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French Guiana

Visa French Guiana

Amériques · Amérique du Sud

French Guiana is an overseas department and region of the French Republic. The France-Visas portal, run by the ministry of the interior and the ministry for Europe and foreign affairs, places it among France's territories outside Europe, which are not part of the Schengen area. The portal states that a specific visa must be applied for in order to travel there and that a stay also including the European territory of France requires two separate visas.

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.

Machine-assisted draft, reviewed by a person on 23 September 2026. Only the authority cited is authoritative.

Published on 23 September 2026 · Reviewed by vg_admin on 23 September 2026 · Sources consulted on 17 September 2026

At a glance

Authority
Ministère de l'Intérieur (ministry of the interior) and ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (ministry for Europe and foreign affairs) — France (France-Visas portal)
Submission channel
Online entry on France-Visas, then filing of the application by appointment with the consulate or, in most cases, with an external service provider
Electronic visa
Not stated on the portal consulted; the application is entered online but the filing of the application and the taking of biometric data are done in person
Portal language
French; the portal also offers English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Russian

Do you need a visa?

Choose a nationality to see the recorded entry rule. No answer is shown until reviewed data exists.

Documented visa types

Short-stay visa specific to France's non-European territories
According to the portal: the Schengen visa does not give access to these territories; a specific visa must be applied for. A stay including both one of these territories and the European territory of France requires two separate visas. Official page (new tab)
Long-stay visa for France's non-European territories
According to the portal: the category applicable for residing more than 90 days in these territories; the documents and visas required are set by orders specific to each territory, including one order covering Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Official page (new tab)
Short-stay visa, known as the "uniform Schengen" visa
According to the portal: valid for the European territory of France and the Schengen area, for a maximum of 90 days in any 180-day period; it does not give access to France's territories outside Europe. Official page (new tab)

Where and how to apply

The France-Visas portal states that the application is completed online, and that the file is then submitted at an appointment. In most cases, consular services use service providers to receive applicants and take in applications; consular services retain in all cases full responsibility for examining applications and for the decisions taken.

Information on booking an appointment, on particular cases, on fees and on the accepted means of payment appears, according to the portal, on the page of the country of filing.

Steps in the procedure

  1. Step 1 — Find out about your situation: check whether a visa is required, identify the supporting documents to provide and the applicable fee, then identify the body responsible.
  2. Step 2 — Complete the application online, having to hand the travel document, the photographs and the supporting documents matching the purpose of travel.
  3. Step 3 — Book an appointment, allowing for the time needed to obtain the appointment and for the application to be examined.
  4. Step 4 — Submit the file at the appointment, with the CERFA form and the receipt; the service provider or the consulate checks the file, collects the fees and takes the biometric data.
  5. Step 5 — Track the application and collect the visa from the center where the file was filed.

Documents mentioned by the authority

The exact list depends on the visa type and on the situation; only the official page is authoritative. The portal warns that documents written in a language other than French or English may be required to be translated into French.

Stated fees and processing times

The amount of the fees is not stated on the pages consulted: for the applicable fee and the accepted means of payment, the portal refers to the page of the country of filing.

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17, decisions on visa applications are generally taken within 15 days, and this period may be extended to up to 45 days in particular cases if examination of the application warrants it.

After the decision

The portal states that the applicant receives a notification inviting them to come and collect their passport at the center where they filed it, and that in some countries the passport may be sent by mail. The authority decides whether to issue or refuse.

The portal publishes a frequently asked question on what to do in the event of a refusal, which was not read for this draft.

Published procedures

No reviewed and published procedure for French Guiana to date. We prefer an empty page to an invented requirement.

Explore procedures

Frequently asked questions

Is a visa required to travel to French Guiana?

It depends on nationality and on the purpose of travel; the rule reviewed by VisaGuideline is shown with the nationality selector on this page. Always check with the authority.

Where is the application filed?

The application is completed online on France-Visas, and the file is then submitted by appointment with the consulate or, in most cases, with an external service provider.

Is there an electronic visa?

Not stated on the portal consulted. The application is entered online, but the filing of the file and the taking of biometric data take place in person.

Is a Schengen visa enough for French Guiana?

According to the portal, no: French Guiana is among France's territories outside Europe, which are not part of the Schengen area, and a specific visa must be applied for. A stay also including the European territory of France requires two separate visas.

What processing time does the portal state?

According to the portal consulted on 2026-09-17: generally 15 days, and this period may be extended to up to 45 days in particular cases.

Consulted sources

Official pages read to write this guide, with the date they were read. A page may have changed since: check it before taking any step.

What this guide does not know yet

Points the official source does not specify and which this guide therefore left blank. Ask the competent authority about them before filing an application.

Prepare my case

This method is the same for every destination. It does not list any document as an official requirement: only the authority’s source is authoritative.

  1. Describe your situation

    Nationality, residence, purpose and dates. The checker tells covered routes apart from situations that are still unknown.

  2. Check at the source

    Open the destination’s official source and compare it with your situation before starting a procedure.

  3. Track what is left to do

    Your space keeps your answers and your declared checklist. A complete checklist does not announce a favorable decision.

Check my route Open my case

The information on this page helps prepare a case. Only the competent authority decides; always check the official source before filing an application.