China → France
Short Schengen stays are generally up to 90 days in any 180-day period; a mainland China ordinary passport alone is not sufficient and a valid visa is required before travel.
For short tourist/business visits to metropolitan France/Schengen. A US visa, US green card, UK visa, Japan visa, or APEC Business Travel Card is not listed by France as a Schengen-entry visa waiver by itself.
Based on passport-specific data. · as of 2026-06-17
Official source ↗Documents that change the outcome
- Visa-free· schengen_visa · 90 days
A valid uniform Schengen short-stay visa may be used for France/Schengen if its territorial validity, number of entries, and validity dates cover the trip; no separate French short-stay visa is needed, and stay remains limited by the visa and the 90 days in any 180-day period rule.
source ↗
Documents & how to apply
- Visa application form and France-Visas receipt — Complete online on France-Visas and bring the printed documents to the appointment.
- Travel document/passport, original and copy — Must be in good condition, issued less than 10 years ago, have at least two blank pages, and be valid at least three months after the planned departure from the Schengen Area.
- Two recent ID photos — Must meet the ISO/IEC ID photo format.
- Supporting documents according to personal situation and travel plan — The France-Visas visa wizard generates the checklist according to nationality, residence country and travel purpose.
- Proof of sufficient financial resources — Official guidance says the purpose is to verify sufficient resources for the stay and return; examples include cash, travellers' cheques and international bank cards.
- Proof of accommodation — Submit as listed by the visa wizard, such as hotel booking or proof of host accommodation.
- Travel medical insurance / proof of medical cover in France — Submit as listed by the visa wizard.
- Proof of purpose of travel — For tourism, provide trip/accommodation evidence as required; for business, France-Visas gives examples such as a request letter, summons or invitation from the French correspondent describing the activity, purpose, duration and place, or trade fair/conference admission cards.
- Visa fee — Due when filing the application; the administrative visa fee is generally retained even if the visa is refused.
⏱ For complete short-stay applications lodged in China requiring no additional checks, processing is in principle 24 or 48 working hours; this is indicative and may vary with extra documents, application volume or nationality. 💳 90 EUR (government fee) 📍 Complete the application online on France-Visas; in China, TLScontact visa centres receive applications and documents, while the French Embassy in Beijing and Consulates General in Guangzhou, Chengdu and Shanghai process and decide applications.
Use the France-Visas visa wizard first to generate the personal checklist, then book with a TLScontact centre in China; short-stay applications may be submitted up to six months before travel.
Requirements vary by consulate — verify with the official source. official ↗
Regional stay rules
Short stays are generally limited to up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across the Schengen Area as a shared area.
Common questions
No. China is listed by the EU as visa-required; France lists Schengen-entry waivers such as nationality, Schengen residence permits, certain EU residence permits, or Schengen long-stay visas, not a US visa.
No. A US green card alone is not listed by France as a Schengen-entry waiver. France lists valid residence permits issued by Schengen states, certain EU residence permits with specified wording, or Schengen long-stay visas, among others.
Yes, if the Schengen visa validity dates, entries, and territorial validity cover the France trip. France states a uniform Schengen short-stay visa may cover part or all of the Schengen area and must not exceed 90 days in any 180-day period.
No. APEC states the ABTC facilitates short-term business travel within the APEC region and to participating economies; France is not an APEC economy, so French/Schengen visa rules still apply.
Verify with official sources
Visa policy changes without notice and this page is reference information that may contain errors. Before travel, verify via the official sources below or contact the destination country's embassy / consulate / immigration authority directly; final admission is at the destination government's discretion.