Does a foreigner need a visa for an overseas trip?

non-European foreigner

If you are a foreigner no European (EU + EEA + Switzerland) and you want to travel abroad for a short stay (maximum 3 months in a 6-month period), you need to apply for a specific short stay visa.

You cannot get a Schengen visa because overseas France is not part of the Schengen area.

However, you will not need a visa if you have residence permit or a D-type long-stay visa valid issued by a French authority or by another Schengen countries.

Regardless of your situation, your passport must meet the following 3 conditions:

• Be valid for at least 3 months after the date you plan to leave the visited overseas territory
• Contain 2 blank sheets
• Have been issued for less than 10 years.

For certain nationalities, there may be a dispensation visa depending on your passport type and your destination.

You can check if you need a visa using the Visa Assistant service:

Check if you need a visa - Visa Assistant

If you are not in one of the cases of exemption and you want to travel overseas, you must hold a limited-validity entry visa for the intended destination.

You must submit your visa application before your departure to the consulate of France in the country where you live.

The visa is issued for a maximum stay of 3 months. It shall bear the indication of the territory of the intended stay. This specific visa “overseas” does not allow you to enter the Schengen area.

If you originally requested a visa only for the space Schengen, you can apply for an overseas visa from the department's prefect.

If you are in a other Schengen country, the application is to be filed at the nearest French consulate.