This article is about the Short-stay Visitor Visa Application experience at VFS Hyderabad shared by “Nikitha Guruswamy”. Except for some minor corrections and the official references in the end, the article has been published as written, with his permission.
If you would like to contribute with articles about your personal experiences, feel free to write to me via prasanthragupathy.com/contact .
Short-stay visitor visa and tourist visa are not the same, even if they both can be applied for stays upto 90 days. The documents required are completely different.
Table of Contents
Who can apply for a short-stay Visitor visa?
The official answer from the France Visa website.
Application Summary
Hello, I wanted to share my short-stay visa experience with the readers.
I had invited my parents to visit me this summer and applied for their visas separately under the Short Stay (Family or Private Visit) category.
- Type of visa applied: Short-stay visitor visa
- Duration of your stay: Court séjour (≤ 90 jours) / Short stay (≤ 90 days)
- Why are you making this trip?: Visite familiale ou privée / Family or private visit
- Visa main purpose of stay: Visite familiale / Family visit
- Applied at: VFS Hyderabad
- Applied on: 21st May 2024
- Visa received on: 30th May 2024
- Visa processing time: 8 working days
- My situation: Passeport Talent Famille resident permit
Overview of the Process
I had invited my parents to visit me this summer and applied for their visas separately under the Short Stay (Family or Private visit) category.
- The first step is to get the attestation d’accueil from the Mairie by paying a 30-euro stamp fee. Once you get this, send the original document to India. I sent it via La Poste; it took two weeks to reach and cost me around 18 euros.
- Once the document reaches, book a VFS slot immediately and start preparing your documents.
- Point to be noted: My father is a businessman, and mom is a housewife. My mother is my father’s dependent, so we booked a slot for them together at the VFS so that the documents are sent together and both their applications can be scrutinized by the same visa officer.
List of Documents submitted at VFS office
We submitted all these documents. It may seem like a lot, but after we submitted these documents, the consulate or VFS did not ask for anything extra. VFS might give back some documents but I recommend you submit everything and tell them that these are supporting documents.
- Visa Application form
- Mom and Dad’s photographs as per visa requirements
- Mom and Dad’s passports (original)
- Mom and Dad’s passports (color photocopies)
- Mom and Dad’s round-trip flight tickets
- Attestation d’accueil sent by post (original)
- Dad’s company registration certificate
- Dad’s bank statement for the last three months
- Mom and Dad’s FD statement/Joint account statement
- Dad’s income tax return acknowledgment
- Dad’s ITR-V acknowledgment
- Mom and Dad travel medical insurance
- VFS appointment letter
- My husband’s passport
- Husband’s visa
- Our rental agreement in France
- Cover letter from my husband
- Cover letter from my parents
- Our marriage certificate (original and apostilled)
- Marriage certificate (translated and apostilled)
- Our joint account bank statements
- Mom and Dad’s France visa application forms
- Husband’s tax form
- Husband’s convention d’accueil
- My passport and Visa
Cover Letter for Short-stay Visitor Visa
Date: 21/05/2024
To,
France Consulate General,
#21, Palace Rd, Vasanth Nagar,
Bengaluru – 560052
Subject: Application for short stay (<90 days) Schengen Visa to travel and stay in France.
Respected Sir/Madam,
This is to inform you that, I, XXXXXX YYYYYYY (Applicant 1: My Dad’s name) and my wife XXXXXX YYYYYYY (Applicant 2: My Mom’s name) would like to apply for short-stay (<90 days) Schengen visa to travel to France commencing from 16th xx 2024 onwards.
My main purpose of travel is to accompany my daughter (Name: XXXX YYYY, Passport No NNNNN) and son-in-law (Name: XXXX YYYY, Passport No NNNNNN) during his long stay in France. He is employed in Talence, France as a Ph. D student at the AAAAAAAA (research institute’s name) since 18th January 20xx.
In this regard, I have applied for the VISA under the category of family stay. The duration of our stay is intended from 16/xx/2024 to 14/xx/2024. During our stay, we shall be staying with my son-in-law and daughter at “French home address”. We shall be very grateful if you provide us with a Schengen visa to facilitate our travel and short stay and we promise to honor the laws of France and will return to India before the visa expires.
Our complete address and contact details are provided below:
Name: XXXXXX YYYYYYY (Applicant 1: My Dad’s name) and XXXXX YYYYYYY (Applicant 2: My Mom’s name).
Passport No.: NNNNNNN and NNNNNNN.
Address: (local address in India)
Mobile No: +91 1234567891
Email address: xyz@gmail.com
We are, herewith, submitting copies of:
- Original Passport (No: NNNNNNN 7 NNNNNNN)
- Passport-size photographs.
- Schengen visa Application form.
- Sponsorship letter.
- Copy of Convention d’accueil of our son-in-law (his name).
- Attestation d’accueil
- Proof of family.
- Proof of accommodation (address in France)
- Pre-booked flight ticket from Bengaluru, India to Paris, France (Date of Travel: 16th xx 2024)
- Travel health insurance.
- Financial documents
- Company Registration Certificate
- ITR- V Acknowledgement
- Income Tax return acknowledgement
Thanking you,
Date: 21/05/2024
Place: Hyderabad
Cordially/Kind Regards,
XXXXXX YYYYYYY (Applicant 1: My Dad’s name)
XXXXXX YYYYYYY (Applicant 2: My Mom’s name)
Sponsorship Letter for Short-stay Visitor Visa
Date: 20/05/2024
To,
France Consulate General,
#21, Palace Rd, Vasanth Nagar,
Bengaluru – 560052
Subject: Sponsorship letter for the issuance of a short-stay visa
Respected Sir/Madam,
I, XXXX (my husband’s ‘name) (Passport No.: NNNNNN), a Ph. D candidate (salaried) at the AAAAAAAA (research institute’s name) since 18th January 20xx
I am writing this letter in support of the VISA application of my wife’s parents, XXXXX YYYYYY (Passport No.: NNNNNN) and XXXXX YYYYYY (Passport No.: NNNNNN), to join me in France on 16th xx 2024. During their presence in France, together we will be staying at “french home address”. The official attestation d’accueil is also attached to this letter. In addition, I will be responsible for all their expenditures, including finances, travel, medical insurance, lodging, and food. I have also attached my previous tax notice and bank statement to indicate that I am financially stable.
I kindly request you to grant my in-laws a short-stay family visit visa. I will personally make sure that they honor all the laws and leave France before the expiration of their authorized stay.
If you have any further questions, please contact me.
My contact details are provided below:
XXXXX YYYYYY (my husband’s name as sponsor)
Mobile Number: (+33) 0 00 00 00 00
Email ID: xyzgmail.com,
I am, herewith, submitting copies of my:
- Passport first and last page (Passport: NNNNN)
- Residence permit
- Convention d’accueil
- Attestation d’accueil
- Previous tax notice
- Housing contract
- Recent rent slips
- Bank Statement
- Marriage certificate original and translated.
Thanking you, Sincerely,
Date : 20/05/2024
Place : Bordeaux
(my husband’s name)
