Hello, My partner, who is Malagasy, would like to visit France (ideally in mid-August) and therefore apply for a short-stay visa (90 days). I’ve heard that many applications are refused even when all the required documents are submitted, which is why I’m here—to get advice and guidance to be "almost" sure the application will be accepted. I have a lot of questions, and your help would be invaluable to us.

She is 27 years old, has a passport with her current occupation listed as self-employed (she owns a "taxi-brousse" truck) and thus has a statistical card, a business license, and annual tax certificates. She started her business at the beginning of this year.

As for me, I am an adult with a disability. I receive disability benefits until May 2026. I’m in the process of professional reintegration and will start a job in a few days, likely on a fixed-term contract (CDD).

Here are my questions about the supporting documents to provide:

-Purpose of the trip/stay

Flight ticket reservation (round-trip) (the ticket should only be purchased once the visa is approved). Letter of commitment to return, written on plain paper. Any other document demonstrating potential family, economic, or material ties in the country of residence. Confirmation of a booked organized trip or any other document outlining the planned itinerary.

I’ve been told that for the flight reservation, my partner just needs to go to Air Madagascar in Antananarivo and pay around 50,000 ariary to get this reservation. Given that the French short-stay visa takes between 15 to 45 days (I might be wrong) to be processed and approved, I wonder if the reservation will still be valid if the visa is approved late. For the letter of commitment to return, I assume two sentences are enough, and what matters most are the documents proving ties to the country of residence (her economic activity). Do you think that will be sufficient? And for the planned itinerary, since this isn’t an organized trip, what document could work? A handwritten letter explaining a few planned visits?

-Proof of residence in the country of origin

For employees: original work certificate, original leave certificate, last 3 payslips (or bank statements). For retirees: pensioner’s card and last 3 pension statements. For traders or entrepreneurs: professional registration, professional card, and recent bank statements.

For liberal professions: professional registration, professional card, and recent bank statements. For unemployed applicants and students: sponsorship letter and copies of the sponsor’s financial documents.

For this point, she can justify her self-employed status with the statistical card, business license, and annual tax certificates. As for bank statements, she deposits her earnings in cash into her bank account—will this be an issue during the application review?

-Financial resources

Bank account statements (last 3 months). Last 3 payslips or pension statements. Foreign currency allocation certificate, whose origin must be demonstrated (recent bank statement, savings account), issued by local banks or exchange offices (minimum 32.50 € per day if staying with a private individual or 65 € per day if staying in a hotel) or presentation of an international bank card with supporting account statement.

I need help with this point because I don’t fully understand what she needs to provide as a self-employed individual, especially since she doesn’t earn 32.50 € per day. I can obviously transfer money to cover this. So, overall, what documents should be provided for this section?

-Accommodation

Confirmed hotel reservation with the hotel’s phone number and reservation number / payment confirmation for stays longer than 1 month or original hosting attestation.

For this point, do I just need to write a handwritten letter stating that I will be hosting her? Then scan it and email it to her? Is that all?

-Travel medical insurance

Insurance certificate: must specify the amount and scope of coverage (30,000 € coverage / medical expenses and repatriation).

For this, I’ll opt for AXA Schengen insurance (low-cost). Any advice is still welcome...

I have one last question about the following point:

The short-stay visa allows you to stay for a maximum of 90 days for a continuous stay or multiple stays within the Schengen area over a 180-day period.

If we decide to leave the Schengen area during the stay (to visit the United Kingdom, for example), will the 90-day visa be paused and resume once we return to the Schengen area? And if so, can we plan a return ticket beyond the 3 months by justifying an exit/entry?

Thank you in advance for all your advice and suggestions. I may have forgotten some important points—feel free to let me know.

Best regards.

Hi there,

We’re planning to drive to Senegal by car. We’re a little nervous because it’ll be our first time making the trip with a car that isn’t ours. We’re doing the trip to deliver it to its owner. Has anyone here done this before? What documents will we need?

Thanks in advance for your tips!

Hi there, I need to apply for an ESTA: we’ll be on a cruise from Barcelona and will have a stopover in San Diego before disembarking two days later in Los Angeles. From there, we’ll continue our trip on our own, all the way to Las Vegas, where we’ll catch our flight back to Paris. So our point of entry into the U.S. will be San Diego. The form then asks if we’re in transit, and if not, to provide contact details for a U.S. contact (hotel or otherwise). But we don’t yet know what we’ll be doing there—we’ll actually be traveling around since we’re heading to San Francisco and Las Vegas without any prior reservations. What should we do since I don’t see any option that matches our trip? Thanks in advance for your help. Have a great Sunday, everyone.

