The consulate tells me my French residence permit needs to be valid for at least 6 months after I leave Egypt, but my permit will only be valid for 5 months and a few days by my departure date from Egypt. Is it still doable to get a visa on arrival (at the airport)? Thanks in advance to anyone who can answer me.

Hi everyone!

So happy the forum is back—I’ve been part of it since 2012! ☺️

After lots of twists and turns with Sri Lanka’s visa (called ETA) over the past few months, here’s a quick recap of the current situation for travelers:

- You need to get an ETA, either online or on arrival. I recommend doing it online because it’s cheaper (here’s a step-by-step guide to avoid common pitfalls: https://www.tongsetsrilanka.com/mode-demploi-pour-eta-au-sri-lanka)

- It’s valid for 30 days and costs $50 online or $60 on arrival.

- It was supposed to be free starting October 1st, but due to the elections and Parliament being dissolved, that didn’t happen. Stay tuned in December in case the topic comes up again.

- The online ETA is recorded in your passport, so you don’t need to show any documents, but I’d still recommend traveling with the confirmation.

- If you didn’t receive the confirmation email, you can check the status on the official ETA website.

- The only official site is eta.gov.lk. Watch out for agency websites pretending to be the official one.

- Avoid filling out your ETA on the French version—it’s buggy. Use my guide and do it in English instead. 😅

Happy travels! Caroline

Today I ended up being denied boarding at CDG. I booked the trip through a physical travel agency with no assistance for the visa application. I applied in plenty of time and got the approval. Except I put the 9th (the day I left France) as the date instead of the 10th, which is the arrival date in India. That’s what caused the denial. I’m guessing I don’t have any recourse? Thanks for your replies.

Hi there,

I’ve been reading conflicting info about whether an Indian visa might be required for a few-hour layover in Mumbai.

Do we need anything besides the Sri Lankan ETA if we’re just transiting through India without leaving Terminal 2 at the airport? We’re flying from Brussels via Frankfurt and then Mumbai with Lufthansa.

Thanks so much—I’m totally lost here! 😅

Hi there,

We’re supposed to fly in four days—my partner, our two kids, and me—for a one-month trip to Cambodia. While applying for an e-visa, we just realized that both our passports won’t be valid for 6 months after our stay ends, which is a key requirement for getting a Cambodian visa. I don’t know how, but we totally missed this info!! Our tickets aren’t refundable, and we’ve booked several non-refundable hotels there too...

Has anyone been in this situation or have any ideas or solutions?

Thanks so much in advance!!!!

Hi, I just had a really bad experience leaving for Thailand with Etihad Airways, along with my partner and her 11-year-old son. We were denied boarding because the child’s passport was invalid (by about 3 days), as it’s indeed required to have 6 months of validity. But come on—just 3 days over! On top of that, we were able to check in online for our round-trip flight (just the flights, no extras), entered our passport numbers and expiry dates, and even had to check in online again 30 hours before departure, where we got our boarding passes without any issues. How is it possible that no one called, warned, or even blocked us online? Instead, they waited to tell us at the airport during baggage check-in. I’ve asked the airline for a full refund of our expenses—do I have any chance? Thanks for your help

hi everyone

We’ll be applying for a retiree OA visa by September. For our part, we’ll head back to France for a bit and return a month BEFORE our current OA visa expires to renew it at immigration. We’ve emailed several immigration offices but haven’t gotten any responses. We’ve searched online for info but haven’t found anything. What we’re really interested in is knowing which documents they’ll ask for at the immigration office in Phang Nga, for example, for our renewal. We’ve seen all the paperwork needed for the initial OA visa on the official online visa application site... but for the renewal, do we need to provide ALL the same documents? Thanks in advance

Hi there,

We’re a group of 7 people heading to SRI LANKA in March.

We’re transiting through Mumbai (Air India flight), then after a few hours, we’ll take a SriLankan Airlines flight to Colombo.

The return trip follows the same route 26 days later.

The issue is about the Indian visa.

1- Do we need an Indian visa since we’ll only be at Mumbai Airport for a few hours (no checked baggage)?

2- Do we need a double-entry visa?

Thanks for your help—everything I’ve read online is pretty unclear.

Hi everyone, Have any travelers recently returned to Morocco via the border at Ceuta? If so, how is the crossing at Moroccan customs going right now? Are there any products bought in Ceuta that are banned from import into Morocco? Thanks for your replies! Hope you had a great holiday

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!

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, A sudden family event means I’ll be spending a few days in France alone with my kids in the coming days.

Just to set the scene—I live in Japan, I have two young children (4 and 2 years old), and this is my first time returning to France in 12 years. I’m feeling a little overwhelmed.

My questions: 1/ My kids don’t share my last name. Do I need to have a document proving our parent-child relationship (+ a French translation?) with me?

2/ They have Japanese nationality. Will they be able to go through the same line as me at the airport? (I think I remember there’s an EU nationals line and another for non-EU, but given their age...)

