France visa appointment in the UK: London, Manchester, Edinburgh
VisaBot is independent: it has no ties to TLScontact, France-Visas or the French consulate, and the decision on a French visa rests with the Consulate General of France in London.
French visa appointments in the UK are handled by TLScontact at centres in London (Wandsworth), Manchester and Edinburgh, open to any UK resident. For short-stay visas, TLScontact allocates the date instead of letting applicants pick one online. VisaBot does not track or book French appointments, and the Consulate General of France in London decides every application.
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France from the UK runs through TLScontact, not VisaBot
VisaBot offers neither Notifications nor AutoBooking for France to UK applicants. TLScontact now allocates French short-stay appointments instead of letting applicants select a slot.
- 1
France-Visas form first
Create an account on France-Visas, choose the visa type that matches your trip and complete the online form. TLScontact expects this application before any appointment.
- 2
A TLScontact account
Sign up on the TLScontact website for France in the UK, choose London, Manchester or Edinburgh and add the details of your France-Visas application.
- 3
An allocated date
Short-stay applicants no longer pick a slot: TLScontact allocates one based on availability. London and Manchester switched in August 2026, Edinburgh in September 2026.
- 4
The appointment in person
Applicants aged 12 and over give ten fingerprints and a photo. Bring the appointment confirmation, your passport, documents in checklist order and a means of payment.
- 5
Tracking and passport return
Follow the file under My requests in your France-Visas account. When TLScontact reports the passport is back, collect it without an appointment, with the checklist and valid ID.
VisaBot cannot speed up, watch or book any step for France; its UK destinations all run through VFS Global or BLS International centres.
Where French visa files are lodged in the UK
France has no consular districts in the UK, so any resident can use any TLScontact centre. Two groups of short-stay applicants may also book with the consulate itself.
18 Ryeland Boulevard, Ram Quarter, Wandsworth, London SW18 1UN. The London centre takes French visa files and biometrics and hands passports back.
1 Portland Street, Manchester M1 3BE. TLScontact's Manchester centre for French visa files, biometrics and passport return.
Argyle House, 3 Lady Lawson Street, Edinburgh EH3 9DR. TLScontact's Scottish centre for French visa files, biometrics and passport return.
6a Cromwell Place, London SW7 2EN. Direct short-stay appointments for spouses of French nationals and family members of EU nationals, booked with the consulate itself.
Choose the centre easiest to reach: you attend in person and collect the passport there without an appointment. In Wandsworth, French files go to 18 Ryeland Boulevard; TLScontact's 11–12 Ryeland Boulevard and Gee Street offices handle UK visa and citizenship applications.
From allocated date to passport: what the official guidance says
Waiting for an appointment and waiting for a visa are separate stages. TLScontact allocates French short-stay appointments based on availability, so applicants do not choose the date and the first wait depends on how many appointments the centre can offer.
After the appointment, the Consulate General of France in London asks applicants to allow at least 20 working days. France-Visas says a file is generally processed within 2 to 15 working days of reaching the consulate, as a guideline rather than a promise.
France-Visas accepts applications up to 180 days before travel, and EU rules ask for them at least 15 days before departure. Applying early leaves room for allocation and busy seasons.
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Who can apply for France from the UK, and on what terms
- Who decides
- The Consulate General of France in London, for applications lodged anywhere in the UK.
- Who applies here
- UK residents who need a visa. British citizens can visit the Schengen area, France included, for up to 90 days in any 180 without one.
- When to apply to France
- When France is the sole or main destination by length or purpose of stay; failing that, when you first enter the Schengen area through France.
- Booking channel
- TLScontact, after the France-Visas form. The consulate calls TLScontact its sole authorised external provider and warns against scams.
- Fees
- A visa fee, which TLScontact collects for the consulate, plus TLScontact's own service fee; current amounts are on the official fee pages.
- Biometrics
- Ten fingerprints and a photo from age 12, given in person; fingerprints from a biometric Schengen visa issued in the last 59 months can be reused.
Spouses of French nationals and family members of EU nationals on a short stay may book directly with the Consulate General in London, where appointments take longer to get. Since 2021, non-EU family members of British citizens follow the standard short-stay rules, unless their British relative benefits from the withdrawal agreement and lives in France.
