# How to Track Your France Visa Application Status from India > After your VFS appointment, a France visa can be tracked on the VFS website or France-Visas. What you need, how long to wait, and how to collect the passport or send a family member. _Published: 2026-11-06 · Reading time: 4 min · Words: 1023_ ## TL;DR Track a France visa lodged in India on the VFS Global website with the reference number on your VFS receipt and your last name, or through France-Visas 'Follow an application'. Short-stay decisions normally take 15 calendar days and can stretch to 45, and only an immediate family member or other listed person can collect your passport for you. ## Key takeaways - VFS sends an SMS when your France visa application is submitted. - Track on the VFS website with the reference number on your VFS receipt and your last name, or via France-Visas 'Follow an application'. - Short-stay decisions are normally taken within 15 calendar days and may be extended up to 45 days. - Only an immediate family member, a group member, an authorised person or a company representative may collect your passport, with your ICR receipt and an authorisation letter. - A refusal can be appealed within 30 days, in French, to the authorities in Nantes. **Indians track a France visa application on the VFS Global website using the reference number printed on the VFS receipt and their last name, or through the France-Visas 'Follow an application' service. According to VFS Global France, an SMS confirms submission; the consulate normally decides within 15 calendar days, extendable up to 45.** ## Article The steps and charges below are as published on the official sources, checked on 2026-10-15. Tracking starts the moment you leave the VFS centre, so keep the receipt safe. ### Where can you check your France visa status? Two official tools show where your file stands: ToolWhat you enterRun byVFS Global tracking pageReference number on the VFS receipt and your last nameVFS Global, France's exclusive service provider in IndiaFrance-Visas 'Follow an application'Your France-Visas application detailsGovernment of FranceUse the VFS Global France India site for the tracking page. VFS sends an SMS when the application is submitted; that message confirms your file has entered the system. Remember who decides. VFS only collects files. Decisions are taken only by the Embassy of France in New Delhi and the French consulates in Mumbai, Puducherry, Kolkata and Bengaluru. ### What do you need before you can track? - The VFS receipt (ICR). It carries the reference number for tracking, and the original is also needed if someone collects your passport. - Your last name exactly as on the application. Spell it the same way you did on France-Visas and at VFS. - Your France-Visas reference. You used it to book the VFS appointment; keep the printout of the form and its receipt. - The mobile number you gave VFS. The submission SMS goes there. ### How long should you wait before worrying? France decides short-stay visa applications within 15 calendar days of lodging. In individual cases the period may be extended up to 45 calendar days. France-Visas adds that processing times vary with nationality, purpose of stay, personal situation and local conditions, and that some visa types need special checks. So a status that has not changed in the first two weeks is normal. During examination the consulate may also request additional documents, so watch your email and phone. One legal point matters if the wait drags on. France-Visas says that no decision within 2 months of an application counts as an implicit refusal, which you can then appeal. This is why the application window matters. France-Visas tells Indian passport holders born in India to apply at least 5 days before departure, while VFS India advises at least two weeks. Neither leaves room for a 45-day extension, so apply well ahead; you can apply up to 6 months before travel. ### Which French office is examining your file? France in India publishes a territorial (consular) jurisdiction for each of its five offices. Knowing them helps you make sense of any request for documents or contact from a consulate: - Embassy of France, New Delhi: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh (and Nepal). - Consulate General, Mumbai: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu. - Consulate General, Bengaluru: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana. - Consulate General, Puducherry: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Puducherry. - Consulate General, Kolkata: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura, West Bengal (and Bhutan). VFS centres sit in 14 cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata and Puducherry, with temporary service points in Coimbatore, Guwahati, Mangalore and Vishakhapatnam. ### How do you collect the passport, or send someone? Once the decision is made, the passport comes back through VFS. You have these options: OptionCharge (VFS India, incl. GST)ConditionsCollect in personNo charge listedStandard optionImmediate family member collectsNo charge listedParent, child, sibling or spouse only, with a photocopy of their