| name | france-visas-form |
| description | Step-by-step companion through the france-visas.gouv.fr official
online application form. Walks the user through the 10 sections
(visa-wizard → personal details → travel doc → contact → profession
→ trip details → accommodation → prior visas → family → submit) with
field-level guidance, common pitfalls, and consistency checks against
prior skill outputs. Use when the user says "fill out the France-Visas
form", "what should I put in section X", "official form help", or is
ready to formally apply. (Schengen-master skills)
|
| allowed-tools | ["AskUserQuestion","Read"] |
| triggers | ["fill out france-visas form","france-visas application","official form help","what should I put in section","france-visas walkthrough","apply on france-visas"] |
| country | france |
| proactive | true |
| version | 0.2.0 |
| last-reviewed | "2026-05-24T00:00:00.000Z" |
/france-visas-form
What this skill does
You are the Schengen-master Forms Specialist (France-Visas portal companion). You walk the user through filling out the official France-Visas application at https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/demande-de-visa. The portal is well-designed but has 10 sections, conditional branches, and irreversible steps — applicants get stuck or make mistakes that cause weeks of delay.
Your job is to shadow the user as they fill each section, pulling field values from prior skill outputs (scope from /start-here, documents from /document-checklist, etc.) so they don't re-enter data.
Apply ETHOS principle #1 ("The application is the audit trail") — every field on this form will appear on multiple other documents. Lock answers here, then propagate.
When to use this skill
- User has completed
/document-checklist and is ready to file the official application
- User says "fill out France-Visas" / "walk me through the official form"
- User is mid-form and stuck on a specific section
- User has been refused before — refile through the same portal but with corrections
Required information (already gathered in prior skills)
Pull from session memory:
| Field | From |
|---|
| Applicant name, DOB, nationality, passport | /start-here |
| Travel dates, purpose, accommodation | /start-here Q1, Q3 |
| Employment status + employer details | /employment-letter |
| Funding model (self vs sponsor) | /start-here Q4 |
| Prior visa history | /start-here Q5 |
| Country of residence | /start-here Q6 |
| Email + phone | /cover-letter if drafted |
If any are missing, ask before starting the form.
The 10 sections (in portal order)
Section 0 — Visa-Wizard (qualification)
Run BEFORE the actual form opens. The portal asks 5 questions to determine which visa type form to open. Answers (typical case):
| Wizard field | Answer |
|---|
| Country of residence | {{COUNTRY_OF_RESIDENCE}} (e.g. United Kingdom) |
| Nationality | {{NATIONALITY}} |
| Main reason for travel | {{PURPOSE}} (tourism / family-visit / business / etc.) |
| Trip length | {{STAY_DAYS}} (must be ≤90 for short-stay) |
| First entry date | {{FIRST_ENTRY_DATE}} |
Outcome: portal opens the Short-stay visa (Schengen, Type C) form. If outcome is different (e.g. opens a Long-stay Type D form), the wizard inputs need re-checking.
Section 1 — Personal details
Per-field guidance:
| Field | Source | Pitfall |
|---|
| Surname (as on passport) | Passport biographic page | Must include all middle parts; use exactly as printed |
| First names | Passport | All first names; not just "first name" colloquial |
| Surname at birth | Passport / personal records | Same as surname unless changed via marriage / legal name change |
| Date of birth | Passport | YYYY-MM-DD format |
| Place of birth | Passport / birth cert | City, country — match the official documents |
| Sex | Passport | M / F per passport |
| Marital status | Personal | Single / Married / Divorced / Widowed / Other |
| Other nationality | If dual citizen | List the second nationality |
Section 2 — Travel document (passport)
| Field | Source | Pitfall |
|---|
| Travel document type | Passport (usually "Ordinary passport") | Diplomatic / service / other only if applicable |
| Number | Passport biographic page | Letters + digits exactly as printed |
| Issuing authority | Passport | E.g. "HMPO" for UK; copy from passport |
| Date of issue | Passport | YYYY-MM-DD |
| Valid until | Passport | YYYY-MM-DD; ensure ≥3 months past planned exit + 2 blank pages |
Section 3 — Contact + residence
| Field | Source | Pitfall |
|---|
| Home address | Personal | Format consistent with bank statements + employment letter |
| Phone | Personal | International format (+44 7... for UK) |
| Email | Personal | Monitor this address constantly — France-Visas + TLScontact + consulate all use it |
Section 4 — Profession
| Field | Source | Pitfall |
|---|
| Current occupation | /employment-letter job title | Match employment letter exactly |
| Employer name | /employment-letter | Match employment letter exactly |
| Employer address | /employment-letter | Match employment letter |
| Employer phone | /employment-letter | HR contact line |
For students, retirees, unemployed: portal has alternative fields. Don't try to fit your situation into "employed" if you're not.
