France business visa from India: the official document checklist, decoded

The checklist, as published

Condensed from the official document linked above; wording is the mission's, shortened. Where the mission names an official form it is listed under "Forms". Always download the current version from the source link on the day you apply.

1. Travel document under 10 years old, 2 blank pages, valid 3 months past planned Schengen exit; scan all stamped pages
2. ID photograph
3. Proof of legal residence in country of residence, if not a national of it (e.g. residence permit)
4. Note verbale, if you hold an official travel document
5. Invitation from a company or authority to conferences or events of a commercial, industrial or professional nature
6. Reservation of a return ticket or travel itinerary
7. Letter of introduction stating purpose of visit on company/organisation letterhead, signed by competent authority
8. Funds: bank statements, payslips, tax returns or any other proof of income
9. Accommodation: hotel reservation, or funds for hotel (EUR 120/day), or tenancy/ownership proof; private host: Cerfa proof of accommodation
10. Travel medical insurance copy, minimum EUR 30,000, covering medical, hospitalisation and repatriation for the whole Schengen stay

Forms named by the mission

• Cerfa proof of accommodation (attestation d'accueil) when staying with a private individual
• France-Visas online application form (CERFA generated by the France-Visas account)

Notes the mission attaches

• Same wizard, purpose category 'Business', sub-purpose 'Business trip'.
• Funds wording is lighter than tourism: 'Bank statements, payslips, tax returns or any other proof of income.'
• Professional status wording: 'Letter of introduction stating purpose of visit on company/organisation letterhead paper, signed by competent authority.'
• Fee shown: 90.00 euros, or approximately 9,883 Indian rupees, subject to exchange rate fluctuations.

What each item is for

Every Schengen checklist is Article 14(1) of the Visa Code made specific: (a) purpose of the journey, (b) accommodation, (c) means of subsistence for the stay and the return, (d) information enabling an assessment of your intention to leave before the visa expires. Read the list above with those four heads in mind: bookings and invitations answer (a) and (b); bank statements, salary slips and tax returns answer (c); employment, business, family and property papers answer (d). Our documents guide explains each head, and the cover-letter guide shows how to make them agree.

For business the counterpart's letter is the anchor: who is inviting, why, for how long, and who pays. Consulates verify it by phone; a counterpart who cannot be reached is the classic route to ground 12 on the refusal form.

Processing time, as stated by the mission

"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." (source) The Visa Code sets 15 calendar days from an admissible application, extendable to 45 (Article 23).

Fee, as stated by the mission

"The amount to be paid is: 90.00 euros, or approximately 9,883 Indian rupees; this amount is provided for informational purposes only and must be paid in the currency specified by the consulate (France-Visas wizard result, 2026-08-18). VFS France India adds a service fee of 22 EUR per applicant payable in local currency." (source) The euro amounts are fixed by Article 16: EUR 90 adults, EUR 45 children six to eleven, free under six.

France's record for applications lodged in India

In 2025 France decided 204,184 applications lodged in India and refused 15.2% (all-India average 15.7%); 36.1% of visas issued were multiple-entry. Its consulates: Bengaluru (7.8%), Chennai (19.5%), Kolkata (8.6%), Mumbai (11.8%), New Delhi (27.4%), Puducherry. Which one handles you depends on your state of residence: see the France country page.