Long stays follow a separate track: students admitted to French higher education first complete the Etudes en France procedure with Campus France UK. France also handles visas for Monaco.
What VisaBot does not do on the French route
- VisaBot does not watch TLScontact for French appointments in the UK and cannot book one at any centre or for any visa type.
- VisaBot does not fill in the France-Visas form, check documents or follow an application through the consulate.
- VisaBot does not sell or hold appointments on any route, and TLScontact warns applicants against buying French appointments from intermediaries.
- VisaBot has no influence on the outcome: French visa decisions belong to the Consulate General of France in London.
VisaBot is an independent service operated by TREVOR PHILIPS LTD, registered in England and Wales under company number 14986978, and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or acting for TLScontact, VFS Global, BLS International or any embassy, consulate or government body.
Booking France from the UK: common questions
Where do I book a France visa appointment in the UK?
French visa appointments in the UK go through TLScontact, the consulate's authorised provider, once you have completed the France-Visas online form. TLScontact runs centres in London (Wandsworth), Manchester and Edinburgh. Short-stay applicants do not pick a slot: you sign up with TLScontact, add your France-Visas details and an appointment is allocated based on availability.
Which UK city should I choose for my French visa appointment?
Any of the three: France has no consular districts in the UK, so a Scottish resident may apply in London. Pick the centre that is easiest to reach, since the appointment is in person and passports are collected there. The London centre is at 18 Ryeland Boulevard in Wandsworth, not at TLScontact's UK immigration offices.
Which visa type do I select for a short trip to France?
The visa type is chosen on France-Visas, before TLScontact is involved, by stating the purpose of your trip. A holiday, business trip or family visit of up to 90 days in any 180 calls for a short-stay Schengen visa. Spouses of French nationals and family members of EU nationals may instead apply directly at the Consulate General in London.
What if there are no France visa appointments available in the UK?
Under TLScontact's allocation system you cannot pick a slot yourself: once your TLScontact account holds your France-Visas details, the date is allocated based on availability. Apply as early as the rules allow, up to 180 days before travel. If most of your trip is in another Schengen country, apply to that country instead, because the main destination decides the consulate.
Do children need their own French visa application?
Yes. Every traveller needs a separate application, including a child listed in a parent's passport, and a parent or legal guardian signs a minor's form. Children under 12 give no fingerprints and may not enter the visa centre, so a parent lodges their application. From age 12, fingerprints are given in person unless those from a Schengen visa issued in the last 59 months can be reused.
Is VisaBot different from checking the TLScontact site myself?
For France from the UK there is nothing to compare: VisaBot offers no French appointments here, and TLScontact allocates short-stay dates rather than letting applicants pick one. On destinations VisaBot covers from the UK, run by VFS Global or BLS International, the bot scans the centre's calendar for you.
Which countries can VisaBot help with from the UK?
From the UK, VisaBot works with 22 Schengen destinations: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. All of them are booked through VFS Global or BLS International centres, and the choice differs between London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester. The current list for your city is in the VisaBot app.
Do British citizens need a visa for France?
Not for short visits: the UK government's travel advice says British citizens can travel to the Schengen area, France included, for up to 90 days in any 180-day period without a visa. Work and longer stays follow French entry rules. The TLScontact process concerns UK residents of other nationalities who need a short-stay visa for France.
Schengen appointment guides from the UK
Pick your destination: each page explains where to apply from the UK and what VisaBot can and cannot do on that route.
- AutoBooking
Austria - Guide
Belgium - AutoBooking
Bulgaria - AutoBooking
Croatia - AutoBooking
Czech Republic - AutoBooking
Denmark - AutoBooking
Finland - Guide
France - Guide
Germany - Guide
Greece - AutoBooking
Hungary - AutoBooking
Iceland - AutoBooking
Italy - AutoBooking
Latvia - AutoBooking
Lithuania - AutoBooking
Malta - AutoBooking
Netherlands - AutoBooking
Norway - AutoBooking
Portugal - AutoBooking
Slovenia - Alerts only
Spain - AutoBooking
Switzerland
Heading mainly to another Schengen country?
VisaBot works with 22 destinations from London, Birmingham, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Manchester. Pick yours and your UK city to see what VisaBot offers on that route.