France visa for Dubai residents

How to get a France visa from Dubai? Apply for the France visa for Dubai residents

The France visa is for Dubai residents (and all residents of the greater UAE) who are looking to vacation or otherwise travel to France. The procedure for acquiring France visas and types is outlined below. 

1. Learn what are the France visa requirements for Dubai residents

• A France visa is a type of Schengen visa for UAE residents (including those from Dubai), which entitles its holder to visit France (in addition to the Schengen area). The Schengen area has 27 countries, including France; UAE residents should apply for a France visa from Dubai or Abu Dhabi if France is their primary destination in the Schengen area (i.e. if they are only visiting France, or if they will visit other Schengen countries but spend the majority of their time in France). 
• Getting a France visa from Dubai entails meeting the France visa requirements listed throughout steps 2-9. 

2. Choose when to apply for your France visa from Dubai

• The application for a France visa for Dubai residents should be submitted ideally well before the applicant’s trip. This way, the visa-seeker has enough time to prepare his or her application and wait for it to be processed (rather than if they apply too close to their departure date and don’t receive it in time). Keeping this in mind, applications for the France visa for Dubai residents should be submitted between 15 and 60 days before a trip (ideally closer to 60 than 15) but not earlier than six months. 

3. Find your application destination where to apply for a Schengen visa from Dubai

• A Schengen visa for UAE residents is available via the French Embassy in Abu Dhabi. If you are located in Dubai, you may likely apply through the French Consular section there. SchengenVisas.com facilitates submissions for the France visa for Dubai residents; contact us to find out exactly where you should deliver your application. 

4. Choose your France Schengen visa type

• France visas and types include Tourist, Study, Business, and Visiting Family and Friends, and reflect the most popular reasons for traveling to France. Your reason will therefore determine your selection. See the complete list here, and indicate your preferred visa type on your main Schengen visa application form.  

5. Choose your Schengen area entry category

• The three Schengen-area entry categories for the France visa for Dubai residents are single, double and multiple. You will indicate your preferred entry category on your main Schengen visa application form. Select multiple if you want to travel in and out of the Schengen area, select double if you need one exit (meaning you need to exit the zone and return to it one time) and select single if you do not intend to return to the area after exiting (as a single-entry grants no re-entries after the first entry to the zone). 

6. Submit your main online application form to see how much does a France visa cost

• In addition to applying in person at your application destination, your application for the France visa for Dubai residents also contains an online component, which you must access in order to meet your French visa requirements. Fill out and print out the copy of the electronically-generated form and your receipt and submit both as part of your required documents. 
• Pay your France visa fees online, through the visa portal (you should receive a prompt to do this when you have completed the biographical information portion of the application form). If paying online, you will pay by credit or debit. More information about Schengen visa payments for the France visa for Dubai residents is available here.

7. Arrange the documents/materials required for a France visa for Dubai residents

• An application for a France visa from Dubai consists of the main application form (outlined above) as well as the documents and materials listed below. You must submit everything at the same time at your France visa interview appointment:
  • Your national passport.
  • Two passport photos. 
  • Your Dubai residency card.
  • France visa fees (80 EUR). 
  • Evidence that you will return to Dubai when your visa is up (proof of return).
  • Evidence that you have arranged for a place to stay in France (proof of address). 
  • Evidence that you can afford all costs associated with your trip to France, including day to day expenses (proof of finances). 
  • Evidence that you have already purchased travel medical insurance for your trip to France (Proof of insurance).
• Depending on which type of visa you applied for, you will need to submit supplemental documents on its behalf. Example: You selected “Visiting Family or Friends” as your visa type. Now you must submit a letter from the family or friend you are visiting in France, which invites you to the country. Please note that this letter, if not already written in French, English, or Spanish, can only be submitted as a supplemental document if a translation of it into (preferably French) is included alongside of it. The same goes for all documents/materials submitted in pursuit of the French visa requirements; they must be translated in order to be accepted. Contact us at Schengenvisas.com for help with this. 

8. Arrange visa appointment for how to apply for a France visa from Dubai

• If you didn’t get a visa appointment during your online application for your France visa for Dubai residents (via the France’s visa portal), you can contact us to arrange the appointment for you. 

9. Be interviewed and meet other requirements at your visa appointment

• The interview for the France visa from Dubai is just one component of the in-person application process. The interview time does not typically exceed 15 minutes and consists of you being asked basic questions about yourself and your trip. Alongside the interview, you will hand in your complete application for your French visa. In addition, you will be asked to submit your biometrics (photos and fingerprints) which will be entered into the Schengen security system (for identification/security purposes). 
• Dubai residents who were unable to pay their visa fees online will do so at their visa appointment (they will likely need to pay cash, which means they should be prepared to bring 80 EUR to their appointment (or the AED /USD equivalent of that amount). Contact SchengenVisas.com for localized information on the payment preferences of your application destination in Dubai. 

10. Processing time for a France Schengen visa: await a decision

• As discussed in step 2, a France visa for Dubai residents has a standard processing period of 15-60 days. While your France visa for Dubai residents is being processed, your passport will remain with the responsible consular authorities (something you should keep in mind when you apply, as it could in theory be held for 60 days). 

11. Rejected applicants: How to apply again for a France visa from Dubai

• Unfortunately, not every Dubai visa applicant emerges from the process with a visa in hand. Rejected applicants for the France visa for Dubai residents may appeal a rejected France Schengen visa. Contact us at SchengenVisas.com to do this, or for help re-applying.