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Short stay visa for French Polynesia, New Caledonia, etc. (TOM)

What are the French overseas territories?

The French overseas territories are :
French Polynesia
New Caledonia
Wallis and Futuna
Mayotte
St Pierre and Miquelon
French Austral territories

Do I need a visa to travel to French overseas territories ?

YES, if you are a citizen of the following countries:

Afghanistan	Albania*	Algeria	Angola
Armenia	Azerbaidjan	Bahrein*	Bangladesh
Belize	Benin	Bhutan	Belarus
Bolivia	Bosnia*	Botswana	Brazil*
Burkina Faso	Burma	Burundi	Cambodia
Cameroon	Cape Verde	Central Africa	Chad
China	Colombia	Comoros	Congo
D.R. Congo (ex-Zaïre)	Cuba	Djibouti	Dominica
Dominican Republic	Ecuador	Egypt	Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea	Ethiopia	Fiji	Gabon
Gambia	Georgia	Ghana	Grenada
Guinea	Guinea Bissau	Guyana	Haiti
Hong Kong (except S.A.R.)	India	Indonesia	Iran
Israel*	Iraq	Ivory Coast	Jamaica
Jordan	Kazakhstan	Kenya	Kirghizistan
Kiribati	Kuwait	Laos	Lebanon
Lesotho	Liberia	Libya	Macao (except S.A.R.)
Macedonia*	Madagascar	Malawi	Maldives
Mali	Marshall Islands	Mauritania	Micronesia
Moldavia	Mongolia	Montenegro*	Morocco
Mozambique	Namibia	Nauru	Nepal
Niger	Nigeria	North Korea	Oman*
Pakistan	Palau	Palestinian Nationals	Papua
Peru	Philippines	Qatar*	Refugees
Russia	Rwanda	Solomon	Samoa
Saudi Arabia	Senegal	Serbia*	Sierra Leone
Somalia	South Africa	Sri Lanka	St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia	St Thomas	St Vincent	Sudan
Surinam	Swaziland	Syria	Tadjikistan
Taiwan*	Tanzania	Thailand	Togo
Tonga	Trinidad & Tobago	Tunisia	Turkey
Turkmenistan	Tuvalu	Uganda	Ukraine
United Arab Emirates	Uzbekistan
United States Re-entry permit	United States Refugee Travel Doc.
Vanuatu	Vietnam	Yemen
Former Yugoslavia	Zambia	Zimbabwe

*Bahrein, Oman, Qatar: no visa required for stays of up to 90 days to diplomatic/special passport holders.
*Brazil: no visa for stays of up to 90 days per semester for French Polynesia (for tourism only) / Other territories: visa needed
*Israel: visa needed for official and diplomatic passports ONLY
*Albania, Bosnia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia: no visa required if you hold a biometric passport
*TAIWAN: No visa required for holders of a Taiwanese passport with a "Personal ID number" (Taiwanese national ID number) written in the passport (found above the date of birth).

NO, YOU DO NOT NEED A VISA if you are a citizen of the United States of America, Canada, Mexico, or countries NOT LISTED ABOVE. for TOURISM, BUSINESS, or FAMILY VISIT. You may stay up to 90 days per semester (90 days over a period of 6 months).

However, if the purpose of your trip is NOT tourism, then you may still be required to get a visa before your departure (work, scientific research, etc.).

Diplomatic and official passport holders, please contact us

NOTE: Valid United States green card holders traveling on a cruise ship (French Polynesia, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, Mayotte) do not need a visa if you are entering and leaving by sea.
If you are flying into the French overseas territories before taking a cruise, you need a visa.

B1-B2 visa holders: Please, apply in the country of your residence. No visas will be delivered to foreigners holding U.S B1-B2 visas.

Is a Schengen visa valid for the French overseas territories?

NO, you have to apply for a specific visa, allowing you to visit these territories.

Examples:

You are traveling directly from the USA to Tahiti without going through Europe : you have to apply for a visa "French Polynesia".

You are traveling from the USA to New Caledonia flying through Europe : you have to apply for a "Schengen visa" and for another visa "New Caledonia".

Processing time

About 1 week

Please, apply in advance. Do not wait for the last minute.

You may apply for your visa no earlier than 3 months before your departure date..

REQUIREMENTS

Please provide us with the ORIGINAL + 1 COPY of each document including passeport and relevant pages.

THE VISA SECTION DOES NOT MAKE ANY COPIES.

You must bring your documents and the required copies otherwise your visa will automatically be denied

1 — Proof of residency in our consulate’s jurisdiction

The French Consulate in Los Angeles only accept applicants who are residents from:
Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Southern California, and Southern Nevada.

You will have to show us at least ONE of the following documents:

a valid driver license or state ID from one of these states, which must be located in the consulate’s jurisdiction (click here for a map)
or a valid student ID from a university located in one of these states (or a statement issued within the past 2 months from the registrar of your university, which must be located in the consulate’s jurisdiction).
or an original lease or rental agreement in the applicant’s name or a notarized statement from the owner or leaseholder plus a recent utility bill in the applicant’s name with an address located in the consulate’s jurisdiction.

2 — Original passport

Original passport or travel document (+ ONE COPY of the identity pages)

Must be valid for at least three months after your return to the US
Has least two blank pages left to affix the visa (amendment pages are NOT suitable for visas).
Has been delivered less than 10 years ago (date of first issuance)
Be in good condition (ie. not torn or damaged)

3 — Proof of legal residency in the United States

A valid U.S. permanent residence card ("green card") or a valid U.S. visa with valid I-94 or valid I-20, or an Advance Parole document. (+ ONE COPY)

B1-B2 visa holders: Please, apply in the country of your residence. NO VISAS WILL BE DELIVERED to foreigners holding U.S B1-B2 visas.

