— 13 Nov 2023 09:50:04 by Kate Moore
This information is for schools enquiring about visa requirements for children who are 'third-country' nationals - non-UK/non-EU citizens - studying in Britain.
Though we are not qualified to give advice on French visa requirements, we have seen the guidance below from the French Consulate that states that children, who are non-EU/non-UK nationals, can travel visa-free to France on a school trip:
In accordance with Article 6(2), school pupils who are nationals of a third country listed in Annex I to the Regulation and who reside in a third country listed in Annex II to the Regulation and are travelling in the context of a school excursion as members of a group of school are exempted from an entry visa into France.
To travel visa-free to France, the non-EU pupil must:
To ease border crossing, it is advisable that the school provides the accompanying teachers with an official list (on headed paper) with details of the pupils (full name, date and place of birth, nationality) who are concerned.
Also print off and take this guidance letter from the French Consulate.
You can find a country-by-country list of visa exemption schemes on the European Commission website (under “2 exemptions Article 6(2)”).
New rules are being introduced for all travellers to the EU, regardless of nationality, starting with additional border checks from October 2024 and the introduction of the ETIAS visa waiver in 2025. Read more about the upcoming EES and ETIAS and how to navigate the current passport and EHIC rules for a French school trip.
Though we can share the experiences of other school groups who have visited our residential centres in France, we are not able to give official advice on French visas. The final decision to allow people to enter France is made by the Border Police on the day of travel.
Ultimately, it is the party leader's responsibility to obtain the necessary paperwork needed for the group to visit. Please contact the French Government visa department for the latest information.