The France-Visas.gouv.fr portal is the official starting point for every France Schengen visa application submitted from the UK. It is not where your visa is decided — that is the French Consulate — and it is not where you book your appointment — that is TLScontact. It is where you generate the application form that both TLScontact and the consulate will process.
Getting the form right matters more than most applicants expect. TLScontact performs a basic consistency check between your printed form and your physical passport at the appointment. Discrepancies — a transposed digit in a passport number, a name field that doesn't match your travel document — result in same-day rejection. You leave without having submitted your application and must restart.
This guide walks through every major section of the France-Visas application form, flagging the specific fields where errors are most common and what TLScontact checks at the window.
Before You Start: Account Creation and Visa Type Selection
Account creation: Go to france-visas.gouv.fr and create an account with your primary email address. Use an email you check regularly — the system sends notifications about your application status and any follow-up requirements. The account stores your application progress and submitted forms.
Country of application: Select "United Kingdom" as your country of application. This routes your application to the correct consular jurisdiction and TLScontact booking system.
Visa type selection: This is the first major decision point. The system offers several categories. For most UK-based applicants wanting to travel to France for tourism, visiting family or friends, or a short business trip:
| Your situation | Correct visa type |
|---|---|
| Tourism, visiting friends or family, up to 90 days | Short stay visa (Schengen) — "C" visa |
| Business travel, conference, exhibition, up to 90 days | Short stay visa (Schengen) — "C" visa |
| Studies over 90 days | Long stay visa (VLS-TS) — completely different process |
| Employment in France | Long stay visa (VLS-TS) — completely different process |
| French territory outside Schengen (e.g. French Guiana) | Different visa category — check the portal |
Selecting the wrong category generates the wrong form and may trigger the wrong fee. See France Schengen vs French National Visa (VLS-TS) for a full comparison of the two main categories if your situation is not straightforward tourism.
Section 1: Personal Information
This section collects your name, nationality, date and place of birth. Every field must match your passport exactly.
Surname and given names: Enter as they appear in the data page of your passport. If your passport shows "ZHANG WEI" as surname and given name separately, enter them in those respective fields — do not combine or reorder. If your passport uses a transliteration that differs from your preferred English rendering, the passport version takes precedence.
Date of birth: Enter in the format the system requests. A common error: the system uses DD/MM/YYYY format in line with European convention, but applicants accustomed to MM/DD/YYYY (US convention) or YYYY-MM-DD (ISO format) sometimes transpose the day and month. A person born on 3 June would enter 03/06, not 06/03.
Place of birth: Enter the city of birth as it appears on your passport or birth certificate. For Chinese nationals, this is typically a Chinese city — enter the English transliteration consistently with your passport.
Current nationality: Your current passport nationality. If you hold dual nationality, enter the nationality of the passport you are using for this application. Note the separate field for "nationality at birth" if it differs.
National identity number: For Chinese nationals, this is your Chinese ID card number (18-digit). For UK nationals, leave blank — the UK does not issue national identity card numbers.
Section 2: Passport Details
This section is where the most TLScontact-rejection errors originate. Copy your passport details with extreme care.
Your application form will be verified against your passport at the application centre. Any discrepancy between the form and your travel document will result in the application being returned.
Passport number: Copy character by character. Passport numbers contain both letters and digits; a common error is misreading a zero as the letter O, or vice versa. British passports begin with two letters; Chinese passports with one letter followed by eight digits (e.g., E12345678).
Date of issue and expiry: Your passport must be valid for at least 3 months beyond your intended departure from the Schengen Area. If your passport expires within 3 months of your planned return date, renew before applying. The France-Visas system will flag this.
Issuing authority: The authority that issued your passport. For UK passports: "His Majesty's Passport Office" (or HMPO). For Chinese passports: the Public Security Bureau (PSB) of the issuing region.
Other valid passports: If you hold another valid passport, declare it. Failure to declare a second passport is treated as misrepresentation and can result in refusal under Article 32(b) of the Visa Code.
Section 3: Current Residence
Address in the UK: Your current UK address. Must be consistent with your other submitted documents (bank statements, utility bills, council tax, tenancy agreement).
UK residency status: Declare your legal basis for being in the UK. Options include British citizen, EU settled status, or visa type. Select the category matching your current UK immigration status. For students, this means selecting your visa category and entering your visa reference number.
Length of residence in the UK: How long you have been resident at your current address and in the UK overall. If you have recently moved, provide your current address and note the duration accurately.
Section 4: Employment and Studies
This section is scrutinised carefully during the Article 21 examination. Accuracy and consistency with your employer letter or student enrolment documentation is critical.
| Occupation type | What the consulate looks for |
|---|---|
| Employed | Employer name, address, telephone — should match your employer letter exactly |
| Student | Institution name and address — should match your enrolment letter exactly |
| Self-employed | Business name and type of activity |
| Retired | Pension source |
| Unemployed | Evidence of means of subsistence |
Employer address: Use the official registered address of your employer, matching the letterhead of your employer letter. Discrepancies between form and documentation are noticed.
