Although the European portion of France is part of the Schengen Area, its overseas departments, collectivities and other territories apply their own visa policies, which have some additional exemptions or restrictions compared to the visa policy of the Schengen Area.
| Overseas departments and regions | Overseas collectivities | Special status | Overseas territories (no permanent population) | Public domain of the state (uninhabited) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| French Guiana Guadeloupe Martinique Mayotte Réunion | French Polynesia Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Wallis and Futuna | New Caledonia | French Southern and Antarctic Lands | Clipperton Island |
Visa exemption
Unlimited period
Nationals of the following countries can enter and reside for an unlimited period without a visa in Overseas France:
|
Nationals of EU and EFTA member states may use their national identity card instead of their passport as a travel document to enter any French territory. They may also work freely in the parts of Overseas France that are part of the European Union (overseas departments and regions, and Saint Martin), as well as Saint Barthélemy, but those who are not nationals of France need a permit to work in Saint Pierre and Miquelon, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia.
Short stays
For stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period, visa-free entry is granted to nationals of the following countries and territories (except as otherwise noted):
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This exemption also applies to:
- Holders of a long-stay visa or residence permit issued by France or another Schengen Area country
- Nationals of the following countries holding a multiple-entry visa issued by France with validity between 6 months and 5 years:
- Bahrain
- China
- India
- Indonesia
- Kuwait
- Oman
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
- Thailand
- Nationals of these countries traveling by cruise ship are also granted a visa exemption for a stay of up to 24 hours.
The following categories of travelers may also transit without a visa:
- Passengers transiting only the international transit area of an airport, except the same categories required to have an airport transit visa for the European part of France
- Airline and ship crew members
- Cruise ship passengers holding a visa for any French territory or a residence permit for Andorra, Canada, Japan, Monaco, San Marino or the United States, for a stay of up to 24 hours
- Cruise ship passengers not leaving the ship
Additional exemptions for specific territories
For specific territories, nationals of the following countries are also granted visa-free stays of up to 90 days in a 180-day period (except as otherwise noted).
For French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique:
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For Saint Martin:
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For Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
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For Mayotte:
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For Réunion:
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Nationals of China, India and Russia traveling from Mauritius or Seychelles to Réunion may obtain a free visa on arrival for a stay of up to 15 days.
For New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia:
|
Summary of visa exemptions
| Country | France (Schengen) | French Guiana | Guadeloupe and Martinique | Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin | Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Mayotte | Réunion | New Caledonia and French Polynesia | Wallis and Futuna |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| EU (except France) and EFTA | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Schengen 'Annex II' | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Brazil | Yes | organized trips or transit | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Venezuela | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Georgia | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Kosovo | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Bolivia | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Nauru | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ecuador | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| Mozambique | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| South Africa | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | No |
| Fiji | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Papua New Guinea | No | No | No | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| China | No | No | No | No | No | No | organized trips | organized trips | No |
| India | No | No | No | No | No | No | organized trips | No | No |
Proposed changes
In June 2025, the presidents of France and Brazil announced an agreement to exempt nationals of Brazil from the visa requirement to French Guiana. The agreement would include a provision for repatriation of convicted criminals.
Obtaining a visa
Foreign nationals who need a visa for a part of Overseas France can obtain one by lodging an application at a French embassy or consulate in their country of residence (or, in the case of foreign nationals already in a part of France, the local prefecture) for a fee of up to €99 (depending on the destination, length of stay, age and nationality).
| Length of stay | Destination | Regular fee | Reduced fee | No fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 90 days | France (Schengen) | €90 | €45 for children ages 6 to 12; €35 for nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus | children under age 6, spouse of a French national, family members of other EU/EFTA nationals |
| French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, Réunion | €60 | €35 for children ages 6 to 12 | ||
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Mayotte, New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia | €9 | spouse of a French national, family members of other EU/EFTA nationals | ||
| More than 90 days | any | €99 | €50 for students; €15 for children adopted by a French national | spouse of a French national |
Schengen short-stay visas are not valid for Overseas France (except for nationals of certain countries as listed above), and vice versa. A visa with the designation "départements français d'Amérique" (DFA) allows visiting all parts of Overseas France in the Americas (French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon). A visa with the designation "valable pour France sauf CTOM" allows visiting all parts of Overseas France in the Americas as well as Réunion.
Visitor statistics
| Country/territory | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 67,908 | 63,913 | 62,278 | 53,656 |
| France | 39,086 | 35,765 | 34,887 | 32,946 |
| Japan | 12,174 | 11,447 | 12,527 | 13,175 |
| Australia | 9,757 | 9,167 | 9,315 | 9,167 |
| Italy | 7,888 | 7,993 | 7,887 | 8,103 |
| New Zealand | 7,221 | 7,315 | 7,136 | 6,477 |
| Canada | 6,326 | 8,402 | 9,279 | 7,206 |
| China | 5,987 | 5,555 | 3,268 | 1,876 |
| New Caledonia | 4,206 | 4,185 | 4,111 | 3,826 |
| United Kingdom | 3,980 | 4,711 | 4,834 | 3,255 |
| Germany | 3,951 | 3,538 | 4,028 | 3,477 |
| Total | 192,495 | 183,831 | 180,602 | 164,393 |
| Country/territory | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan France | 36,725 | 37,245 | 36,545 | 39,183 |
| Australia | 22,809 | 20,926 | 18,065 | 15,722 |
| Japan | 21,151 | 20,056 | 19,087 | 15,674 |
| New Zealand | 9,143 | 8,529 | 6,780 | 6,334 |
| Wallis and Futuna | 6,128 | 6,329 | 6,128 | 6,763 |
| Vanuatu | 3,648 | 3,520 | 3,616 | 3,950 |
| French Polynesia | 3,453 | 3,552 | 3,371 | 3,946 |
| Italy | 1,045 | 1,104 | 832 | 718 |
| Total | 115,676 | 113,951 | 107,187 | 107,753 |
See also
wikipedia, wiki, encyclopedia, book, library, article, read, free download, Information about Visa policies of Overseas France, What is Visa policies of Overseas France? What does Visa policies of Overseas France mean?