Hi, I was signing my passport at home and the ink bled a little—could this cause any issues? I’m kinda freaking out here, thanks. https://image.noelshack.com/fichiers/2025/25/6/1750538225-img-1731.jpeg

Hi there, Just a quick question about filling out the TM6 (TDAC) for Thailand. I'm going for 2 months and 3 weeks (I bought a round-trip ticket) and I'll arrive under the 60-day visa exemption since I didn't get a visa. However, I bought an exit ticket to a neighboring country before the 60 days are up to avoid any hassle at Paris airport. For the TM6, they ask for the return date—what should I put? My actual return date? The website doesn’t give me the option to upload my exit ticket from Thailand. Thanks!

Hi, I’ve got another little question about filling out the TDAC regarding the address to provide, given that I’m staying for 2 months and 3 weeks and I’ve booked an exit ticket to Malaysia (which I’ll cancel on-site before the 60 days). I’ve booked a hotel for one night, and after that, I’ll be staying at my Thai wife’s house—she lives with me in France and has her ID card with the house address. But her *tabien ban* is still in Thailand. Which address should I put? The hotel for one night or the house address? And in that case, I’m worried they might ask me for the TM30.

Hi everyone, My question is simple. Do you need an international driver's permit in Thailand to ride a basic scooter?

Hi there. I had a simple question, please? My 10-year-old son’s French passport expired a month ago, and I just realized it. We’re supposed to leave for Morocco by car on June 30th, taking the ferry from Algeciras. I applied for his passport renewal today, but it won’t be ready for at least 2 months.

Can he enter Morocco with his expired passport? For the return trip, I’ll already have his valid passport.

Thanks for your help—I’m really in a bind here.

Hi everyone, I’m reaching out to the community with a quick question. I’m leaving for the United States soon and don’t have time to renew my passport. However, there are some pretty visible ink stains on the edges of the pages, but the page with my identity info is completely clean. Do you think I’ll be able to enter the United States without any issues? Thanks in advance for your replies! Have a great day!

Hello, HAPPY NEW YEAR 2026! We’re heading back in October for a trip through Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. I have a question: for our route, we’ll need to cross the Zambia and Zimbabwe borders twice each. From experience, I know we won’t have any issues with Botswana. But for the other two countries, I can’t find a clear answer. All your tips are welcome!

Thanks for your replies

Hi, I submitted a passport application that has been under review for 23 days now.

The prefecture in question published a document today stating: "On Monday, April 28, 2025, the CNI-Passport Expertise and Resource Centers of the Loire and Haute-Loire will process applications submitted at town halls on April 9, 2025. The average time to make documents available at town halls is: - 21 days for CNI and - 21 days for passports. This breaks down as follows: • CERT processing time: 13 days for CNI and passports. • Average time for manufacturing, packaging, and shipping: 8 days for CNI and passports."

The issue is that I submitted my application at the town hall on April 5, and I still see it as "under review" on the ANTS tracking. Does the ANTS tracking actually update between the "under review" and "production" stages? Or is the tracking not really updated in practice between these two steps?

Hi there,

I’m heading to Laos next spring, but I have a question about the Thai arrival/departure form. I’ll be flying PAR-BKK, then taking the train to Laos (so exiting Thailand), and later re-entering Thailand by train to catch my return flight. Do I need to fill out two forms in this case?

Thanks for your help! !

Hi everyone,

Some French friends are visiting NYC (4/5 days around mid-May) from Montreal, Canada. They’ve got their eTA and ESTA approved!

Round-trip transport by bus.

Question: Is the I-94 form required, mandatory, and should it be filled out on the bus or in advance???

Thanks for your RECENT experiences!

See you, Jean.

Hi everyone!

I’m currently a student on a gap year, and I don’t plan to go back to school right away. That said, traveling really interests me. But I’ve been wondering: does being a student come with any perks when you decide to go abroad? The real question is whether I should re-enroll in a program just to keep that status without actually attending.

Thanks in advance for your replies,

Axel

Hi, I'm planning to go to Cambodia soon. Since I'm heading toward Kratie, I thought I might as well go all the way to Pakse in Laos.

So I need a visa for Cambodia, one for Laos... but then another one when I return to Cambodia (since I plan to go to Siem Reap afterward)?

The question might seem silly, but I don’t want any hassle at the Cambodian border. I might have a few days left on my first visa, but just in case...

If anyone gets what I mean, thanks! ^^

Hi there, I have a valid ESTA for a trip planned on 2/23/2026.

However, I heard on the radio that a new law will be implemented in two months requiring travelers to provide information about their social media activity in addition to the ESTA.

My question is: will my current ESTA no longer allow me to enter the U.S.?

Hi everyone,

I’m applying for an O-A Visa from France, and they’re asking for a criminal record extract. In the site’s FAQ, there’s a question that interests me: "I want to present my criminal record extract to the administration of another European Union state. What do I need to provide?" But when I click for the answer, I get a "404 error"... of course 🤪.

My questions are simple: - Is it really the "extrait n°3" that’s required for the O-A Visa application? - Do I need to have it translated into English?

