France entry rules for Russian citizens in 2025

Here is what Russian citizens need to know to plan a trip to France.

Do Russian citizens need a visa to enter France?

Yes. France issues Russians every type of visa, including tourist visas.

How to get a tourist visa to France

1. Complete the application form on France-visas.gouv.fr.
2. Book an appointment to submit your documents at a VFS Global visa centre. These operate in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Omsk, Khabarovsk and other cities.

Visa centres charge an advance fee of €35.50 to reserve a slot, payable online by bank card. The consular fee is paid when you submit your documents: €80 for applicants over 12, €40 for children aged 6 to 12. Children under six pay nothing.

The full list of documents required for the application is available on France-visas.gouv.fr.

You do not need to pay for accommodation or flights to have a visa approved. A booking confirmation for your lodging and a description of your travel itinerary are enough. Applicants over 12 provide fingerprints and have their photo taken.

What other documents are required?

Travel medical insurance. You will need a policy valid throughout the Schengen area. A week of cover costs roughly 500 to 600 rubles.

How long does the visa application take?

Processing usually takes 10 to 15 business days.

How to fly to France from Russia

There are no direct flights between Russia and France because of sanctions. You can fly with a connection in Yerevan, Istanbul, Ankara or Belgrade.

Passeport Talent - the talent visa

Are you a professional in your field? The Passeport Talent is a special visa category for those who have achieved notable results in science, digital technology, the arts or culture and would like to move to France to work in that field.

You will need a well-prepared case demonstrating your talent, along with a place of residence in France and a certain level of income.

Benefits of the France talent visa

• The right to live and work in France for four years
• The option to bring your family
• French permanent residence after five years
• French citizenship after five years
• Visa-free travel across the Schengen area
• Healthcare on the same terms as locals
• Access to Europe's banking system

What changed for Russian citizens in November 2025

On 7 November 2025 the European Commission tightened the rules on Schengen visas for Russian citizens who live in Russia. A single-entry visa is now the default, so every new trip needs a new application. Multiple-entry visas remain for narrow groups:

• close relatives of EU citizens and of Russians legally residing in the EU;
• transport workers: seafarers, truck and bus drivers, train crews;
• independent journalists, human rights defenders and their families;
• applicants who prove they need to travel often and show a clean visa history.

Long-stay national visas for study, work and relocation are not affected and can be applied for as before.

How much a French visa costs in 2026

Since 11 June 2024 the consular fee for a short-stay Schengen visa has been $101 (EUR 90), or $51 (EUR 45) for children aged 6 to 12. Children under 6 still pay nothing. The EU-Russia visa facilitation agreement was suspended in 2022, so there is no reduced fee for Russian citizens. The visa centre service fee and travel medical insurance are paid separately.

The new Entry/Exit System at the border

The EU Entry/Exit System started a phased roll-out at the external Schengen borders on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational since 10 April 2026. It replaces passport stamps: on your first entry the border guard scans the passport, takes a facial image and records four fingerprints. Children under 12 do not give fingerprints. The system then counts your days automatically and flags any overstay at once. More in our article on entering Europe in 2026.

The 90/180 rule

A short-stay visa lets you stay in the Schengen area for no more than 90 days in any 180-day period. The count runs backwards from each day of stay, not by calendar half-years. If the visa was issued for 15 days, you cannot stay for 90: the period printed on the visa applies. Overstays are now recorded electronically and lead to entry bans and refusals of future visas.

If your visa is refused

A refusal comes in writing with the reasons stated. The appeal has two stages: first a mandatory administrative appeal within 30 days of receiving the decision, then, if it is rejected or there is no answer within two months, a claim at the Nantes administrative court within two months. Reapplying with a corrected file is often faster: the most common reasons for refusal are an unclear purpose of travel, insufficient funds or past overstays.

Moving to France rather than visiting

If you want to live in France rather than visit, a short-stay visa will not do. Relocation requires a long-stay visa followed by a residence permit: the talent passport for professionals and entrepreneurs, the visitor visa for people living on their own income, and the startup visa for founders of tech companies. After several years of residence the path to French citizenship opens up.

Murblz matches the programme to your income and goals, prepares the file and handles the application until you receive your residence card. The first consultation is free.

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