Thanks in advance for your help.

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

Hi, I want to invite a Malagasy friend and I’m surprised to learn there are procedures (that seem complicated) to follow… It would be a short stay (max 3 months). She’s got her passport, I’m paying for the flight ticket, and I read that I need to get an accommodation certificate from my town hall—but what else is required after that? What other documents are needed? What are the processing times? I’m really disappointed that in 2026, it’s still such a hassle for this kind of thing.

Hello, I’m from Quebec, and my driver’s license is in French. I’m planning to rent a car in France in July 2025 with Sixt. When I check their website, it says I need to present my driver’s license and passport, so I wouldn’t need an International Driving Permit. However, if I keep reading, they specify this: «It is recommended for customers whose driver’s license was issued by a state not listed here (https://www.sixt.com/help-center/articles/permis-de-conduire/) to bring an International Driving Permit or a French translation by an organization listed in section b), as authorities may request to see the license during official checks.» When I click the link, I get an error page, so I can’t get all the information. Has any Quebecer rented a car through Sixt in France and could tell me if I can avoid the translation fees for a license that’s already in French (mine and my partner’s)? Thanks so much!

Hi

On the Air France website

For flights to Thailand

They might ask you at boarding to present the digital TDAC card

Hi everyone, and happy Ramadan to those celebrating. I wanted to ask—I just submitted my application yesterday for a deferment from military service. Here’s my situation: I already had a deferment in Algeria that expired last September. I arrived in France just before that to start my studies, got my consular card at the Paris consulate, and yesterday I submitted my application for a deferment on the grounds that I’m a student. I’m 24, turning 25 soon. The issue: the commission has already met this year, and I was told my deferment won’t be available until 2026—that I have to come back again in September to justify the next academic year. When I asked the guy (who was in a hurry) if I could return to Algeria with this deposit receipt without any issues at the border police (PAF), he said yes, no problem. But I’m not sure I trust that answer. Has anyone here been in the same situation and could shed some light? Thanks in advance!

Hi, Is there still an exit tax to pay at the counter at the airport before leaving the country? (from Oman to France) If so, how many Omani rials is it now? Thanks in advance for your answer.

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 everyone, I’m looking for info on how long it takes to get a tourist visa in Jakarta. My Indonesian friend has almost all the documents ready but is missing flight tickets and insurance. We’d like to book them last minute for practical reasons. Has anyone had a recent experience and could tell me how long it usually takes? Thanks in advance!

My partner (Mexican) entered France on January 21st as a tourist. She was therefore entitled to stay for 90 days in the Schengen Area. She’ll be leaving for Mexico on April 16th, so she’ll have “used up” 86 days.

She plans to return to France on July 18th. According to the European Commission’s Schengen calculator, this new stay “may be authorized for a maximum of 90 days.” That’s not very clear ("may be," "for a maximum of").

The text of Article 6 of the European regulation (2016/399) states that for a stay planned in the territory of the Member States, not exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period, one must examine "the 180-day period preceding each day of the stay." That’s not very clear either.

My partner wants to return to France for a 90-day period starting on July 18th. Is this possible?

There are two ways to look at it:

1) The first day she spent in the Schengen Area was January 21st. That day will drop out of the calculation 180 days later, on July 20th.

From July 20th, she’ll get back 1 day of possible stay; on July 22nd, 2 days; and so on. All the days from her previous stay (January 21st–April 16th) need to be outside the 180-day rolling window. The last day of her stay was April 16th. Looking 180 days ahead, that brings us to October 13th. From that date, she’ll be able to return for a full 90 days. 2) The number of allowed days is calculated for each day of the new stay. In other words: the 180-day window is recalculated every day, not fixed at the entry date. If she re-enters France on July 18th, she’ll only have a “credit” of 4 days. But with each day of her new stay, one day from the previous stay (January–April) will drop out of the calculation. The rolling window allows her to “replace” days from the previous stay with those of the new stay, without ever exceeding 90 days in any 180-day period. In this case, my partner could stay in France for 90 days starting on July 18th. The Prefecture doesn’t provide any information, nor does Air France, and in the forums I’ve checked, opinions are divided. Thanks for any insights you can share!

Hello,

I’m a resident of France, and my husband and I have submitted an application for permanent residency in Canada after obtaining our CSQ. Our application is still being processed. My husband is the principal applicant.

I need to travel to Montreal alone for a few days soon for work-related reasons.

If we happen to receive confirmation of permanent residency in the meantime, could there be an issue with me crossing the border? I don’t want to activate the permanent residency—just enter as a tourist and make a quick round trip.

On the IRCC website, it says that dependents cannot arrive in Canada before the principal applicant. I understand this is because only the principal applicant can activate permanent residency by going through immigration.

However, does this also exclude temporary stays for dependents? Since my eTA should still be valid as long as the permanent residency isn’t activated, I should still be able to enter Canada as a tourist, right?

Thanks so much for your feedback!

