Visa policies of Overseas France

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)	State public domain (uninhabited)
French Guiana[lower-alpha 1] Guadeloupe Martinique[lower-alpha 1] Mayotte[lower-alpha 1] Réunion	French Polynesia Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Wallis and Futuna	New Caledonia	French Southern and Antarctic Lands	Clipperton Island

1. Single territorial collectivity with the competences of a department and a region.

Visa policy of Overseas France
Visa-free access to:

  All territories, unlimited period

  All territories, up to 3 months

  All territories; most up to 3 months, one up to 15 days on organized trips

  All territories; some up to 3 months, some up to 15 days

  Most territories, up to 3 months

  Some territories, up to 3 months

  Some territories, up to 15 days on organized trips

French Polynesia entry stamp

Guadeloupe entry stamp

Martinique entry stamp

New Caledonia entry stamp

Saint Barthélemy entry stamp

Saint Pierre and Miquelon entry stamp

French Guiana exit stamp

Visa exemptions

Nationals of the following countries can enter and reside for an unlimited period without a visa in Overseas France. They may use their national identity card instead of their passport as a travel document as long as they travel directly. A passport, however, is mostly necessary because most flights from Europe connect through a foreign territory, e.g. the Paris-Papeete flights stop over in Los Angeles, which does necessarily require a USA travel authorisation. A notable exeption was the Air Tahit Nui TN64 flight on the 15th of March 2020, which flew directly to Paris from Papeete as it was not allowed to stop over in Los Angeles due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In theory, European passengers on this flight could have had taken it without a passport, but that was only an exception. [1][2][3][4][5][6]

European Union  Andorra  Iceland  Liechtenstein  Monaco

Norway  San Marino   Switzerland  United Kingdom[lower-alpha 1]

1. British citizens (except those connected only to the Crown dependencies), British subjects with right of abode in the United Kingdom, and British Overseas Territories citizens of Gibraltar.

For stays of up to 3 months in a 6-month period, visa-free entry is granted to nationals of the following countries and territories (except as otherwise noted):[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Albania[lower-alpha 1]  Antigua and Barbuda  Argentina  Australia  Bahamas  Barbados  Bolivia  Bosnia and Herzegovina[lower-alpha 1]  Brazil[lower-alpha 2]  Brunei  Canada  Chile  Colombia[lower-alpha 3]  Costa Rica  Dominica[lower-alpha 4]  East Timor[lower-alpha 3]  El Salvador  Grenada[lower-alpha 3]

Guatemala  Honduras  Hong Kong  Israel  Japan  Macau  Malaysia  Mauritius  Mexico  Moldova[lower-alpha 1]  Montenegro[lower-alpha 1]  New Zealand  Nicaragua  North Macedonia[lower-alpha 1]  Palau[lower-alpha 3]  Panama  Paraguay  Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia[lower-alpha 4]  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[lower-alpha 3]  Samoa[lower-alpha 3]  Serbia[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 5]  Seychelles  Singapore  South Korea  Taiwan[lower-alpha 6]  Tonga[lower-alpha 3]  Trinidad and Tobago[lower-alpha 3]  United Arab Emirates[lower-alpha 3]  United States  Uruguay  Vanuatu[lower-alpha 3]   Vatican City  Venezuela British nationals without freedom of movement[lower-alpha 7]

1. With biometric passport.
2. For French Guiana, Brazilian citizens may enter without a visa only in the following cases: up to 15 days for trips organized by an approved travel agency; up to 3 days when in transit to France (including all territories) or Brazil; local residents of Oiapoque who are holders of a special card authorising cross-border travel (in which case they can visit Saint-Georges-de-l'Oyapock only visa-free for up to 72 hours); or members of the emergency services.
3. Except for Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin.
4. For French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, visa-free entry of up to 15 days for each stay, as long as the visa-free short stays do not total more than 120 days over a 12-month period.
5. Except with passport issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate.
6. With passport bearing identity card number.
7. For Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, only British Nationals (Overseas) and British Overseas Territories citizens of Anguilla (only for Saint Martin), Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands. For other territories, British citizens connected only to the Crown dependencies, British subjects without right of abode in the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories citizens other than of Gibraltar, British Nationals (Overseas), British Overseas citizens, and British protected persons.

