The short answer: yes, a type C Schengen visa
The ordinary Chinese passport enjoys no exemption for the Schengen Area. For tourism, a family visit or a business trip of less than 90 days, you need a uniform short-stay visa, known as a "type C" visa. It is issued by France if Paris is your main destination, or your first point of entry on a multi-country European trip, and it allows you to travel within the 29 Schengen countries for the period of its validity.
Hong Kong (HKSAR) and Macao (MSAR) passports, on the other hand, are visa-exempt for 90 days. This article concerns the ordinary mainland Chinese passport.
Where to apply: France-Visas, then TLScontact
Everything starts on France-Visas, the official portal of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. There you create an account, fill in the online form, get the exact list of documents to provide and a receipt to print. The collection of applications in China is outsourced to the service provider TLScontact.
As of September 2026, TLScontact has centres in fifteen Chinese cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Wuhan, Changsha, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Jinan, Shenyang, Xi'an, Kunming and Fuzhou. You book an appointment online at the centre for your consular district; applications are then processed by the French Embassy in Beijing or the Consulates General in Shanghai and Guangzhou. The appointment must be attended in person: that is where your fingerprints and photo are taken.
TLScontact charges a service fee of around RMB 250 per application, on top of the visa fee. Payment is in yuan, in cash or by UnionPay card. Extra options (priority slot, courier) are chargeable and optional.
The supporting documents to prepare
The personalised list generated by France-Visas takes precedence over any other document. For a tourist stay, it generally includes:
- Passport issued less than ten years ago, valid for at least three months after your planned date of departure from Schengen, with two blank pages.
- Application form completed online and signed, plus a recent passport photo meeting ICAO standards.
- Travel insurance covering at least €30,000 in medical expenses and repatriation, valid throughout the Schengen Area for the whole stay. You will see why it matters by reading our guide to emergencies and health in Paris.
- Hotel booking or proof of accommodation for every night; our hotels in Paris by budget will help you find a cancellable option.
- Return flight reservation (a reservation is enough; only buy a confirmed ticket once the visa has been granted).
- Bank statements for the last three months, an employment certificate stating salary, length of service and leave granted, and often the household register (hukou) and proof of ties to China (property, family situation).
- Itinerary day by day, especially if you are visiting several countries.
Have documents written in Chinese translated into French or English when the list requires it.
Multiple-entry visa: several entries, up to five years
If you have already obtained and complied with one or more Schengen visas, you can apply for a multiple-entry visa, valid from six months to five years. It allows as many round trips as you like, always within the limit of 90 days in any 180-day period. For a first trip, expect a visa covering only your travel dates.
Fees and processing times noted in September 2026
The Schengen visa fee is set by the European Union: €90 for an adult, €45 for a child aged 6 to 11 inclusive, free for under-6s. It is collected in yuan at the chancery exchange rate and is never refunded, even if the visa is refused. Add the TLScontact service fee (around RMB 250) and insurance.
As for timing, the Visa Code allows you to apply no earlier than six months before departure and no later than fifteen days before. The consulate must decide within fifteen calendar days, a period that can rise to 45 days if further examination is needed. In China, France-Visas even announces processing "in principle within 24 or 48 working hours" for a complete short-stay application. That figure does not include the wait for an appointment or the return of your passport: before the May Day holiday and the National Day holiday in October, allow more like three to four weeks from start to finish. Our tips for booking ahead in Paris will help you fix your dates.
Biometrics, EES and the 90/180 rule
When you submit your application, your ten fingerprints and your photo are recorded in the Visa Information System (VIS). They remain valid for 59 months: for a new application within that period, you can often apply without having your fingerprints taken again, although attending the centre in person remains the rule in China. Children under 12 are exempt.
Since 12 October 2025, and fully since 10 April 2026, the Schengen Area has applied the Entry/Exit System (EES). On your first entry, the border police officer records your face and fingerprints and creates a digital file that replaces the passport stamp. On subsequent crossings, a simple biometric check is enough and the process is quicker. The EES automatically calculates your days of presence: the rule of 90 days in any 180-day period applies across the entire Schengen Area, however many visas you hold. An overstay is kept on record for five years and jeopardises future applications.
Children and stays of more than 90 days
Every child, even an infant, needs their own passport and their own visa. The application also includes the birth certificate and, if the child is travelling without one of their parents, a notarised travel consent signed by the absent parent, with a copy of their ID. Minors under 12 do not give fingerprints, but must be present for the photo.
To study, work or stay longer than 90 days, the short-stay visa is not suitable: you need a long-stay visa (VLS-TS or D visa), also processed via France-Visas and TLScontact, with a fee of €99 and longer processing times. A tourist visa cannot be extended or converted once you are in France.
On arrival at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle
Direct flights from Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou or Chengdu land at Terminal 2E or Terminal 1 at Roissy. At passport control, present your passport open at the visa page. The officer may ask for your hotel booking, return ticket, insurance and proof of funds: keep these documents to hand. The PARAFE automatic gates are reserved for visa-exempt passports: follow the "All passports" queue.
Once you are landside, set up a local connection: our comparison of eSIM and SIM cards in France explains what to choose before you leave. Alipay and WeChat Pay work in some department stores and luxury boutiques, but not in the métro or most cafés: read paying and managing money in Paris. For getting into the centre, everything is detailed in our guide getting from the airport to central Paris.
Preparing your stay once you have the visa
Check the dates and the spelling of your name on the visa sticker as soon as your passport is returned: a mistake can be corrected before departure, not at Roissy. Keep your hotel invoices and boarding passes: they will be useful for a future multiple-entry visa application.
Summary: steps, places, timings, costs
| Step | Where | Timing | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online form | France-Visas | 30 to 45 min | Free |
| Appointment and biometric submission | TLScontact centre (15 cities) | A few days to 3 weeks' wait depending on the season | Service fee of around RMB 250 |
| Visa fee | Paid when submitting, in yuan | Immediate | €90 adult, €45 aged 6-11, free under 6 |
| Processing | Embassy in Beijing, consulates in Shanghai or Guangzhou | 15 calendar days maximum in principle, 45 days if further examination is needed | Included |
| EES check on arrival | Roissy or Orly airport | 1 to 2 min per person | Free |
Amounts noted in September 2026; the exact amount is shown on France-Visas when you apply.
Going further
Our guides Paris visa on an Indian passport and Paris visa on a Russian passport describe the same procedure, with different service providers and documents.
