paris tourist visa from uk

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• Visas and immigration
• What you need to do

How to apply for a visa to come to the UK

Choose a visa.

You may need a visa to come to the UK to study, work, visit or join family.

There are different visas depending on:

• where you come from
• why you want to come to the UK
• how long you want to stay for
• your personal circumstances and skills

Before you apply, you must check if you need a visa and what type you need. Depending on your nationality, you might not need a visa to visit or transit through the UK.

Your application must be approved before you travel.

You do not need to apply for a visa if you’re an Irish citizen.

If you want to visit the UK

Apply for a Standard Visitor visa to visit the UK for up to 6 months. For example:

• for a holiday or to see family and friends
• for a business trip or meeting
• to do a short course of study

You must apply for a Marriage Visitor visa if you want to visit the UK to get married or register a civil partnership.

If you have a visitor visa you cannot take a job in the UK.

If you’re travelling through the UK

You might need a visa if you’re travelling through the UK on your way to another country, for example if you have a layover between flights.

Apply for a visa to travel through the UK .

If you want to study in the UK

Your course length, type and place of study affect which visa to apply for.

A Standard Visitor visa lets you do a short course of study that lasts no longer than 6 months.

A Short-term study visa lets you come to the UK to study an English language course that is over 6 months and up to 11 months.

A Student visa is usually for a longer course. You must be sponsored by a licensed college or university and have a confirmed place. On this visa, you may be able to do some work.

A Child Student visa is for 4 to 17 year olds who want to study at an independent school. If you’re 16 or over, this visa lets you do some work.

If you want to work in the UK

You can work in the UK on a short or long-term basis with a work visa. There are many types of work visa .

The visa you need depends upon:

• your skills and qualifications
• if you have a job offer and sponsorship
• if you want to bring your family with you
• what you’ll be doing - for example sporting, charitable or religious work

You can set up a business with an Innovator Founder visa .

If you want to join family in the UK

If you’re a spouse, partner or family member of someone who has British citizenship or settlement in the UK, you can apply for a family visa to join them. They may need to show that they can support you financially.

You may be able to apply for indefinite leave to remain ( ILR ) after a set amount of time living in the UK.

If your family member is in the UK on a visa

You may be able to apply for a visa to join a family member who’s in the UK on a visa. They must be either:

• your spouse or partner
• your parent if you’re 18 or under

Check what visa you’ll need to join them.

Family reunion visas for refugees

If you were separated from your partner or child when you were forced to leave your country, they can apply to join you in the UK.

Your family members can apply if you have been given asylum or 5 years’ humanitarian protection, and not have British citizenship.

If your family member is from the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein

You can apply for a free EU Settlement Scheme family permit to come to the UK if you have a close family member who:

• was living in the UK by 31 December 2020
• has pre-settled or settled status
• you had a relationship with by 31 December 2020 (unless you’re applying for a child who was born or adopted after this date)

Close family members include your spouse or civil partner, child, grandchild, parent or grandparent.

A family permit lets you live, work and study in the UK for up to 6 months. You can apply to the EU Settlement Scheme to stay in the UK after your family permit expires. You usually need to apply within 3 months of arriving in the UK.

Other ways to get permission to live in the UK

If you’re from the eu, switzerland, norway, iceland or liechtenstein.

If you started living in the UK by 31 December 2020, you may be able to apply to the free EU Settlement Scheme instead of applying for a visa. The deadline to apply was 30 June 2021, but you can still apply if you can show reasonable grounds for the delay in applying.

Check if you can still apply to the EU Settlement Scheme .

You can only apply from outside the UK if you have a valid passport or national identity card with a biometric chip.

Commonwealth citizens

You can apply for an Ancestry visa to work in the UK if you have a British grandparent and meet other eligibility criteria.

You may have right of abode to live in the UK.

If you’re a Commonwealth citizen and cannot prove your right to be in the UK, read about the Windrush scheme .

Returning residents

You’ll need to apply for a returning resident visa to come back to the UK if one of the following is true:

you had indefinite leave to remain under the EU Settlement Scheme (‘settled status’) and left the UK for more than 5 continuous years (or 4 continuous years if you’re a Swiss citizen or their family member)

you had permanent permission to stay in the UK (‘indefinite leave to remain’) but it was not under the EU Settlement Scheme and you left the UK for more than 2 years

Other visas

There may be another visa that’s right for you based on your circumstances. Check if you need a visa and what other visas you’re eligible for.

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Can I Visit Paris With a UK Visa?

By Alice Ross | PASSPORT & VISA

• PASSPORT & VISA » Can I Visit Paris With a UK Visa?

So, you have a UK visa that allows you to visit the UK. You've always dreamed of visiting Paris and getting there from London only takes a few hours. You're probably asking yourself "Can I visit Paris with a UK visa?" I know how confusing visa requirements can be, so hopefully this information will help you. Read on to find out how you can get to your f inal destination .

To put it simply, you cannot visit Paris with only a UK visa. Although traveling throughout Europe is much less complicated than it used to be, individual countries still have certain requirements. You will need one of the following:

1. A valid passport from a country that does not need a visa to enter France                                       Or 2. A Schengen Visa that allows you to travel within the Schengen Area for up to 90 days.

What nationalities do not need a visa to enter France?

If you do have a UK visa and want to travel to anywhere outside of the UK, like Paris for example, you can do so quite easily. In some cases you do not need a visa. Below I have listed the nationalities that do not need a visa to enter France.

