Business Short Stay Visa

Before you start your application, it would be good to have with you all of the information you’re going to need to submit your visa. 

The below tools could be useful when gathering this information together:

• The visa wizard - this tells you what requirements you’ll need to meet, what the visa fees will be and all of the supporting documents you’ll need to provide.
• The visa calculator - this helps you work out how long you will be able to stay in the Schengen Area (if you’ve recently visited in the last 6 months).

As well as these tools, you can also see which authorities will be approved to receive your visa application, here. 

You will need to fill out your online application form, if your home country is eligible. Throughout this process, you will be guided through with the help of on-screen explanations.

If you find that your country isn’t eligible, please check what the process is here.

When you are completing the online application form, you will be asked to show various supporting documents. These include:

• Your passport or travel document (as well as a copy of this). It will need to:
  
  • be in good condition
  • have been issued within the last 10 years
  • have at least 2 blank pages for where your visa will go
  • still be valid for at least 3 months after you leave the Schengen Area. For a long stay, it will need to be valid for at least 3 months on the date on which your visa expires. Please remember, this last requirement may not stand if there is a proven emergency.
• 2 recent photos of ID in ISO/IEC format (pdf)
• the documents you’ve been asked to provide (you need the originals, as well as copies).

Please note, that any documents in languages other than French or English may need to be translated into French.

Questions about the application process

• When will I need to pay the fee for the business visa application?
  
  The fee can be paid when you submit your application.
  
  
• What happens once I’ve completed my application form?
  
  You can create a personal account and enter your email address so that you can save your form and return to it later, if necessary. Following this, you can then validate and print it out.
  
  
• What happens next?
  
  You’ll then receive a list of supporting documents you’ll need and, at this stage, you will be able to book your appointment.

You can now book your appointment at a visa application centre. Don’t forget, you won’t be able to submit your application without an appointment. It’s a good idea to get this booked in enough time before you’re due to travel, to avoid any delays.

When can I submit my business visa application?

It will depend on if you’re applying for a short-stay or long-stay visa:

• A short-stay visa can be submitted as early as 6 months before you travel and as late as 2 weeks before you’re due to go.
• A long-stay visa can be submitted up to 3 months before you travel, and as late as 2 weeks before you’re due to leave.

It’s always good to leave as much time as possible to account for any appointment wait times.

It’s helpful to remember that external service providers are often used to receive visa applications and any associated documents, but the consular services will remain completely responsible for decision-making and processing visa applications.

This part of the process will need to be done in person at a visa application centre so that you will be able to hand in all of the documents listed on the ‘Supporting Documents’ tab.

What will happen during my appointment?

• Your visa will be reviewed
• Your visa fee can be paid
• You’ll need to have your photo taken and fingerprints scanned

Please note, that it’s normal for them to keep your passport and copies of your supporting documents following your appointment.

How long will the appointment take?

The visa application process will take around 20 minutes at the visa application centre.

Fingerprint (biometric Information) FAQs

• Will everyone have their biometric information taken?
  
  If you’re aged 12 or over then you will need to have submitted your own application and have your biometric data taken.
  
  
• What if I’ve already had my biometric information taken?
  
  If you hold a biometric Schengen visa issued to you within the past 59 months, your previous biometric data can then be re-used. 

What are the business visitor visa application fees?

With the application fee factoring in the administrative costs due for the processing of your application, the amount you pay will be kept by the administration. This will be the case, even if your visa is denied. For more information, you can read through the table of application fees by visa type (pdf).

If your application fees are received by an external service provider, then this provider will be responsible for collecting the appropriate fees. The service fee may be different from one country to another, but won’t go over € 40 per visa application. External service providers can also offer additional services at an extra cost and are authorised to do so by the administration.

Once your business travel visa application is submitted, it will be monitored by the visa centre. You can keep track of the progress on your application page.

When your passport is ready for you to collect, you’ll be notified by your application centre. Visa applications are usually processed within 15 days, but please note, this period could extend by up to 45 days in some cases.

Note: It may be possible for your passport to be sent by postal services.