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Coming back to France without visa? Indian citizens living in France and coming back temporarily to India for personal reasons have to face tough difficulties to come back to France. Why?
Indian citizens staying in France, whether they study or work there, or are married to a french citizen, hold a resident permit called "carte de séjour" (which is valid for one year during the first 3 years in France, and after those first 3 years valid for 10 years) or a paper showing they have applied for the renewal of their resident permit (which they have to do each year during their first 3 years in France, every 10 years afterwards). The application for renewal of resident permit takes a long time, between 6 and 10 weeks, depending on the region and the season in France.
Except students holding a student visa, tourists holding a tourist visa or workers holding a worker or researcher visa, all indian citizens in France hold those documents: "carte de séjour" or "récépissé de demande de titre de séjour". They allow them to stay in France, sometimes to work n France, within the duration indicated on those documents (most of the time only one year).
When they go for a few weeks or more to India, they generally try to apply for a "return visa" at the 4 or 5 french consulates in India (Delhi, Kolkatta, Mumbai, Chennai/Pondicherry, Beangalore). Problem is that the consulates do not deliver any visa to indian citizens holding a resident permit or a certificate showing they have applied for the renewal of their resident permit. They refer to the Shengen circular document NOR IMIK0900087C cdertifying that they do not need a visa since they are allowed to stay in France. They give visas only to those people who have no resident permit or only a certificate of first application for the resident permit (récépissé de première demande de titre de séjour).
When they go to airport, the indian boarder authorities do not let them board in, since they give value only to visas: without visa, it is not allowed to board in. When indian citizens in this situation go to the consulates to get some help, the consulates tell them in a rather tough way, that it is not their problem if the indian authorities do not recognize valid papers in the Shengen zone, and that according to the french law it is "illegal" to deliver a visa to citizens holding a french resident permit or a document showing they have applied for the renewal of the latter! They say that the person who is in that situation, and they are many, have to deal with indian authorities, and give sometimes a document in english referring to the shengen circular and saying that the holder of this document does not need any visa.
In other words, french consulates are not ready to help, and let the individuals responsible for solving a diplomatic problem: the non-recognition by indian authorities of the equivalence between Shengen resident permits and visas! Many Indian citizens living and working in France remain then stuck in India when they want to come back to France after a short stay in their home country. They loose their flight tickets, have to get back their luggage, loose the benefits of their studies or their jobs in France, not to talk about the separation from the french members of their family (spouse, children etc.). The consulates know perfectly about those heavy troubles, but still they stick to the letter of the law: no visa for holders of resident permits or certificates of renewal of resident permits!
In those cases, try to get a return flight to France on a week day and on day time, and come early to the airport; the boarder authorities, if they are comprehensive, might call the french consulate and ask about your personal situation, whether you are allowed to enter France or not. Go before your return flight to the consulate and ask for a document in english certifying that your resident permit in France (which is written in french and ununderstandable by most of the agents of indian boarder authorities!) allows you to enter in France. Notice properly all the emergency numbers on the websites of the french consulates and of the embassy. And unfortunately... once you are in France, do not come back too often to India, otherwise you might be stuck in India or will at least get extreme trouble to pass through the boarder at the indian airports.
This is my experience that I wanted to share with you. Any suggestion to solve this problemn is most welcome.
Indian citizens staying in France, whether they study or work there, or are married to a french citizen, hold a resident permit called "carte de séjour" (which is valid for one year during the first 3 years in France, and after those first 3 years valid for 10 years) or a paper showing they have applied for the renewal of their resident permit (which they have to do each year during their first 3 years in France, every 10 years afterwards). The application for renewal of resident permit takes a long time, between 6 and 10 weeks, depending on the region and the season in France.
Except students holding a student visa, tourists holding a tourist visa or workers holding a worker or researcher visa, all indian citizens in France hold those documents: "carte de séjour" or "récépissé de demande de titre de séjour". They allow them to stay in France, sometimes to work n France, within the duration indicated on those documents (most of the time only one year).
When they go for a few weeks or more to India, they generally try to apply for a "return visa" at the 4 or 5 french consulates in India (Delhi, Kolkatta, Mumbai, Chennai/Pondicherry, Beangalore). Problem is that the consulates do not deliver any visa to indian citizens holding a resident permit or a certificate showing they have applied for the renewal of their resident permit. They refer to the Shengen circular document NOR IMIK0900087C cdertifying that they do not need a visa since they are allowed to stay in France. They give visas only to those people who have no resident permit or only a certificate of first application for the resident permit (récépissé de première demande de titre de séjour).
When they go to airport, the indian boarder authorities do not let them board in, since they give value only to visas: without visa, it is not allowed to board in. When indian citizens in this situation go to the consulates to get some help, the consulates tell them in a rather tough way, that it is not their problem if the indian authorities do not recognize valid papers in the Shengen zone, and that according to the french law it is "illegal" to deliver a visa to citizens holding a french resident permit or a document showing they have applied for the renewal of the latter! They say that the person who is in that situation, and they are many, have to deal with indian authorities, and give sometimes a document in english referring to the shengen circular and saying that the holder of this document does not need any visa.
In other words, french consulates are not ready to help, and let the individuals responsible for solving a diplomatic problem: the non-recognition by indian authorities of the equivalence between Shengen resident permits and visas! Many Indian citizens living and working in France remain then stuck in India when they want to come back to France after a short stay in their home country. They loose their flight tickets, have to get back their luggage, loose the benefits of their studies or their jobs in France, not to talk about the separation from the french members of their family (spouse, children etc.). The consulates know perfectly about those heavy troubles, but still they stick to the letter of the law: no visa for holders of resident permits or certificates of renewal of resident permits!
In those cases, try to get a return flight to France on a week day and on day time, and come early to the airport; the boarder authorities, if they are comprehensive, might call the french consulate and ask about your personal situation, whether you are allowed to enter France or not. Go before your return flight to the consulate and ask for a document in english certifying that your resident permit in France (which is written in french and ununderstandable by most of the agents of indian boarder authorities!) allows you to enter in France. Notice properly all the emergency numbers on the websites of the french consulates and of the embassy. And unfortunately... once you are in France, do not come back too often to India, otherwise you might be stuck in India or will at least get extreme trouble to pass through the boarder at the indian airports.
This is my experience that I wanted to share with you. Any suggestion to solve this problemn is most welcome.
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