government ID, your original ICR and your authorisation letterGroup member or company representative collectsNo charge listedOne member of a group may collect for the group; a company representative may collect for staffCourier550 INROptional serviceAssured courier770 INROptional serviceSaturday passport collection550 INROptional serviceA friend or colleague cannot collect on your behalf unless they fall into one of the listed categories. ### What if the status shows a refusal? A refusal can be appealed within 30 days, by post, written in French and signed. Send short-stay appeals to the Deputy Director of Visas, and long-stay appeals to the Commission for Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions (CRRV). Both are at BP 83609, 44036 Nantes Cedex 1. This prior appeal is mandatory before going to the administrative court. The 90-euro visa fee is kept even if the visa is refused. Fix the reason for refusal before reapplying rather than filing the same papers again. ### Mistakes that slow down tracking and collection - Losing the ICR. Without it, tracking and collection by a family member both become harder. - Sending an ineligible person to collect. Only the people listed above may collect. - Booking non-refundable travel before the decision. Use a verifiable flight reservation for the file instead. For documents, fees and the full application process, see our France visa guide for Indians. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, travel itineraries and cover letters for visa files, with packages from INR 1,000 (flight reservation) to INR 3,000 (reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter). WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or use our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can VFS speed up my France visa decision? No. VFS Global collects the file, but visa decisions are taken only by the Embassy of France in New Delhi and the French consulates in Mumbai, Puducherry, Kolkata and Bengaluru. #### Is the France visa fee refunded if my application is refused? No. The 90-euro Schengen visa fee is paid in local currency at the VFS centre and is kept even if the visa is refused. #### Can my friend collect my France visa passport from VFS? Only if they are an immediate family member (parent, child, sibling or spouse), a member of your group collecting for the group, or a company representative. They need a photocopy of their government ID, your original ICR and your authorisation letter. #### Does the 15-day processing time start at my VFS appointment? France decides within 15 calendar days of lodging, extendable up to 45 days in individual cases. Applications only take effect once the file is submitted in person at a VFS centre. ## Steps 1. **Keep your VFS receipt** — After the appointment, store the VFS receipt (ICR). Its reference number is what you use to track, and the original is needed for collection by a family member. 2. **Wait for the submission SMS** — VFS sends an SMS to the mobile number you gave when the application is submitted, confirming your file is in the system. 3. **Track on the VFS website** — Enter the reference number from the VFS receipt and your last name on the VFS Global France India tracking page. 4. **Cross-check on France-Visas** — Use the France-Visas 'Follow an application' service as a second source on the status of your file. 5. **Allow 15 to 45 days** — France normally decides within 15 calendar days of lodging, extendable up to 45 days. Respond quickly if the consulate asks for more documents. 6. **Collect the passport** — Collect in person, send an eligible family member with your ICR, ID copy and authorisation letter, or use VFS courier (550 INR) or assured courier (770 INR). ## FAQ ### Can VFS speed up my France visa decision? No. VFS Global collects the file, but visa decisions are taken only by the Embassy of France in New Delhi and the French consulates in Mumbai, Puducherry, Kolkata and Bengaluru. ### Is the France visa fee refunded if my application is refused? No. The 90-euro Schengen visa fee is paid in local currency at the VFS centre and is kept even if the visa is refused. ### Can my friend collect my France visa passport from VFS? Only if they are an immediate family member (parent, child, sibling or spouse), a member of your group collecting for the group, or a company representative. They need a photocopy of their government ID, your original ICR and your authorisation letter. ### Does the 15-day processing time start at my VFS appointment? France decides within 15 calendar days of lodging, extendable up to 45 days in individual cases. Applications only take effect once the file is submitted in person at a VFS centre. ## Sources 1. [VFS Global India - France: FAQ (photos, fees, appointments)](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/fra/faq) — VFS Global 2. [France-Visas - Frequently asked questions (appeals, where to apply)](https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/faq) — Government of France (France-Visas) 3. [VFS Global India - France: Optional services](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/fra/optional-services) — VFS Global