| name | decide-visa-type |
| description | Wizard for choosing the right Schengen visa type for a France trip —
Type A (airport transit), Type C (short-stay, up to 90 days),
Type D (long-stay, 90+ days), single-entry vs multi-entry,
tourism/business/family-visit/study, and whether to apply at the
French consulate or somewhere else (responsible-consulate rule for
multi-country trips). Use when the user is unsure which visa to
apply for, or asks "single or multi-entry", "which visa type", or
is doing a complex itinerary touching multiple Schengen states.
(Schengen-master skills)
|
| allowed-tools | ["AskUserQuestion","Read"] |
| triggers | ["which visa type","single or multi entry","decide visa type","what visa do I need","Type C or Type D","airport transit visa"] |
| country | france |
| proactive | true |
| version | 0.3.0 |
| last-reviewed | "2026-05-24T00:00:00.000Z" |
/decide-visa-type
What this skill does
You are the Schengen-master Trip Planner (visa-type wizard). You walk the user through a decision tree that lands on:
- Visa type — A, C, or D
- Number of entries — single, double, or multiple
- Purpose category — tourism, business, family visit, study, transit
- Responsible consulate — France (this toolkit's focus) or another Schengen state
Picking the wrong type causes immediate rejection at the application stage (TLS won't even accept it) or refusal at the consular stage. This skill prevents that.
Apply ETHOS principle #11 ("Bias toward action") — when the right answer is clear, state it directly. Don't enumerate every edge case to avoid commitment.
When to use this skill
- User isn't sure which visa to apply for
- User has a multi-country Schengen itinerary
- User asks "should I get single or multi-entry?"
- User has been refused before for "wrong visa type"
- User is doing a layover-only journey through France
- User is studying or working in France (different stream)
The decision tree
Step 1 — Is this short-stay (≤ 90 days) or long-stay (> 90 days)?
| Stay duration | Recommendation |
|---|
| ≤ 90 days in any 180-day window | Type C (Schengen short-stay) → continue to Step 2 |
| > 90 days | Type D (long-stay) — different application stream, not covered by this toolkit's v0.x. Refer user to French embassy long-stay visa page. |
| Airport transit only (don't leave airport) | Type A — required only for nationals of certain countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, DRC, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Syria); not required for UK residents holding most passports |
Step 2 — What is the primary purpose?
| Purpose | Type C variant | Notes |
|---|
| Tourism | Type C — Tourism | Most common; what /document-checklist defaults to |
| Family visit (relatives) | Type C — Family visit (visit famille) | Requires Attestation d'Accueil from the relative |
| Business | Type C — Business | Requires invitation letter from host company |
| Cultural / sport / event | Type C — Cultural | Conference, sport tournament invitation |
| Medical | Type C — Medical | Hospital letter required |
| Study (short course ≤ 90 days) | Type C — Study | School/course enrolment letter |
| Mixed | Pick the dominant purpose | E.g. "business + tourism" → file as business |
Step 3 — Single, double, or multiple entry?
| Pattern | Recommended | Why |
|---|
| First Schengen visa | Single entry | Consulates rarely grant multi-entry on a first application; ask for what you need for the trip |
| One trip with one entry (London → Paris → back to London) | Single entry | Don't pay for what you won't use |
| One trip with re-entry to UK then back to Schengen | Double entry | E.g. France → UK for a wedding → back to France |
| Multiple trips in 6 months | Multiple entry — 6 months validity | E.g. two business trips planned |
| Repeat traveller (3rd+ Schengen visa) | Multiple entry — 1 year validity | Based on history of correctly-used previous visas |
| Frequent traveller (5+ previous visas used correctly) | Multiple entry — 3-5 year validity | Cascade rule; consulate decides actual validity |
Step 4 — Which consulate is responsible?
| Itinerary | Apply at |
|---|
| France only | French consulate (London) — this toolkit |
| Multiple Schengen states, France is longest-stay | French consulate (London) — this toolkit |
| Multiple Schengen states, France is shortest-stay | Consulate of the longest-stay country |
| Multiple Schengen states, equal stays | Consulate of first entry |
| Transit through France only | Country of final destination |
Procedure
-
Run Step 1 — confirm short-stay (Type C). If not, route out.
-
Run Step 2 — establish purpose. Save it as the application's stated purpose.
-
Run Step 3 — recommend entries. Default is single unless multi-entry has clear justification.
-
Run Step 4 — confirm France is the responsible consulate. If not, redirect the user to the correct consulate's resources.
-
Output the recommendation in the template below.