Section 5: Purpose of the Trip
Main purpose: Select the primary reason for travel. For tourism: "Tourism." For visiting family or friends: "Visit family/friends." For business: "Business trip."
Destination country: "France" for most applicants. If visiting multiple Schengen countries, select the primary destination (the country where you will spend the most nights) or the first country of entry. See France Schengen Visa 2026 UK Application Guide for the rules on competent consulate when visiting multiple Schengen states.
Intended arrival and departure dates: The dates you intend to enter France and leave the Schengen Area. These dates determine the visa validity period requested. Do not request a shorter validity than your actual trip — if your trip is 10 days, request 10 days or slightly more, not 7 days. The consulate may issue a visa with validity matching exactly what you requested.
Duration of stay: Number of nights in the Schengen Area. Must be consistent with your arrival and departure dates.
Section 6: Information About the Journey
Travel itinerary: A day-by-day or city-by-city summary of your planned movements within France (and any other Schengen countries visited). This does not need to be exhaustive for a simple Paris trip, but should cover major phases of a multi-city or multi-country journey.
Means of transport: How you are entering France (flight, Eurostar, ferry, etc.) and returning. Include flight numbers or rail service details if confirmed.
Accommodation: Address of hotel(s), host(s), or rental accommodation in France. The address on the form must match your accommodation booking documents.
Section 7: Personal Data of the Inviting Person or Sponsor
Complete this section only if you have a sponsor (someone funding your trip) or an inviting person (a host in France). If you are booking your own accommodation and funding your own trip, this section may be left blank or marked "not applicable."
If completing this section: the sponsor's or inviting person's full name, address, and contact details must match any accompanying invitation letter. Inconsistencies between the form and the letter will be noted.
Section 8: Travel Medical Insurance
Insurance company: Name of your insurer. A specific policy number is helpful.
Coverage period: Must cover the full duration of your Schengen stay plus the Schengen Area as a whole (not just France). See France Visa Insurance Requirements for the full coverage requirements.
Coverage amount: Must be a minimum of €30,000. Do not enter a figure below this threshold.
Section 9: Prior Visas and Schengen History
This section asks about previous Schengen visas issued, visits to the Schengen Area in the preceding 12 months, and any prior refusals.
Previous Schengen visas: List all Schengen visas issued within the relevant lookback period. Include visa number, validity dates, and issuing country. Even if you did not use all the days allowed on a previous visa, list it.
Previous refusals: Declare all previous visa refusals — Schengen or otherwise — as required by the form. Failure to declare a prior refusal is treated as misrepresentation and is itself a ground for refusal under Article 32. If you were previously refused a Schengen visa, address this proactively in your supporting documents by explaining what has changed since the refusal.
Biometric data previously collected: Indicate if you have provided biometrics for a previous Schengen application.
Saving, Printing, and Signing
Save frequently: Use the save function throughout. The portal times out after extended inactivity.
Review before generating the final form: Once you generate the final PDF, corrections require creating a new form. Review every field for accuracy — particularly passport number, dates, and spelling of your name.
Print the form: Print two copies — one to submit, one to keep. Use standard A4 paper. The form must be legible; do not print at reduced size.
Sign the form: Sign and date in the designated field. The signature should match your passport signature. Unsigned forms are rejected by TLScontact.
Bring both the form and all supporting documents to your appointment. The France Schengen Visa Documents Checklist covers everything needed beyond the form itself.
Common Mistakes That Get Appointments Rejected at TLScontact
| Mistake | Prevention |
|---|---|
| Passport number error (digit transposition, O/0 confusion) | Triple-check character by character |
| Name spelling different from passport | Copy from passport data page, not from memory |
| Dates in wrong format (MM/DD vs DD/MM) | Use DD/MM/YYYY consistently |
| Unsigned form | Sign before leaving home |
| Visa type mismatch | Verify you selected Schengen short-stay |
| Insurance coverage dates don't cover full trip | Check policy dates against travel dates |
| Accommodation address doesn't match bookings | Copy address directly from booking confirmation |
| Prior refusal not declared | Declare all prior refusals, then address proactively |
When you've completed the France-Visas form and are ready to book your appointment, Visa Master Free monitors TLScontact continuously and alerts you the instant a slot appears — so you can move immediately without spending hours watching a booking page.
Next: For the full document checklist to bring to your TLScontact appointment, see France Schengen Visa Documents Checklist. For applicants with non-UK nationality, see France Visa for Chinese Nationals in the UK.
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