France consulate, Puducherry: refusal rate for Schengen visa applicants (listed as Pondichery in the EC file)
In 2022 this consulate decided 21,075 uniform visa applications lodged in Puducherry, issued 15,859 and refused 4,520. That is a refusal rate of 21.4% against an all-India average of 18.0% the same year. The year before it refused 30.8%.
4,520 refusals out of 21,075 applications, 2022
How to apply at the France consulate in Puducherry
Facts below were read on the mission's or its outsourcer's official page on 2026-08-17; each carries its source. Anything we could not verify is not shown.
Who this consulate covers
Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Puducherry (Karikal, Mahe, Puducherry, Yanam).
Source (official) →Where to lodge the file
VFS Global with centres in Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Cochin, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Jalandhar, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi, Puducherry, Pune, Coimbatore (temporary service point), Guwahati (temporary service point), Mangalore (temporary service point), Vishakhapatnam (temporary service point). Article 43 of the Visa Code: the provider collects the file and biometrics; the consulate decides.
Official application portal →The mission's own visa page
France-Visas country page for India: names the five decision-making posts (Mumbai, Puducherry, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Embassy visa section in Delhi), states applicants may use any VFS Global centre, lists every centre with hours.
Open the official page →If you are refused
A mandatory prior administrative appeal by post, reasoned, written in French and signed, to the Deputy Director of Visas (BP 83609, 44036 Nantes Cedex 01) for short-stay visas refused from 1 January 2023; it is compulsory before any action before the administrative judge, and two months' silence counts as an implicit refusal that can itself be challenged. Deadline: 30 days from the refusal decision.
Source (official) →Official name of the post
Consulate General of France in Pondicherry (same post as the Chennai entry; the EC reported it under Pondichery until 2022)
Address (as published)
2 Marine Street, Pondicherry 605001
14 years at this consulate
| Year | Applied | Issued | Multi-entry | Refused | Refusal rate | India avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 21,075 | 15,859 | 2,609 (16%) | 4,520 | 21.4% | 18.0% |
| 2021 | 4,341 | 2,798 | 838 (30%) | 1,337 | 30.8% | 22.8% |
| 2020 | 3,751 | 3,279 | 663 (20%) | 559 | 14.9% | 16.9% |
| 2019 | 27,656 | 24,117 | 2,008 (8%) | 3,323 | 12.0% | 10.8% |
| 2018 | 24,470 | 22,319 | 1,895 (8%) | 1,901 | 7.8% | 9.3% |
| 2017 | 17,066 | 15,402 | 926 (6%) | 1,542 | 9.0% | 8.5% |
| 2016 | 14,253 | 12,459 | 1,028 (8%) | 1,593 | 11.2% | 8.2% |
| 2015 | 10,461 | 9,484 | 1,028 (11%) | 937 | 9.0% | 6.5% |
| 2014 | 7,475 | 6,815 | 1,111 (16%) | 639 | 8.5% | 0.0% |
| 2013 | 6,210 | 5,696 | 1,279 (22%) | 507 | 8.2% | 6.2% |
| 2012 | 6,910 | 6,176 | 576 (9%) | 734 | 10.6% | 6.1% |
| 2011 | 7,932 | 7,007 | 484 (7%) | 925 | 11.7% | 6.9% |
| 2010 | 8,753 | 7,525 | 486 (6%) | 1,231 | 14.1% | 6.5% |
| 2009 | 11,732 | 10,285 | n/a (n/a) | 1,464 | 12.5% | 7.8% |
Multi-entry share is the share of issued visas that were multiple-entry. Airport transit visas (rare in India) are excluded from these figures. Rates are computed from the counts.
What the record says
Applications at this consulate went from 11,732 in 2009 to 21,075 in 2022 (80% over the period). The refusal rate moved from 12.5% to 21.4%. France also decides files lodged in Bengaluru (7.8% refused in 2025), Chennai (19.5% refused in 2025), Kolkata (8.6% refused in 2025), Mumbai (11.8% refused in 2025), New Delhi (27.4% refused in 2025); which one handles you depends on your state of residence, not your choice.
Read this before you compare consulatesUnder Article 5 of the Visa Code you apply to the state that is your main destination (or first entry when no main destination exists), at the consulate responsible for where you legally reside. You do not get to pick the consulate with the best number on this page. Use the which-consulate tool to work out which one that is, then come back here to see its record.
Questions this page answers
What is the Schengen visa refusal rate at the France consulate in Puducherry?
In 2022 it refused 4,520 of 21,075 uniform (short-stay) visa applications, a rate of 21.4%. The all-India average that year was 18.0%.
How many Indians applied for a France visa in Puducherry in 2022?
21,075 applications were lodged at this consulate in 2022, of which 15,859 visas were issued.
Does the France consulate in Puducherry issue multiple-entry Schengen visas?
In 2022, 2,609 of the 15,859 visas it issued were multiple-entry, a share of 16.5%.
Source: European Commission, "Visa statistics for consulates", 2009 to 2025 annual releases; figures cover uniform (short-stay, type C) visas applied for at consulates located in India, regardless of applicant nationality; airport-transit visas excluded from headline figures. Refusal rate = visas not issued / visas applied for, computed by us from the counts. Rankings use a floor of 1,000 applications. Last verified 2026-08-18. Full methodology. Download the CSV.