU citizens may instead walk in at New Delhi, Jalandhar, Chandigarh and Jaipur. Apply no more than 6 months before travel. France-Visas gives a minimum of 5 days before departure for Indian passport holders born in India, while VFS India advises at least two weeks. Decisions come within 15 calendar days of lodging and may be extended up to 45 days in individual cases, so leave margin for family events with fixed dates. ### Can one visa cover several family visits? Yes, if you qualify for a multiple-entry visa. Under the European Commission's Implementing Decision of 18 April 2024, Indian nationals living in India who have obtained and lawfully used two visas within the previous three years are issued a 2-year multiple-entry Schengen visa. A 5-year visa can follow once you have lawfully used a 2-year visa within the previous three years, if your passport validity allows. Visa validity ends 3 months before your passport expires where the passport is shorter, and the stay limit remains 90 days in any 180-day period. For parents who visit children in France regularly, this travel history is worth building. ### What if France refuses the visa? European Commission data show a refusal rate of 15.3% for short-stay Schengen applications lodged at French consulates in India in 2025: 31,058 visas not issued; 204,184 applications lodged. The 90-euro fee is kept even if the visa is refused. You can appeal within 30 days of the refusal, by post, written in French and signed, to the Deputy Director of Visas at BP 83609, 44036 Nantes Cedex 1. This prior appeal is mandatory before the administrative court, and no decision within 2 months counts as an implicit refusal. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for family-visit files. Packages run from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us through our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can my parents stay in France for more than 90 days? Not on a short-stay visa, which allows 90 days in any 180-day period. France-Visas has long-stay categories, such as a tourist stay of more than 3 months, or a dependent older relative settling with a French national, each with its own conditions. #### Do children need fingerprints for a France visa? No. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprints at the VFS centre, although they still need photos. Children under 6 also pay no visa fee. #### Can my relative in France pay for my trip? Yes. The EU Visa Code Handbook accepts proof of sponsorship as evidence of means. Show the sponsor's support clearly, because consulates may check how reliable and stable the amounts on a bank statement are. #### Do I need an airport transit visa if I connect through Paris to visit family elsewhere? Not if you stay in the international zone of a French airport. Since 10 April 2026, Indian ordinary passport holders no longer need an airport transit visa for France. ## FAQ ### Can my parents stay in France for more than 90 days? Not on a short-stay visa, which allows 90 days in any 180-day period. France-Visas has long-stay categories, such as a tourist stay of more than 3 months, or a dependent older relative settling with a French national, each with its own conditions. ### Do children need fingerprints for a France visa? No. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprints at the VFS centre, although they still need photos. Children under 6 also pay no visa fee. ### Can my relative in France pay for my trip? Yes. The EU Visa Code Handbook accepts proof of sponsorship as evidence of means. Show the sponsor's support clearly, because consulates may check how reliable and stable the amounts on a bank statement are. ### Do I need an airport transit visa if I connect through Paris to visit family elsewhere? Not if you stay in the international zone of a French airport. Since 10 April 2026, Indian ordinary passport holders no longer need an airport transit visa for France. ## Sources 1. [France-Visas - Short-stay visa](https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/visa-de-court-sejour) — France-Visas, Government of France 2. [France-Visas - Family of French national](https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/famille-de-francais) — France-Visas, Government of France 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. [European Commission — Schengen visa statistics by consulate (2025)](https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/document/download/56816949-e59f-442b-9091-5d03360bf860_en) — European Commission