If you are planning to travel to France you must follow the Schengen area passport requirements.

Your passport must be:

• Issued less than 10 years before the date you enter the country (check the ‘date of issue’)
• valid for at least 3 months after the day you plan to leave (check the ‘expiry date’)

You must check your passport meets these requirements before you travel. If your passport was issued before 1 October 2018, extra months may have been added to its expiry date.

You can, at present, travel to countries in the Schengen area, which France is part of, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. This applies if you travel as a tourist, to visit family or friends, to attend business meetings, cultural or sports events, or for short-term studies or training. More information France-visas.gouv.fr | The official website for visa application to France

Check your passport is stamped if you enter or exit the Schengen area through France as a visitor. Border guards will use passport stamps to check you’re complying with the 90-day visa-free limit for short stays in the Schengen area. If relevant entry or exit stamps are not in your passport, border guards will presume that you have overstayed your visa-free limit.

From November 2023 all UK nationals will have to register for an ETIAS. The European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS visa waiver) for Europe will allow visitors to travel between all the Schengen countries, including France. Applicants will be able to obtain an ETIAS for France by completing an online application form https://www.etias.info/application/

ETIAS is a visa waiver system, rather than a visa. Visitors from countries that enjoy visa exemption for France and the Schengen Area will continue to do so; however from November 2023, registering with ETIAS will be an additional requirement. The online form is quick and simple to fill out compared to a traditional visa application at an embassy.

TRAVELLING WITH CHILDREN

If you are travelling with a child who is not your child it is recommended that along with the child’s passport you also have a signed letter from the child’s parent/ guardian giving you permission (ideally in English and French) along with a copy of the parent/ guardians passport/ id document.

TRAVELLING WITH PETS

If you wish to travel with a pet dog, cat or ferret to the EU, please read the Gov.uk guidance. You can no longer use a pet passport issued in Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) for travel to France. If your pet passport was issued in an EU Member State or Northern Ireland it remains valid for travel to France.