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France visa options for Australia passport holders

Tourist / short stay

Visa-free · up to 90 days

Enter without a visa, usually for a set number of days.

Visa types & longer-stay routes for France

Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals (EU/EEA/Swiss citizens need no visa). Many nationalities are visa-exempt for short stays; long-stay 'VLS-TS' visas double as a residence permit.

  • Tourist

    Tourist visa (Schengen Type C)

    Up to 90 days within any 180-day period

    Insurance
    Required— travel medical insurance, min €30,000, covering Schengen, emergencies and repatriation
    Good for
    Tourism, family visits, short trips by visa-required nationals
    Requirement
    Passport, proof of funds, accommodation and return travel
  • Business

    Business visa (Schengen Type C)

    Up to 90 days within any 180-day period

    Insurance
    Required— €30,000 Schengen travel insurance
    Good for
    Meetings, conferences, negotiations (no local employment)
    Requirement
    Same short-stay visa as tourism + business documentation
  • Work

    Work — Talent Passport (Passeport Talent)

    Up to 4 years (multi-year card), renewable

    Insurance
    Required— private cover until enrolled in French social security
    Good for
    Skilled employees, researchers, founders, investors and artists
    Requirement
    Category-dependent (e.g. salary ~2× SMIC for a qualified employee; founder investment from ~€30,000)
  • Work

    Work — salaried employee (VLS-TS salarié)

    1 year, then convertible to a multi-year residence permit

    Insurance
    OptionalCovered via French social security once employed; private cover advised on arrival
    Good for
    Non-EU nationals with a French employment contract
    Requirement
    Employer-obtained work permit + contract
  • Study

    Student visa (VLS-TS étudiant)

    Duration of studies (validated yearly)

    Insurance
    Required— private cover initially, then French student social security
    Good for
    Students enrolled at a French institution
    Requirement
    Acceptance letter, Campus France procedure, funds (~€615/month)
  • Residence

    Long-stay visitor / retirement (VLS-TS visiteur)

    1 year, renewable; path to multi-year then permanent card

    Insurance
    Required— continuous private health insurance covering the stay (≈ €30,000 commonly cited)
    Good for
    Self-funded non-workers (e.g. retirees); path to a residence card
    Requirement
    Signed undertaking NOT to work in France + resources at least equal to SMIC (~€1,478 net/month)
  • Transit

    Airport transit (Schengen Type A)

    International zone only — no Schengen entry

    Insurance
    OptionalNot required for the transit itself
    Good for
    Certain nationalities passing through a French airport without entering Schengen
    Requirement
    Required only for listed nationalities (France narrowed the list from 10 Apr 2026)

A 2025 circular now explicitly bans remote/economic activity — even freelance for foreign clients — on the long-stay VISITOR visa, so France has no nomad route; use Talent Passport or Profession Libérale instead. Income figures track the minimum wage (SMIC) and vary by source; exact per-category insurance minimums are unverified (€30,000 commonly cited). Last checked: 2026-06 — confirm on france-visas.gouv.fr.

Last verified June 2026

Routes that depend on your nationality

Some of France’s long-stay routes are open only to citizens of specific countries. Here’s where a Australia passport stands:

  • Working Holiday Visa (Vacances-Travail / PVT)

    You qualify — open to Australia passport holders

    Bilateral long-stay 'vacances-travail' visa; valid 12 months, non-renewable (Canada has a specific extended agreement). Standard age limit 18-30; raised to 18-35 for Argentina (AR), Australia (AU) and Canada (CA). Annual per-country quotas apply (e.g. Canada ~7,000, South Korea ~2,000, Japan ~1,800, Argentina ~1,500; Australia and New Zealand unlimited); quotas reset each January. Russia (RU) is also a treaty partner but its program is effectively suspended (French visa application centres in Russia closed 31 Dec 2025), so RU is excluded from the active list. Sourced from France-Visas (gouv.fr), Campus France and pvtistes.net, June 2026.

Visa-free isn’t insurance-free

Whatever route you take into France, your entry stamp never includes health cover. Many longer-stay visas also require proof of insurance before they’re granted. That part is on you — and it’s what we actually do.

Get a quoteVisa insurance requirements

Australia → France: frequently asked

Do Australia passport holders need a visa to visit France?
Visa-free · up to 90 days. Enter without a visa, usually for a set number of days. Always confirm with the official source before booking.
Can a Australia passport holder live or work long-term in France?
Yes, via a long-stay visa. France has 7 documented visa types covering work, study, residence and — where it exists — digital-nomad routes.
Do I need travel insurance for France?
Entry to France never includes health cover, so travel medical insurance is strongly recommended. Several France visas also require proof of insurance before they're granted.
Australia passportFull visa-free ranking & mapCompare passportsTwo passports, side by side

Last updated

Visa rules can change at short notice and depend on your purpose of travel, length of stay and onward tickets. Always confirm with the destination’s embassy or the IATA Travel Centre before you book. Visa-free entry never includes travel health insurance. That’s still on you.