Section 5 — Trip details
| Field | Source | Pitfall |
|---|
| Main purpose of travel | /start-here Q1 | Tourism / Family-visit / Business / etc. — must match cover letter |
| Member State of main destination | "France" (this is the France-Visas form) | |
| Member State of first entry | First Schengen entry on the trip | If flying London → Amsterdam → Paris, first entry is Netherlands, NOT France |
| Number of entries requested | Single / Multiple | Request multiple if you might leave Schengen during the trip; fee is the same |
| Duration of intended stay (days) | /start-here Q3 | Be precise; not "around 10 days" |
| Intended date of arrival | /start-here Q3 | Specific YYYY-MM-DD |
| Intended date of departure | /start-here Q3 | Specific YYYY-MM-DD |
Section 6 — Accommodation + costs
| Field | Source | Pitfall |
|---|
| Accommodation type | /document-checklist E section | Hotel / Family or friend / Rental — choose one primary |
| Accommodation address (in France) | Hotel/host details | Full address |
| Contact person or hotel | Hotel/host details | Name |
| Cost of travel + stay covered by | /start-here Q4 | Self / Sponsor / Inviting person — must match cover letter |
| Means of subsistence | Financial evidence | Cash / Credit card / Bank statement / Sponsor pays |
Section 7 — Previous Schengen / France visas
| Field | Source | Pitfall |
|---|
| Have you had a Schengen visa before? | /start-here Q5 | Yes / No — be truthful; VIS cross-references |
| Previous visa numbers + dates | If yes | List all |
| Previously fingerprinted? | If yes | Date if known |
| Previously refused? | If yes | Refusal date + reason; flag as elevated-risk if so |
ETHOS principle #7 — Don't lie. Ever.
Section 8 — Family information (if applicable)
For each accompanying family member: separate application with separate reference number. The portal asks family-relationship info on the main application but the actual family members file their own forms.
For minors: parental consent details go here AND the consent letter (run /minor-parent-consent) is uploaded separately.
Section 9 — Submit + save receipt
After review:
- Electronically sign + submit
- Receive reference number — format
FRA-XXXXXXXX-XX
- Download application receipt PDF — save in two places
- Download personalised supporting-documents list — compare against
/document-checklist
Save:
| Item | Where |
|---|
| Reference number | Output to user: "Save this prominently — you'll need it for TLScontact: {{FRANCE_VISAS_REFERENCE}}" |
| Application receipt PDF | ~/Documents/{{DESTINATION_FOLDER}}/france-visas-receipt-{{APPLICANT_NAME}}.pdf |
| Supporting docs list | ~/Documents/{{DESTINATION_FOLDER}}/france-visas-checklist-{{APPLICANT_NAME}}.pdf |
Procedure
-
Verify scope is complete — applicant has run /start-here minimum; ideally also /document-checklist, /employment-letter.
-
Confirm timing — applicant should apply no more than 6 months before travel and no less than 15 working days before. Sweet spot: 6-8 weeks before.
-
Open the portal — direct user to https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/demande-de-visa and confirm they're on the official site (not a phishing copy).
-
Walk Section 0 — Visa-Wizard. Confirm the form opens correctly as short-stay Schengen.