Best regards,

Hi there, I just got back to France and realized I don’t have a stamp in my French passport. Is it normal that at Suvarnabhumi Airport customs didn’t stamp my passport? I’m really worried because I have to go back in a month and I don’t know what to expect when I arrive at Thai customs. I’m afraid of the consequences, like a fine or worse—being blacklisted from entering Thailand. Has anyone else had this happen? And if it’s not normal, what can I do to avoid any problems?

Hi everyone.

I’m here to share a really reassuring experience about boarding a flight from France to Guadeloupe without an ID card or passport.

Yesterday, I met up with my friend at her place around 4:00 PM. She told me to leave my bag in my car while we ran an errand because “nothing ever happens here.”

When we got back at 8:00 PM, my car window was smashed, and my bag was stolen. In a panic about forgetting something for the trip, I’d left my whole life in that bag—ID card, passport, driver’s license, health insurance card—total meltdown. It was 8:00 PM, and our flight was at 10:00 AM the next day.

We’re on the plane right now, and I’ll tell you exactly what we did.

At 8:30 PM, we went to the police station. No one was there, but there was a number to call for night emergencies. They sent a team to take our statement. We explained that clothes weren’t the issue but that we had a flight the next day. They initially said they couldn’t file the theft report until the next morning. We pleaded a little, and they finally opened the station for us. They gave us the forms for reporting a stolen passport and ID card.

These documents are called either: *"Receipt for theft report"* *"Theft report"*

Even before we finished, we started researching online to see if this paperwork would be enough. The info we found on this forum (from 2014) and what was clearly stated on the Air Caraïbes website totally crushed us. It seemed like it was completely hopeless. Only one person said it depended on the mood of the staff we’d encounter at the airport.

Awful night, total despair.

We arrived at the airport at 6:30 AM for a 10:20 AM boarding. We went to the Air Caraïbes baggage drop-off way too early to talk to someone. We explained the problem to the first woman we saw.

She immediately reassured us that we’d be able to fly. Basically, if you have the police or gendarmerie document for the theft or loss, it’s 100% okay. No issues with that.

We had to fill out a first form swearing we were telling the truth about our checked baggage, then a second one for customs after our carry-on bags were inspected.

Didn’t report the theft or loss before arriving at the airport? No problem—there’s an office in the airport that handles that. Basically, we didn’t *have* to go to the police station.

The only really important thing is to arrive *very* early to have time to sort everything out. If you show up at customs or boarding without anything prepared beforehand, you’ll obviously be turned away.

If this post reassured or helped you, feel free to leave a comment so this forum ranks higher on Google. I wish I’d read something like this last night—I would’ve slept better. This morning, my alarm went off at 4:00 AM, and unlike usual, I had a *hard* time waking up, like I was heading to prison.

That’s it. Nico and Solène, 40 years old.

Hi everyone,

When applying for an OA visa from France, is it okay to provide the address where I’ll just be staying for the first few days while I look for a permanent residence?

Thanks! Olivier

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 there,

I need some help—I’d like to bring an Egyptian friend to France, but booking an appointment for the visa on the TLS site is impossible! Visa applications usually go through the TLScontact center, which is authorized by the French Consulate General in Cairo. You’re supposed to book an appointment via their platform, but I’ve been trying for weeks with no luck. Still no available slots!! GETTING AN APPOINTMENT ON THE TLS SITE IS MISSION IMPOSSIBLE! What can I do? Do you have any other suggestions, please?

Thanks for your attention and help,

Hi there,

My wife is from Madagascar (we currently live in France), and she wants to move back permanently. Can we buy a one-way ticket for her flight?

Looking forward to your reply, Eric

Hi everyone, I’d like to take a trip from France to Malaysia and Thailand like this:

Paris to Kuala Lumpur Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi

Langkawi to Koh Lipe

Bangkok to Paris

I’m wondering if I’ll run into any visa issues on arrival since I won’t have an outbound flight ticket from Malaysia and I won’t have an inbound flight ticket to Thailand. If you’ve got any tips or have done this trip before, I’d really appreciate your help.

Thanks so much.

Hi everyone!

Quick message for the visa experts!

I was planning to enter Thailand with an OA visa applied for from France. This one requires mandatory insurance, in short, it’s a bit "restrictive."

I was wondering if you see any issues with this "setup": 1- Enter with a Non-Immigrant O visa (valid for 90 days) applied for from France (relatively easy to obtain) 2- Apply for an extension with multiple entries for one year before the 90 days expire (Extension of Stay Based on Retirement) That way, I don’t have to provide "visa-compliant" health insurance (I’ll get one separately, don’t worry! :)) 3- Renew the extension year after year.

Constraints: - File a presence declaration every 90 days - Don’t forget to request the "multiple re-entry permit" for 3,800 THB - Open a Thai bank account upon arrival + transfer the 800,000 THB

Side question: Can you open a Thai bank account with an O visa, specifically to make the required funds deposit for the extension?

Thanks in advance for your feedback! Olivier