Confusion as two websites must be used to get a French visa

Several readers have reported confusion over the process of applying for a French visa due to the need to juggle between two websites: france-visas.gouv.fr – which is used for most visa applications around the world – and tlscontact.com, the French consular service contractor in the UK. 

The explanation is as follows:

All applications start at france-visas.gouv.fr and the online form should be filled in until it asks you to click to confirm the details and complete. You can print a version of your filled-in form but it will say brouillon (‘draft’).

Read more: Letters: New French visa plan may remove the worry of overstaying

If you confirm all is correct, the final form will then be available to download but do not click on the last button to send in the application at this stage.

First, visit tlscontact.com (visa.vfsglobal.com/usa/en/fra/ in the US).

If applying from the UK, click on one of the three UK centres and you will see a page asking if you have filled in the france-visas form (in the US there are 10 VFS Global centres).

On confirming this, you are asked to enter your email to create an account to book an appointment, using the application number you can find on your draft. 

Return to france-visas and click to confirm you have booked an appointment and to forward the form to TLS (or VFS Global). 

Visa consultant Ilya Zlokazov said TLS has significantly improved its service and it is now “generally straightforward” to obtain an appointment, although it can still be challenging at Christmas and in the summer, due to demand from students. 

If you want to learn more about visas and residency cards for France, The Connexion has published a detailed help guide on the subject, available here.