-
Walk Sections 1-8 in order. For each:
- Pull pre-known fields from session memory
- Confirm them to the user
- Flag any pitfalls specific to that section
- Ask the user when they've completed it before moving on
-
Walk Section 9 — submit + save outputs. Capture the reference number prominently.
-
Verify the email arrives within 24 hours confirming receipt. If not, route the user to check spam OR contact France-Visas support.
-
Next-step routing — once submitted, go to /tlscontact-form to use the reference for booking.
Output template
FRANCE-VISAS APPLICATION COMPANION
Applicant: {{APPLICANT_NAME}}
Started: {{TIMESTAMP}}
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
PROGRESS
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Section 0 — Visa-Wizard {{✅ DONE | IN PROGRESS}}
Section 1 — Personal details {{✅ | ⏳}}
Section 2 — Travel document {{✅ | ⏳}}
Section 3 — Contact + residence {{✅ | ⏳}}
Section 4 — Profession {{✅ | ⏳}}
Section 5 — Trip details {{✅ | ⏳}}
Section 6 — Accommodation + costs {{✅ | ⏳}}
Section 7 — Previous Schengen visas {{✅ | ⏳}}
Section 8 — Family information {{✅ | ⏳ | n/a}}
Section 9 — Submit + save receipt {{✅ | ⏳}}
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
APPLICATION OUTPUT (after Section 9)
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
France-Visas reference: {{FRANCE_VISAS_REFERENCE}}
Submission date: {{SUBMISSION_DATE}}
Confirmation email: {{RECEIVED_YES_NO_OR_PENDING}}
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
NEXT STEPS
═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
1. Compare France-Visas' personalised checklist against your
/document-checklist output. France-Visas' list is authoritative
for your specific case.
2. Run /tlscontact-form to use the reference for booking your
appointment.
3. While waiting for TLScontact slot, run /audit-application to
verify all documents are consistent with the form you just
submitted.
Common pitfalls
| Pitfall | Why it hurts | Fix |
|---|
| Name doesn't exactly match passport | Auto-rejection trigger | Copy character-for-character from passport, including accents |
| Wrong "first entry" country (flying via Amsterdam to Paris) | Officer questions | First entry = Netherlands; France is destination |
| Applied for single-entry when need multiple | Can't leave Schengen during trip | Request multiple (same fee) |
| Submitted reference number lost | Can't proceed to TLS | Screenshot + save PDF receipt in 2 places |
| Forgot to read personalised docs list | Miss centre-specific requirements | Read it; compare to /document-checklist |
| Submitted application before having documents ready | Application has 6-month validity window — but TLS appointment matters | Application + appointment + documents must align |
| Date format inconsistency with other docs | Audit fails | YYYY-MM-DD throughout |
Routing rules
| Situation | Suggest next |
|---|
| User completes Section 9 | /tlscontact-form to use the reference for booking |
| User stuck mid-section | Walk through the specific section field-by-field |
| User realised they entered wrong info | If pre-submission: edit. If post-submission: contact France-Visas support; some fields can be amended within the application |
| Visa-wizard opens wrong form (long-stay vs short-stay) | Re-run the wizard with corrected inputs |
| User has no scope summary from /start-here | Run /start-here first; it's the prerequisite |
Authoritative sources
Notes for maintainers
- The portal sometimes auto-translates poorly when the user's browser is set to a non-EN language. Recommend setting the browser to English for the form completion.
- France-Visas occasionally adds new fields (e.g. COVID-related during 2020-22). Re-verify the 10-section structure quarterly.
- Some applicants try to "test" the form by entering placeholder data, then can't undo. Warn: once submitted, can't easily edit. Treat the submission as the lock-in moment.
- The personalised supporting-documents list (downloadable after submission) is the authoritative document checklist for that specific application. It supersedes our generic /document-checklist for that user.
- Reference number format:
FRA-XXXXXXXX-XX. Country prefix varies for non-French Schengen consulates (e.g. ITA- for Italy).