The following nationalities do not need a visa to enter France:

• EU member countries
• Albania*, Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bosnia and Herzegovina*, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, El Salvador, East Timor, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Grenada, Guatemala, Holy See, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Mauritius, Monaco, Montenegro*, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Palau, Panama, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, San Marino, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Lucia, Samoa, Serbia*, Seychelles, Taiwan (passport bearing identity card number), Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, and Vanuatu;

*bearers of biometric passports only

If you hold a passport from one of the aforementioned nations, you can visit the Schengen area for a short stay of up to 90 days. This means, that you can visit Paris, provided that you have the passport from your nation of origin.

My country isn't on the list, how do I get a Schengen Visa?

If your country does not appear above, don't worry. All you have to do is  apply for a Schengen Visa . The UK is still considered part of the European Union, although the Brexit referendum may change that status at some point in the future.

Despite this, the UK is not part of the Schengen Zone, a 22-country area that allows free movement of nationals from member countries. This means you will need to apply for a separate Schengen visa if all you have is a UK visa.

Here's how to visit France specifically:

1. Download the application form

2. Have a valid passport for at least three months, with two blank pages, and one passport photo (Read the details for passport photo )

3. Get a travel visa insurance policy

4. Provide proof of round trip flight

5. Provide proof of accommodation/hotel booking

How much does this cost?

The 90 days short stay Schengen visa is 66 EUR. For an extended stay it is 99 EUR.

Where should you apply?

The official law states that the applicant must apply to the consulate of the country that they are going to be visiting. If visiting more than one Schengen area country, then you need to apply at the consulate of the country you will be spending the most time in. For the French consulate nearest you, follow this link .

How long will this take?

It is recommended that you apply at least six weeks prior to your planned departure. The process can take anywhere from three days to three weeks, so you definitely do not want to leave this until the last minute.

Ready to Go?

So, can you visit Paris with a UK visa? As you have read, your UK visa will not get you into France. However, you may not be required to have a separate visa if your nation has a special agreement with France (see above list). In the case that you do need to apply for a Schengen visa, remember to follow the steps listed above and give yourself plenty of time for the application process to be completed.

Are you planning on visiting Paris soon? Check out these great money saving tips for this amazing location. Let us know about your travel experience and if you have any specific visa tips for us. Feel free to comment and share! Be safe and happy travels!

Rating: 4.7 (10 votes)

Thank for your voting!

About the Author

Hi, I’m Alice Ross, a long-term traveler who left the corporate world to travel the world. I chose to live life on my own phase and live day by day while immersing myself in new experiences, new knowledge, and new people in a different walk of life I met along the way.

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• UK Visa Application in France

UK Visa Application Centre in France

Welcome to TLScontact UK in France . Please choose the Visa Application Centre where you would like to submit your application. This should be the same Visa Application Centre as your appointment.

By continuing to use this site you are agreeing to our website Terms of Service, Privacy Policy, and the use of cookies.

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UK Visa Application Centre in Paris

Our Visa Application Centre is open for new appointments.

Centre information

Our Visa Application Centre is now open for new appointments.

Added Value Services

Designed to enhance your visa application experience.

Application process

Find out all mandatory steps to apply for a UKVI visa.

Frequently Asked Questions

TLScontact by your side. You might have some questions as you go through the visa process. You will find below some useful information and links to help you.

WHEN YOU TRAVEL, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN. WHEN IT DOES, WE'LL BE THERE.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION Our Visa Application Centre in Paris is open for new visa applications. To know which days and times our centre is open, please check our Address page . Reminder: Visit visas paused for issue in red list locations Under the Traffic Light System rules, UK Visas and Immigration will continue to pause the issuing of Visit visas for travellers coming to England from red list countries. If you apply for a Visit visa from a red list location and you meet the Immigration Rules, your application will be paused. You will not receive your Visit visa whilst red list travel restrictions remain in place. Visas will continue to be issued in red list countries for work, study and settlement however they will be subject to quarantine requirements . You can apply for these visa routes in the usual way. More information can be found on GOV.UK . Separate guidance is available for travellers entering Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland . If your 30 day or 90 day visa to work, study or join family in the UK has expired , please consult the gov.uk website for more information. For information on current UKVI processing times, please click here . If you select our Courier Return service, please be advised that delivery of your documents could take longer than usual, due to extended transit times for our courier partners as a result of COVID-19. COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS IN PLACE AT OUR CENTRE In order to comply with local Covid-19 health and safety regulations, you may be required to provide a body temperature reading, wear a mask and respect social distancing guidelines to enter our centre. Where local regulations apply, you may also be required to provide evidence of Covid-19 test results or vaccination status. All customers must have a pre-booked appointment in order to attend the Visa Application Centre. Watch the video . Customers exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough or difficulty breathing will be helped to reschedule their application submission for another day and will be advised to seek medical attention at the nearest healthcare facility of their choice. Coronavirus (COVID-19) and entering or returning to the UK: Customers wishing to make an application for a UK visa need to check and comply with UK border control measures and should also consider the impact of local restrictions due to COVID-19 in the area they intend to travel to. Restrictions may change at short notice and details are available online for England , Wales , Scotland and Northern Ireland . Anyone entering or returning to the UK must adhere to border health measures and all local restriction measures. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Update to Settlement Visa Application Process. Click here for more details.

For your protection, please note that legitimate TLScontact employees will not ask you to make payment via telephone. All payments related to TLScontact services should be made directly via our website or at our visa application centre .

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