Emergency telephone numbers Call toll-free from anywhere in FranceTRAVELLING, STUDYING, WORKING AND SETTLING IN FRANCE
Dealing with French authorities often requires the presentation of various identity papers. Here are the documents you may be asked for:
When in France, you are advised to carry proof of identity and your stay (carte de séjour) document with you. These documents may be required to gain entrance to various public or private establishments. They may also be requested when making purchases by cheque. If your papers are lost or stolen, you must make a declaration to the police. They will issue temporary documents, which will confirm your status while replacements are being made.
To enter France, Canadian citizens require a valid passport. We recommend you ensure your passport has a remaining validity of at least six (6) months beyond your expected date of departure as this is often an entry or visa requirement in some countries. Canadians do not require tourist visas if staying less than three (3) months. For a stay longer than three (3) months, a long stay visa is required before entering France. Similarly a visa is required if you intend to study or work in France. Consult the nearest French consulate or embassy for details. Visas must be obtained from a French embassy or consulate in the country of your habitual residence (see list of French consulates in Canada in Annex V, chapter 5, p.119). If you wish to work, study or reside in France to get married or after your wedding, and if you have no long stay visa, the French authorities will request that you return to Canada to get it from a French consulate. This process must be undertaken in the country of residence prior to entering France. The Canadian Embassy cannot intervene in your favour concerning a visa demand for France. Holders of long stay visas must apply for temporary residency permits as soon as possible preferably within the eight (8) days following their arrival in France. Foreign nationals entering France to study or to engage in a professional activity on a temporary basis must hold temporary residency permits, unless their visas mention “dispense de carte de séjour”.
Schengen Area The member states of the European Union (EU) (not including Bulgaria, Cyprus, Ireland, Romania and the United Kingdom), along with Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland (which are not in the EU), make up the Schengen Area, which has common rules regarding visas and controls at the external borders. The following 25 countries comprise the Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland. In the Schengen Area, Canadian travellers do not need visas for short-term visits (up to 90 days within a six-month period). The 90 days are cumulative and apply to travel within all countries of the Schengen Area. Some countries require that you register with local authorities within three working days of your arrival. It is important to get your passport stamped when entering the Schengen Area. The absence of an entry stamp from the initial Schengen port or entry could create difficulties during subsequent encounters with local police or other authorities throughout the Schengen Area. If Canadians overstay the permitted 90 days in the Schengen Area, they may be fined or deported. To visit for more than 90 days, Canadians must obtain a long stay national visa.
|