France visa from the UK: how the Schengen visa works

France visa from the UK
You apply for a France visa in the UK through France-Visas and a TLScontact centre, not at a consulate counter. The Consulate General in London decides; processing there usually takes 2 to 15 working days once the file has reached it.

If you live in the UK and your passport is not visa-exempt, a short trip to France (up to 90 days) needs a Schengen visa. A British passport holder does not: see travelling to France from the UK. Longer stays need a long-stay visa, which follows the same route with other documents.

France-Visas, the government's visa site, sets out who decides. Applications made anywhere in the UK, and also in Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Gibraltar, the Falkland Islands, the Isle of Wight and the Isle of Man, are examined by the Consulate General of France in London, the only office entitled to decide on visas. TLScontact receives the public and the files on its behalf.

How the application works, step by step

The route is the same for a holiday, a family visit or a business trip. You start online and finish at a visa centre, where your fingerprints and photo are taken.

  1. Run the visa wizard on France-Visas: it tells you whether you need a visa, which one, the documents and the fee.
  2. Fill in the application online and print the receipt.
  3. Book an appointment with TLScontact in London, Manchester or Edinburgh and pay its service fee: see France visa appointments.
  4. Hand in the file at the centre. Anyone over 12 comes in person for biometrics.
  5. Track the file on France-Visas and collect the passport at the centre.

There is no consular area for visas: a UK resident can choose any of the three centres. France-Visas lets you apply up to 180 days before departure and advises applying at least 20 working days ahead.

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What it costs

Two charges are paid separately. The visa fee is set by EU rules: €90 for adults and €45 for children aged 6-12, according to the European Commission, and France-Visas publishes a grid with the amounts for the UK. On top comes TLScontact's service fee, which France-Visas puts at €40 to €55 per application, paid in pounds when you book.

TLScontact takes debit and credit cards, but not American Express. Optional services such as photos on site cost extra.

Item Detail
Who decides Consulate General of France in London
Where you apply TLScontact: London, Manchester or Edinburgh
Earliest application 180 days before departure
Advised at least 20 working days before
Processing in London usually 2 to 15 working days
Visa fee €90 adults, €45 children aged 6 to 12
TLScontact service fee €40 to €55, paid in pounds

Cases that work differently

Most applicants follow the TLScontact route. A few situations change it.

Spouse of a French national, or family of an EU citizen
For a short-stay visa in these two categories you may apply directly at the Consulate General in London instead of TLScontact. The appointment is requested from the consulate, takes place on Wednesday mornings only and you attend in person; France-Visas warns that waiting times for these slots are long.
Children under 12
They give no fingerprints. A parent, or the person with parental authority, hands in the file, and the child’s photo, to ICAO standards, is scanned.
British passport holders
No visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period, for tourism, family visits, business meetings or short courses. Working is a different matter.
Stays of more than 90 days
You need a national long-stay visa, applied for through the same portal and centres, with documents that depend on the reason for the stay.
What to bring to TLScontact
  • The printed confirmation of your appointment
  • Your passport
  • The file with every document, in the order of the checklist
  • A way to pay the visa fee and any optional service

If a document is missing on the day, France-Visas says you can decide not to hand in the file and rebook, with no service fee charged, or hand it in anyway after signing a form that records what is missing.

 Book only on TLScontact's site: France-Visas says it is the only company the consulate allows to offer and charge for appointments. 

Official sources: France-Visas, Royaume-Uni (Internet Archive copy of 8 June 2026); European Commission, applying for a Schengen visa; Applying for a visa.

All consular procedures
Requirements and fees

Details checked against the official pages on 10 November 2026.

This directory is run privately. frenchconsulates.co.uk does not belong to the Quai d’Orsay or to any consular office.

We publish what the official sources say and point out where they disagree. Before you go, check the detail with the consulate.

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