Thanks in advance! Olivier

hi I’ve got a flight planned for mid-November from Chennai, India, to Chiang Rai with AirAsia via Bangkok, obviously. My question is: where do I go through immigration—Bangkok or Chiang Rai? Thanks in advance, Christian

Hi, recently Namibia introduced a visa requirement for French travelers (among others). I’ve seen there’s a dedicated website for obtaining it. But my question is about getting it on arrival at Windhoek Airport. I’d love any info on this: how fast it is, cost, documents needed, etc. Thanks for your feedback! Happy travels to you all

Hi everyone,

I booked my round-trip ticket from Paris to Phnom Penh (way too quickly, of course) because I’d like to start in Laos. I’m traveling from November 5th to December 3rd. So, I’m wondering: when I arrive in Phnom Penh on the 6th and take a flight directly to Laos without leaving the airport, do I still need a visa for Cambodia? Also, which airport in Laos would you recommend—Luang Prabang or Vientiane?

Thanks so much for your advice!

Can I enter Thailand with a one-way ticket?

Hi, I’d like to know if a flight reservation for Bangkok is enough for the visa or if I need to wait until I have the actual ticket. Thanks

Hi there, community.

So, I was in Vietnam at the end of the year and early January, and wanting to lighten my backpack a bit, I sent a package from Hanoi to Barcelona since I was continuing my trip. It cost me an arm and a leg, and unfortunately, it didn’t even reach its destination for some reason I still don’t know, even after asking multiple times. It’s been returned to the Hanoi Post Office, and obviously, I’m nowhere near Vietnam now. Despite efforts on both sides, I feel like I’m having a dialogue of the deaf with the Vietnamese postal service via email, and phone calls are impossible. Is there anyone on the ground who could help me sort this mess out, please?

Or any ideas on how to resolve the situation?

Thanks in advance

Hello everyone,

My partner and I would like to travel to the Philippines at the end of August for a 4-month stay. We can’t apply for a tourist visa in advance because (from what I understand) we’d need to provide proof of hotel reservations for the entire stay. But planning a 4-month trip so far ahead isn’t something we want to do.

So my question is about extensions once we’re there:

After the initial 29-day extension request, we’d like to apply for another 2-month extension. Do you know if the same supporting documents are required for this one (pre-booked hotel, 2000 € in the bank account per month requested)?

Or can we go ahead without risk and request the extension without these documents?

Thank you so much for reading, and for this forum existing. Take care,

Boris

Hi, I’m planning a trip to Thailand from April 1st to 24th. I’m flying with Qatar Airways. My passport is valid until October 7th, 2025. My question: For entry into Thailand, my passport is valid for more than 6 months (6 months and 6 days). For my exit, my passport’s validity will be 5 months and 14 days. Do I need to renew my passport, or is it okay? Thanks for your answers!

Hi fellow travelers! I’ve been reading so much conflicting info—I’m totally lost. I’m planning a nearly 4-week trip (25 days) in Indonesia. I’ll arrive in Denpasar, then travel around (Bali + some islands). We’ll leave with layovers in Jakarta (1 day + 1 night) and Kuala Lumpur (2 days + 2 nights). My question is: is a B1 visa enough? It says "single entry" on it. Does that mean just one entry into Bali, or can I also pass through Jakarta with it? Can anyone clarify this for me, please? THANKS

Hi everyone,

As the owner of a Peugeot 404 in Algeria, I have the opportunity to renovate it in France. My question is whether, administratively, I’m allowed to take my car out in a rusty, worn state and bring it back in great condition—will customs, the technical service, or any other administration have an issue with that?

Thanks in advance for your feedback and insights. Have a great day

Hello, I’m a divorced mom with a 12-year-old, planning to take the train from France to London for a 5-day trip over Christmas. My question: is it mandatory to present the father’s authorization (which I’ll probably never get)? I’ve heard so many different stories from people who’ve already traveled—I’m totally lost. Please share your experiences!

Have a great day

Hi, I’m bringing Seresta, an anxiolytic (tranquilizer) from the benzodiazepine family, to help me sleep. I’ll have the prescription with me. Will this be a problem at customs, and do I need to declare it? Same question for antibiotics? Thanks a bunch!

Hello,

Last year, we stayed for 3 months in Thailand, north of Khao Lak, and were able to benefit from the 2-month visa exemption, renewable for one month by going to Takua Pa to validate a 1-month extension (1,900 baht). This year, it’s a disaster for us—not only were we planning a 4-month stay, adding a visa run in between (which some say is quite risky), but the law is apparently changing in the coming months with the return of the 1-month exemption (plus the usual 1-month option). So, we looked into applying for a 6-month multiple-entry visa, allowing a maximum of 60 consecutive days in Thailand. However, I can’t find anywhere the minimum time required outside Thailand between two stays—do any of you have an idea? Thanks for the info! If you’d like tips on Khao Lak and the surrounding areas, we’ve got some experience, though things change fast! Cheers, Bruno.