Business trip to France
Meetings, trade shows, training or occasional business trips: a business trip to France is a short stay. Depending on the nationality and activities carried out, a visa or work authorization may be required.
In a nutshell
- A business trip corresponds to a short stay, limited to 90 days in any 180-day period, in the Schengen Area.
- The rules differ depending on whether the visitor is a European Union/European Economic Area/Swiss national or a third-country national.
- Business travel mainly covers one-off activities, such as meetings, conferences, trade shows or professional appointments.
- It does not, in principle, allow the exercise of an effective work activity in France without prior work authorization, barring exceptions provided for by the law.
What is meant by short stay?
A short stay corresponds to a presence in France and, more broadly, in the Schengen Area, not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period, all Schengen States combined.
Calculate the maximum duration
An official calculator, made available by the European Commission, makes it possible to check compliance with this maximum duration of stay.
Who can take a business trip to France?
Foreign company directors, skilled employees and employees making an occasional business trip to France are subject to varying rules, depending on their nationality and the reason for the stay.
Nationals of the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland enjoy the right to free movement.
They can enter, stay and work in France without a visa, without a residence permit and without work authorization.
Did you know?
European nationals may, if they wish, apply for a “EU/EEA/Swiss citizen” residence permit at the Prefecture in their place of residence.
For a stay of less than three months, third-country nationals must apply for a short-stay visa, also known as a Schengen type C visa, unless they are exempt.
This visa may be issued in particular to:
- Make one or more business trips.
- Engage, under conditions, in a paid professional activity.
- Follow short-term training or internship.
- Carry out family or private tourist visits.
The activities authorized as part of a business trip:
- Attendance at professional meetings.
- Participation in conferences, conventions, or seminars.
- Attendance at lounges or showrooms.
- Meeting clients or partners.
- Carrying out visits or meetings without working for a business established in France.
The short-stay visa can be issued with single or multiple entries. It does not allow sustainable settlement in France, nor family reunification.
Did you know?
All activities involving the actual production of work in France require, with some exceptions, prior work authorization.
Who must apply for a short-stay visa?
Depending on the nationality of the visitor, the destination territory and the nature of the stay, a short-stay visa may be required to enter France. The rules are not the same depending on whether it is mainland France and Corsica, the Schengen Area or the Overseas Territories.
Check the visa obligation
An official simulator available on the France-Visas site allows you to check if a visa is required, depending on the nationality of the visitor.
Certain categories of third-country nationals are exempt from short-stay visas, without exemption from border controls (reason for stay, resources, guarantees of return):
- Nationals of visa-exempt states as indicated by the France-Visas simulator.
- Holders of a valid visa or residence permit, issued by France or another Schengen Area country.
- Passport holders of the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions (People’s Republic of China).
The short-stay visa allows entry into and movement around the Schengen Area during its period of validity, within the limit of 90 days out of 180 days.
- Single entry visa: Only one entry is allowed. Any exit from the Schengen Area prevents a new entry. A new request may be made after a period of 180 days.
- Multiple entry visa: Several stays are possible, within the limit of 90 days out of 180 days.
For frequent travel, a multi-entry circulation visa may be issued for a period ranging from six months to five years.
The French Overseas Territories are located outside the European territory of France.
They are not part of the Schengen Area, and the Schengen Agreements do not apply to these territories. A specific visa is required depending on the territory concerned.
- A Schengen visa does not allow entry into France’s overseas territories.
- A visa issued for an Overseas Territory does not allow access to the Schengen Area.
To find out more, you can visit the Ministry of the Interior website.
The territorial validity of the visa is specified on the sticker affixed to the passport:
- “Valid for France except CTOM”: Valid for the European territory of France and the Overseas Départements and Regions (except Mayotte, under a specific regime).
- French Départements of America (DFA): Valid only for Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyana and Saint Pierre et Miquelon.
- A single Département or Region: Valid for one entry only into the territory of this Département or Region.
Where a stay is planned both in the Schengen Area and in an Overseas Territory, two separate visa applications are required, either simultaneously before departure or successively, according to the order of the territories visited.
- First request: To the Consulate of the first planned territory, in their usual country of residence.
- Second request: To the prefecture of their place of stay in mainland France or Corsica or in the Overseas Territory.
People who wish to travel to mainland France or Corsica or the Schengen Area from one of the Overseas Territories must also apply for a Schengen visa at the Prefecture of their place of stay.
Some nationalities benefit from specific exemptions, depending on the territory and the duration of the stay.
- Holders of a valid residence permit or a valid long-stay visa issued by France or another Schengen Area State.
Passport holders of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region. - Holders of a travel visa with a validity period between six months and five years who wish to enter one of the Overseas Territories from one of the following countries: Bahrain, China, India, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, South Africa, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates.
- Nationals of the Dominican Republic and Saint Lucia for stays of up to 15 days, with a maximum of 120 cumulative days over 12 months, in French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, exclusively.
- Nationals of the islands of Grenada, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago for stays in Guadeloupe and Martinique.
- Nationals of Ecuador and Peru for stays in French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique.
Nationals of visa-exempt states, as indicated by the France-Visas simulator.
To check the need for a visa, use the simulator of France-Visas.
Entry Exit System
The Entry/Exit System (EES) is a new automated system for the digital collection of personal data from third-country nationals in the European Union, subject to short-stay visas or not. This computer system means that a control to be carried out at each entry and exit of the Schengen Area.
Apply for a short-stay visa
The application must be submitted to the French embassy, consulate, or an approved service provider (VFS Global, TLS, etc.) in the applicant’s country of habitual residence.
- Check your situation via the Visa Assistant on France-Visas.
Complete the visa application online.
Make an appointment and submit the file.
Track the progress of the online application. - Complete the visa application online.
- Make an appointment and submit the file.
- Track the progress of the online application.
You can follow the progress of your file directly on the France-Visas website. Processing times vary by consular post and time of year.
You can find the precise list of required documents on the France-Visas website.
It depends on the purpose of the stay and the applicant’s personal situation. All documents must be presented in French, accompanied by photocopies.
The processing of the request begins only upon receipt of a complete file.
An application fee is levied upon submission of the request. You can find the amounts on the France-Visas website. They can reach up to €90 and are not refunded in case of refusal.
The visa application must be filed:
- With the authorities of the main destination country.
- Or, failing that, to the authorities in the country constituting the first point of entry into the Schengen Area.
End of the stay
The short-stay visa is not intended to be extended. More generally, at the end of the authorized 90-day period of stay, any person on a short stay must leave French territory and, more generally, the Schengen Area, whether they require a visa or are exempt from it.
Any sustainable installation in France requires a return to the country of residence in order to apply for a long-stay visa.
Exceptional extensions may be granted for serious reasons, including medical ones, under strict conditions. In this case, it is imperative to contact the Prefecture of the place of residence before the end of validity of the visa.
At a glance
This page explains the rules applicable to business travel in France for short stays. It is based on institutional sources such as French Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry for the Economy and France-Visas. It presents information covering entry conditions, visa requirements and activities permitted without a work permit. It uses the example of a one-off business trip to France lasting less than 90 days.