Visa policies of Overseas France


Although the European portion of France is part of the Schengen Area, its overseas departments, collectivities and other territories apply their own visa policies, which have some additional exemptions or restrictions compared to the visa policy of the Schengen Area.
Overseas departments
and regions		Overseas
collectivities		Special
status		Overseas territories
State public domain
French Guiana
Guadeloupe
Martinique
Mayotte
Réunion		French Polynesia
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Wallis and Futuna		New CaledoniaFrench Southern
and Antarctic Lands		Clipperton Island

Visa exemptions

Nationals of the following countries can enter and reside for an unlimited period without a visa in Overseas France. They may use their national identity card instead of their passport as a travel document as long as they travel directly. A passport, however, is mostly necessary because most flights from Europe connect through a foreign territory, e.g. the Paris-Papeete flights stop over in Los Angeles, which does necessarily require a USA travel authorisation. A notable exeption was the Air Tahit Nui TN64 flight on the 15th of March 2020, which flew directly to Paris from Papeete as it was not allowed to stop over in Los Angeles due to the Coronavirus pandemic. In theory, European passengers on this flight could have had taken it without a passport, but that was only an exception.
For stays of up to 3 months in a 6-month period, visa-free entry is granted to nationals of the following countries and territories :
This exemption also applies to:
For specific territories, nationals of the following countries are also granted visa-free stays of up to 3 months in a 6-month period.
For French Guiana, Guadeloupe and Martinique:
For Saint Martin:
For Saint Pierre and Miquelon:
For Réunion:
For Mayotte:
For New Caledonia, Wallis and Futuna, and French Polynesia:

Summary of short-stay visa exemptions

Country or territoryFrance French GuianaGuadeloupe and MartiniqueRéunionMayotteSaint Pierre and MiquelonWallis and FutunaFrench PolynesiaNew CaledoniaSaint MartinSaint Barthélemy
single market
Schengen 'Annex II'
other British nationals

Obtaining a visa

Foreign nationals who require a visa for a part of Overseas France can obtain one by lodging an application at a French embassy or consulate in their country of residence for a fee of up to €99.
Schengen short-stay visas are not valid for Overseas France, and vice versa. A visa with the designation "départements français d'Amérique" allows visiting the French overseas departments in the Americas as well as Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

Visitor statistics

Country/territory2016201520142013
67,90863,91362,27853,656
39,08635,76534,88732,946
12,17411,44712,52713,175
9,7579,1679,3159,167
7,8887,9937,8878,103
7,2217,3157,1366,477
6,3268,4029,2797,206
5,9875,5553,2681,876
4,2064,1854,1113,826
3,9804,7114,8343,255
3,9513,5384,0283,477
Total192,495183,831180,602164,393

Country/territory2016201520142013
Metropolitan France36,72537,24536,54539,183
22,80920,92618,06515,722
21,15120,05619,08715,674
9,1438,5296,7806,334
6,1286,3296,1286,763
3,6483,5203,6163,950
3,4533,5523,3713,946
1,0451,104832718
Total115,676113,951107,187107,753