This exemption also applies to:

• Holders of a long-stay visa or residence permit issued by France or another Schengen country
• Nationals of the following countries holding a multiple-entry visa issued by France with validity between 6 months and 5 years:

Bahrain  Belarus  China  India  Kuwait

Oman  Qatar  Russia  South Africa  Ukraine

Additional exemptions for specific territories

For specific territories, nationals of the following countries are also granted visa-free stays of up to 3 months in a 6-month period (except as otherwise noted).

For French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique:[1]

Ecuador  Peru

For Saint Martin:[2]

Travelers of any nationality coming directly from Sint Maarten (open border)

For Saint Pierre and Miquelon:[1]

Holders of a Canadian identification document (e.g. a driver's licence or student card), of any nationality, traveling directly from Canada; passport also not required

For Réunion:[1]

China[lower-alpha 1]  India[lower-alpha 1]

Mozambique  South Africa

1. Visa-free entry of up to 15 days for each stay, for trips organized by an approved travel agency.

For Mayotte:[3]

Mozambique

For New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia:[4][5][6]

China[lower-alpha 1]  Fiji[lower-alpha 2]  Georgia[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 2]  Kiribati  Marshall Islands  Micronesia

Nauru  Papua New Guinea[lower-alpha 2]  Peru[lower-alpha 2]  Solomon Islands  Tuvalu  Ukraine[lower-alpha 3][lower-alpha 2]

1. Visa-free entry of up to 15 days for each stay, for trips organized by an approved travel agency. Only for New Caledonia and French Polynesia.
2. Only for New Caledonia.
3. With biometric passport.

Summary of short-stay visa exemptions

Country or territory	France (Schengen)	French Guiana	Guadeloupe and Martinique	Réunion	Mayotte	Saint Pierre and Miquelon	Wallis and Futuna	French Polynesia	New Caledonia	Saint Martin	Saint Barthélemy
EU single market	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Schengen 'Annex II'[lower-alpha 1]	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brazil	Yes	organized trips or in transit	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Bermuda	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Montserrat	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Turks and Caicos Islands	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
British Virgin Islands	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Anguilla	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
other British nationals	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Colombia	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
East Timor	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Grenada	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Palau	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Samoa	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Tonga	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Trinidad and Tobago	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
United Arab Emirates	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Vanuatu	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Georgia	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Peru	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Kiribati	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Marshall Islands	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Micronesia	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Solomon Islands	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Tuvalu	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Ukraine	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Bolivia	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Ecuador	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
Fiji	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
Mozambique	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No
Nauru	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No
Papua New Guinea	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	No	Yes	No	No
South Africa	No	No	No	Yes	No	No	No	No	No	No	No
China	No	No	No	organized trips	No	No	No	organized trips	organized trips	No	No
India	No	No	No	organized trips	No	No	No	No	No	No	No

1. Except Brazil, Colombia, East Timor, Georgia, Grenada, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Peru, Saint Vincent and the Greandines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, Vanuatu, and British nationals without freedom of movement other than British Nationals (Overseas).

Obtaining a visa

Foreign nationals who require 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 metropolitan France, the local prefecture)[7] for a fee of up to €99 (depending on the destination, length of stay, and age of applicant).[8]

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 the French overseas departments in the Americas (French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique) as well as Saint Pierre and Miquelon.[1]

Visitor statistics

Visitor statistics of French Polynesia[9]

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

Visitor statistics of New Caledonia[10]

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

• Visa policy of the Schengen Area

References

1. Ruling of 26 July 2011 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion and the collectivity of Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Légifrance, consolidated version of 15 August 2020. (in French)
2. Ruling of 18 April 2012 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of the collectivities of Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin, Légifrance, consolidated version of 15 August 2020. (in French)
3. Ruling of 4 February 2015 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of Mayotte, Légifrance, consolidated version of 15 August 2020. (in French)
4. Ruling of 22 July 2011 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of New Caledonia, Légifrance, consolidated version of 15 August 2020. (in French)
5. Ruling of 26 July 2011 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of Wallis and Futuna, Légifrance, consolidated version of 15 August 2020. (in French)
6. Ruling of 29 December 2011 regarding the documents and visas required for the entry of foreigners in the territory of French Polynesia, Légifrance, consolidated version of 15 August 2020. (in French)
7. "Voyage en outre-mer : de quel visa a besoin un étranger ?". service-public.fr.
8. Visa fees, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of France. (in French)
9. "Données détaillées". www.ispf.pf.
10. "Touristes selon le lieu de résidence". isee.nc.