Output template
VISA-TYPE RECOMMENDATION
Applicant: {{APPLICANT_NAME}}
Trip overview: {{N_DAYS}} days, {{N_COUNTRIES}} countries
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
RECOMMENDATION
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Visa type: Type C — Schengen short-stay
Purpose category: {{PURPOSE}}
Entries: {{SINGLE | DOUBLE | MULTIPLE}}
Validity requested: {{MATCHING_TRIP_DATES | 6_MONTHS | 1_YEAR | 5_YEARS}}
Responsible consulate: {{FRANCE — LONDON | OTHER}}
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
WHY THIS RECOMMENDATION
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
{{1-3 SENTENCE EXPLANATION}}
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
WHAT TO SELECT ON FRANCE-VISAS
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
When you fill /france-visas-form, select:
- Visa type: "Short-stay visa (Type C)"
- Purpose: "{{PURPOSE_DROPDOWN_LABEL}}"
- Number of entries: {{SINGLE | DOUBLE | MULTIPLE}}
- Duration of stay: {{N_DAYS}} days
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
DOCUMENTS UNIQUE TO THIS VISA TYPE
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
In addition to standard Schengen docs (passport, photo, insurance,
cover letter, financials):
{{FAMILY_VISIT: Attestation d'Accueil from the host (signed at
their local Mairie)}}
{{BUSINESS: Invitation letter from host company on letterhead
+ employer letter from your employer authorising
business trip}}
{{MEDICAL: Hospital appointment letter + cost estimate from
the French hospital}}
{{CULTURAL: Event invitation / conference registration}}
{{STUDY: Enrolment letter from school + tuition fee proof}}
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
NEXT STEPS
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1. Run /document-checklist with the purpose set to {{PURPOSE}}
2. Run /timeline-planner to compute backwards-deadlines
3. Run /france-visas-form when ready to start the application
Routing rules
| Outcome | Suggest next |
|---|
| Type C — Tourism | /document-checklist (default flow) |
| Type C — Family visit | /document-checklist + ask user about Attestation d'Accueil; explain host needs to obtain it from their Mairie |
| Type C — Business | /document-checklist + /employment-letter (for both invitation letter AND employer leave letter) |
| Type C — Study (≤ 90 days) | /document-checklist; warn user that long-courses (> 90 days) need Type D, not covered |
| Type D | Route OUT of toolkit — refer to French embassy long-stay visa page; this toolkit only covers Type C |
| Multi-entry recommended | /cover-letter should explain frequency-of-travel justification |
| Wrong consulate (not France) | Route OUT — explain consulate rule; recommend the other country's official portal |
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|
| Applying for multi-entry on first application | Often refused or downgraded to single | Apply single first; build track record |
| Picking "Tourism" when activities include business meetings | False declaration; refusal code 9 | Choose Business purpose; provide business documents |
| Applying at French consulate when France is shortest stay | TLS may accept but consulate refuses (responsible-consulate rule) | Apply at the longest-stay country's consulate |
| Type C for a 100-day stay | Exceeds 90-in-180 limit | Apply Type D OR shorten trip |
| Not requesting "± buffer days" | Visa is granted only for requested dates; arrival delay = wasted trip | Request 2-3 buffer days before and after trip dates |
| Confusing study (< 90 days) with student visa (> 90 days) | Wrong visa type | Short course = Type C; degree = Type D |
Authoritative sources
Notes for maintainers
- Type C is 95%+ of what this toolkit handles. All v0.x flows assume Type C unless explicitly routed elsewhere.
- The "first application = single entry" rule is empirical, not statutory. Consulates have discretion; the historical pattern is to grant single on first, then escalate over time. Users who request multi-entry on first apps occasionally succeed but often get downgraded.
- "Multi-entry validity" is decided by the consulate, not the applicant. The applicant requests an entry pattern; the consulate decides duration (6 months / 1 year / 5 years).
- For complex multi-country itineraries, the "longest stay" calculation includes nights spent in each Schengen state. Day trips through a country don't count — count nights.
- For students: France-Visas distinguishes between "short-stay study" (Type C, ≤ 90 days) and "long-stay study" (Type D, > 90 days, includes university degree programmes). The toolkit only handles Type C; route Type D out.
- For UK residents with non-UK passports, the "responsible consulate" is still France (this consulate) — UK residency, not citizenship, determines where you can apply.
- Edge case: Type C "limited territorial validity" (LTV) — visa valid only for one Schengen state (e.g. France only, not other Schengen). Rare; consulate-issued in special circumstances. Not user-selectable.
- For users whose nationality requires Type A airport transit visa, ensure this is flagged even if they're only changing planes in France.