4 — Processing Fees for a short stay visa for overseas territories

To be paid in person on the day of the appointment (Visa or Mastercard ONLY).
Click here for a list of the application fees.

5 — Short stay "Schengen" visa application form


Schengen Visa - Application Form (PDF)

One "Schengen" APPLICATION FORM filled out completely and signed by the applicant (note: please clearly state on the application your destination, i.e. French Polynesia, New Caledonia, etc…)

6 — Passport photograph

One PASSPORT PHOTO. Do not glu or staple. More details on photograph requirements.

7 — PROOF OF SOCIO-PROFESSIONAL STATUS

IF EMPLOYED: original, recent (no older than 2 months) and signed letter of employment in the U.S. confirming your salary, hire date, position and dates of vacation Note: offer letters of employment are not accepted. (+ ONE COPY)

AND your last 3 paystubs (+ ONE COPY)

- IF SELF-EMPLOYED: business license + recent tax returns. (+ ONE COPY)

- IF YOU ARE A STUDENT: a letter from your school or university confirming enrollment status and attendance (+ ONE COPY)

- HOMEMAKERS should provide their spouse’s documents:
  original, recent and signed letter of employment in the U.S. confirming salary, hire date and position (or if self-employed business license + tax return document); (+ ONE COPY)
  last 3 pay stubs; (+ ONE COPY)
  last 3 monthly bank statements; (+ ONE COPY)
  marriage certificate (in english) (+ ONE COPY)

- IF RETIRED:Proof of retirement funds AND your last 3 recent monthly bank statements showing monthly balance and your name. Bank statements should show that you have enough money for the duration of your stay in the French overseas territories. (+ ONE COPY)

8 — PROOF OF FINANCIAL MEANS

your last 3 monthly bank statements showing monthly balance and your name (checking and/or savings). Bank statements should show that you have enough money for the duration of your stay in the French overseas territories. (+ ONE COPY)

9 — PROOF OF MEDICAL COVERAGE ABROAD

a TRAVEL INSURANCE that can be reserved online valid for French Polynesia or valid worldwide

VERY IMPORTANT: the document MUST indicate in writing that it covers EACH of the following requirements:

- repatriation
- urgent medical attention and/or emergency hospitalization or death
- minimum coverage amount of 50,000 US$.
- your full name and the effective dates of medical coverage (+ ONE COPY)

We will not accept any insurance that does not mention all of the requirements stated above.

10 — FLIGHT RESERVATIONS

Your ROUND-TRIP FLIGHT reservation: with a complete personal itinerary or round trip ticket reservation with confirmed dates. Open tickets are not accepted. (+ ONE COPY)

11 — PROOF OF ACCOMMODATION

Confirmed hotel reservations for your entire stay in the French overseas territories (+ ONE COPY)
or a letter from your travel agent stating that you are part of a tour listing hotel addresses and dates of travel. (+ ONE COPY)
or, if you are staying with FRIENDS or FAMILY, original of "ATTESTATION D’ACCUEIL" that your host has to request at the City Hall (Mairie) in the French overseas territories (+ ONE COPY)

For a business trip: (in addition to all the previous documents listed above) please also provide a letter from your host company in the French overseas territories stating that you are in the French overseas territories on behalf of the company, giving the name and address of the contact person(s) and guaranteeing full responsibility for expenses, lodging, and return to the United States. (+ ONE COPY)
- NOTE: If you are invited to do research in French Polynesia, please follow the requirements for the Short stay visa for scientists, researchers, professors holding a “CONVENTION D’ACCUEIL”

For all minors under the age of 18 years old:

Birth certificate (with an official translation in English, if applicable) (+ ONE COPY)
And if the minor is travelling without his parents or with only ONE parent:
- notarized parental authorization from both parents or from the parent not travelling with the child, allowing the child to travel to the French overseas territories as a school trip, or authorizing to travel with the other parent
- or notarized parental authorization from the parent exercising full custody of the child according to the divorce decree, please bring : certified copy of divorce decree stating that you have full custody of the child(ren). (+ ONE COPY)

IF YOU WISH TO HAVE YOUR PASSPORT MAILED BACK TO YOU

A self-addressed FedEx Express "US Airbill" or an online prepaid FedEx Airbill
and FedEx enveloppe
for US Airbill, please fill out your own address twice (you are the sender AND the recipient):

Sender: Your name and address	Select shipping preference
Recipient: Your name and address	Billing information

We will NOT accept other methods of delivery: (NO USPS, NO UPS, NO FedEx "Ground" service)

Important information

The consular administration has full authority to evaluate and request more documents than those submitted by the applicant.

Please be aware that submitting the aforementioned documents does not guarantee the approval of the visa.

The French Consulate in Los Angeles can refuse the issuance of a visa.

Please note that holders of French overseas territories visas are still subject to immigration control upon first entry. The visa itself does not grant the right to enter a French overseas territory.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT

All applicants must apply in person and must make an appointment on our website. Personal appearance is mandatory.
We regret that at this time we do not accept appointments over the phone or via email.

If you are not able to attend, please free a slot by canceling or rescheduling your appointment by logging back in the appointment system and click on “changing your appointment”. You will need your “LAX” confirmation number and passport number.

One appointment = one person (for instance, a family of four = 4 appointments)

Due to the high number of applicants, the French Consulate reserves the right to cancel appointments made by the same person on the same day (or even on two different dates).

WARNING: To use the system, the following configuration is required :