The short answer: yes, a type C Schengen visa
For a tourist, family or business stay of up to 90 days, a Russian citizen must obtain a uniform short-stay visa, known as a "type C" visa, applied for from the country of main destination. If Paris is the heart of the trip, France processes the application; the visa then opens up the 29 Schengen countries for its period of validity.
Two things have changed everything since 2022. The EU-Russia facilitation agreement has been suspended since 9 September 2022: no more reduced €35 fee, no more shortened processing time, no more lighter list of documents. And since 7 November 2025, the European Commission has asked consulates to stop issuing multiple-entry visas to Russian citizens, except in limited cases (relatives of EU residents, transport workers, journalists and human rights defenders). So expect a single-entry visa, valid only for your travel dates, and a new application for every trip.
The passport: biometric required
Since 14 April 2025, France no longer recognises ordinary non-biometric Russian passports, except for children under 15. A passport without a chip allows you neither to obtain a visa nor to cross the border: have a biometric passport issued before taking any other step. The document must be valid for at least three months after your planned date of departure and have two blank pages. Passports issued in the occupied Ukrainian territories are not accepted.
Where to apply: France-Visas, then VFS Global
The procedure begins on France-Visas: an account, the online form, a personalised list of documents and a receipt. You then submit your application, by appointment and in person, at a VFS Global centre, the service provider for the Consulate General of France in Moscow. As of September 2026, VFS Global has eighteen centres in Russia: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Kaliningrad, Krasnodar, Kazan, Novosibirsk, Rostov-on-Don, Irkutsk, Khabarovsk, Krasnoyarsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Omsk, Perm, Samara, Saratov, Ufa and Vladivostok.
The VFS Global service fee is €36 per application, paid in roubles, in cash or by card, on top of the visa fee. Appointments are booked online; in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, slots can be scarce several weeks in advance.
The supporting documents to prepare
The France-Visas list is authoritative. For a tourist stay, expect to provide:
- Biometric passport, signed application form and a photo meeting ICAO standards.
- Travel insurance covering at least €30,000 in medical and repatriation costs throughout the Schengen Area. Check on France-Visas that your insurer is accepted by the consulate: several Russian companies no longer are. What it covers is explained in our guide to emergencies and health in Paris.
- Hotel booking for every night, preferably cancellable: see our hotels in Paris by budget.
- Return flight reservation with the full itinerary, including stopovers.
- Bank statements for the last three to six months, an employment certificate (position, salary, leave) or proof of business activity, and proof of ties to Russia (family, property).
- A detailed itinerary and, if you are visiting several countries, proof that France is your main destination.
Documents in Russian must be translated when the list requires it; an incomplete file is rejected at submission.
Fees and processing times noted in September 2026
The Schengen visa fee applies with no reduction: €90 for an adult, €45 for a child aged 6 to 11, free for under-6s, collected in roubles at the chancery exchange rate and kept even if the visa is refused. Add the €36 VFS Global fee and insurance.
The Visa Code allows you to apply no earlier than six months before departure and no later than fifteen days before, with a decision within fifteen calendar days, extendable to 45 days for in-depth examination. France-Visas publishes no indicative processing time for Russia, and actual processing times tend to run into weeks. Apply at least two months before your trip and time your bookings with our tips for booking ahead in Paris.
Biometrics, EES and the 90/180 rule
At the VFS Global centre, your ten fingerprints and your photo are recorded in the VIS system and kept for 59 months. Children under 12 are exempt from fingerprinting, but not from the photo.
On entering France, the Entry/Exit System (EES), launched on 12 October 2025 and fully operational since 10 April 2026, replaces the stamp: the border police record your face and fingerprints in a digital file on your first entry, then simply carry out a check on subsequent crossings. The system counts your days across the whole area: a maximum of 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. An overstay is kept on record for five years and makes any new application very difficult.
Children and stays of more than 90 days
Every child has their own passport and visa. For a minor not travelling with both parents, include a notarised authorisation from the absent parent with a copy of their ID, as well as the birth certificate.
To stay longer than 90 days (study, work, family reunification), you need a type D long-stay visa, at €99, with longer processing. A tourist visa cannot be extended in France.
Getting to Paris: flights, cars, money
There have been no direct flights between Russia and France since the end of February 2022, as EU airspace is closed to Russian airlines and vice versa. The usual routes go via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines or Pegasus, via Dubai or Abu Dhabi with Emirates and Etihad, via Belgrade with Air Serbia, or via Yerevan and Baku. Allow eight to twelve hours of travel; a return ticket usually costs between €500 and €1,000, depending on the season.
Coming in your own car is not possible: under European Union sanctions, as clarified by the European Commission in September 2023, vehicles registered in Russia may not enter EU territory, including for tourist use. Hiring a car in Europe remains possible with an International Driving Permit.
Money also needs planning ahead. Visa and Mastercard cards issued by Russian banks have not worked outside Russia since March 2022, and the Mir network is not accepted in France. Bring cash in euros (a sum of €10,000 or more must be declared on entry), a card issued in a third country or a prepaid card: our guide paying and managing money in Paris reviews the options.
On arrival at Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle
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 everything to hand. The PARAFE gates are not open to visa holders: follow the "All passports" queue.
Once landside, an eSIM activated before departure avoids roaming surprises: read our comparison of eSIM and SIM cards in France. The RER B, Roissybus and flat-fare taxis are covered in detail in getting from the airport to central Paris.
Preparing your stay once you have the visa
Check the visa sticker: dates, "1" in the entries box, spelling of your name. With a single-entry visa, a trip outside Schengen (to London, for example) means you cannot return to France: plan your itinerary accordingly.
Summary: steps, places, timings, costs
| Step | Where | Timing | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online form | France-Visas | 30 to 45 min | Free |
| Appointment and biometric submission | VFS Global centre (18 cities) | Waits of several weeks possible | €36 service fee, in roubles |
| Visa fee | Paid when submitting, in roubles | Immediate | €90 adult, €45 aged 6-11, free under 6 |
| Processing | Consulate General of France in Moscow | 15 calendar days in principle, up to 45 days, often longer | 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 to the Paris visa on a Chinese passport and the Paris visa on an Indian passport describe the same procedure, with different service providers and processing times.
