We strongly advise participants to personally check entry and visa requirements before making travel arrangements at least 3 months ahead of time, as there might be country-specific conditions that you are not aware of. For most accurate information please contact the embassy/consulate of the country where the conference will be held, in your home country.

Visa requirements for Paris depend on your nationality and length of stay; many visitors, such as US citizens, do not need a visa for short tourist or business trips (up to 90 days) but must have a valid passport. For longer stays (over 90 days) or for other purposes like work, a visa is required and must be applied for in advance. The French government website, France-Visas, is the official source for determining your specific requirements and application process.

Following information is quoted from https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/la-demarche

STEP 1: Gather information on my situation

Check if a visa is required for your project. This portal gathers all the essential information to prepare and submit your visa application.

Identify the necessary supporting documents to be provided with your application, as well as the applicable fees. If you have stayed in the Schengen area in the last 6 months, an online calculator allows you to calculate the maximum remaining length of stay.

Identify the appropriate authority to process the application. Dedicated pages for each country supplement this general information. They help you determine where and from whom to apply for a visa.

Check if you need a visa

STEP 2: Set up my online application

Please ensure that you have the following :

• A travel document (original + copy) :

• In good condition

• Issued less than 10 years ago

• Containing at least two blank pages

• With a validity period :

• At least 3 months older than the expected date of your departure from the Schengen Area

• Or, in the case of a long stay, at least 3 months longer than the expiry date of the visa applied for. A derogation from the latter criterion may be granted in duly justified cases of urgency.

• Two recent ID photos in ICAO format (PDF)

• The supporting documents (original + copies) adapted to your personal situation and the reason for your trip

Attention : Documents written in languages other than English or French may be requested translated into French.

Applying for a visa

STEP 3: Book my appointment

You must allow time to obtain an appointment and to process your application in relation to the expected start date of your trip.

In most cases, consular services rely on service providers for the reception of visa applicants and the filing of applications. In all cases, consular services retain full responsibility for the processing of applications and decisions.

You will find the information for scheduling appointments on the page associated with your country of filing

Make an appointment

STEP 4: Submit my application

You come to the appointment with your complete file (CERFA and receipt).The service provider (or consulate) receives you, checks your file, collects the amount of the fee, collects your biometrics (photo and fingerprints) and keeps your passport and supporting documents (copies) for transmission to the consulate.

All visas issued by France are biometric visas. Any visa applicant "over 12 years of age" is required to present himself in person at the time of filing his first application. The following biometric identifiers are collected on this occasion: one photograph, scanned or taken at the time of the request, and 10 fingerprints, collected flat and digitized. However, it is possible to recover your biometric data, if a previous biometric Schengen visa was issued less than 59 months ago.

Advantages of biometrics : Biometrics protects you and comparing biometric data makes it easier to identify you. In the event of loss or theft of travel documents, it protects you against the theft of your identity and the fraudulent use of your passport.

You may be exempted from personal appearance for the filing of your application if your fingerprints were collected as part of a previous visa application less than fifty-nine months before your current application.

STEP 5: Track my application and get my visa back

The follow-up of your application is ensured by the visa centre in which you have submitted your application.

You receive a notification inviting you to show up to pick up your passport at the centre where you filed it.The decision-making time on visa applications is usually 15 days. This period may be extended up to 45 days in special cases if the examination of the application warrants it.

In some countries, the passport may be sent to you by post.

Track my application

 

The ICARA Conference is not authorized to assist with the visa application process. Upon successful registration, the organizing committee may provide an invitation letter upon request, which can support but does not guarantee visa approval.

Important Notes:

1. ICARA does not provide Letters of Sponsorship or Guarantee for immigration purposes. Participants are solely responsible for securing any required documents.

2. No refunds will be issued for cancellations due to visa denials or entry restrictions.

3. ICARA cannot influence decisions made by embassies, consulates, or government agencies, nor will it intervene on behalf of applicants.

4. For visa-related inquiries, please contact the embassy/consulate of the conference host country in your home jurisdiction.

5. In no event will ICARA be liable for any loss or damage including without limitation, indirect or consequential loss or damage, or any loss or damage whatsoever arising from loss of data or profits arising out of, or in connection with, the information provided on this page.