IMPACT – MEDIUM

What is the change? France will introduce an expedited visa service to Chinese nationals for short stays.

What does the change mean? Chinese nationals making short visits to France will receive their visas in 48 hours.

  • Implementation timeframe: Jan. 27, 2014.
  • Visas/permits affected: Tourist visas.
  • Who is affected: Chinese nationals.
  • Impact on processing times: The change will reduce visa processing times from three to five business days to 48 hours.
  • Business impact: The expedited processing will boost tourism and business.

Background: French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced the fast-track service on Jan. 13. France will offer the priority service to mark 50 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries and to attract Chinese visitors. A whopping 1.4 million Chinese tourists visited France last year.

BAL Analysis: The new service will simplify processing for tourists and business travelers visiting for brief tours.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group and our network provider located in France. For additional information, please contact GlobalVisaGroup@bal.com.

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