Consulate General of France in Bombay – Applying for Schengen Visa from India

Introduction

Consulate General of France in Bombay processes France Schengen Visa applications and France Residence Permit applications.

France at a glance

From the littoral resorts of the Côte d’Azur to the boulevards of the majestic Paris, France offers the most enticing and breathtaking scenery in the world.

The land of Jean-Paul Sartre delights romantics with fairy-tale castles, picture-perfect hamlets and soaring cathedrals. Kick-off your journey of exploring France from the iconic Eiffel Tower, the emblem and the soul of contemporary France.

And if you are appreciative of and sensitive to art and beauty, there is a high probability that you will get bogged down in museums as just one wing of Louvre Museum—world’s largest art museum—can consume a whole day.  From Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci in the Louvre to The Thinker by Auguste Rodin at the Rodin Museum, from Water Lillies by Claude Monet at l’Orangerie to Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe by Edouard Manet at Musee d’Orsay, the city of lights never fails to impress an aesthete.

Visit majestic and grandiose Palace of Versailles to transcend the time boundaries to feel royalty and nobility.

But France is not all about Paris only. Côte d’Azur aka French Riveria—located in Southeastern France—is synonymous with glamour. Quant fishing kraals of Brittany serves mouthwatering seafood and crêpes.

Indulge in it all and savor the irresistible magic of France.

France is also part of the Schengen Area and hence one needs France Schengen Visa to stay in France for a period of up to 90 days.

Jurisdiction of Consulate General of France in Bombay

Consulate General of France in Bombay covers the following states of India:

West Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Jharkhand, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Sikkim.

Visa Application Process at Consulate General of France in Bombay

Below is the ultimate guide to laying your hands on France Schengen Visa:

Step 1: Complete Online Application                

The process will formally begin by filling the online application for France Schengen Visa. Carefully fill the application as any intentional or unintentional discrepancy will result in rejection of the visa application.

At the end of the seizure, you must imperatively print the application form and the receipt of the application. It is worth here to mention that a visa application cannot be presented more than 3 months before the start of the trip.

Consulate General of France in Bangalore – Visa Application

Step 2: Gather Visa docs

This is the trickiest part of the visa application process, and the time consuming also. These documents include:

Authentic travel document: An authentic travel document means that you must have in custody a passport whose validity extends to 90 days after the intended date of return

It must also have two blank pages to mark the arrival and departure dates.

Flight Reservation for Visa Application: Arguably the most important document in your visa application, a flight reservation for visa application assures the visa officer that the applicant intends not to stay illegal in the host nation.

A flight reservation for the visa application assures it through the printed date of arrival and departure. With unique PNR codes, a visa officer can verify it on the airline’s website.

Travel Health Insurance: Another important document in your visa application, a travel health insurance document assures visa officer that itinerant has got himself covered financially.

A travel health insurance for visa application is considered valid only when it provides financial coverage of minimum amount USD 45000 or EUR 30000.

The availed travel health insurance must also hold validity in the whole Schengen Area. It must also cover the cost of repatriation.

Hotel Bookings for Visa Application: A hotel booking document for visa application states that the wanderlust has paid in advance to seek accommodation in the host nation. Thus, this document ensures the visa officer obliquely of the applicant’s financial ability.

Means of subsistence: It means to provide evidence to the French Embassy or consulate that the applicant has sufficient amount or financial resources to bear his/her expenditures during his stay in the Schengen country. In the absence of proof of accommodation or hotel booking, the applicant is bound to attest to the French Consulate or Embassy that he possesses daily cash equivalent to 120 euros.

A well-crafted cover letter.

The amount plummets to 65 euros per day if the foreigner—seeking entry in France—displays proof of prepaid accommodation.

The amount falls further to 32.25 euros per day if the applicant holds evidence of cheaper means of accommodation.

Evidence of social status in India.

If minor: Consent letter signed by the parents.

If student:

NOC

Proof of enrollment.

Bank statement.

If employee:

NOC

Bank statement

Leave the permission document.

Step 3: Appear for Interview

In the last step, the itinerant will appear for the interview at the Consulate General of France in Bombay. Reach the consulate at least 30 minutes prior to the interview. Otherwise, your interview will be canceled and you have to reschedule it.

Step 4: Collect Visa

Usually, the Consulate General of France in Bombay takes up to 15 days to process the visa application. You can collect it by appearing in person or through the post.