Do i need a french/schengen visa to go to france if i am a uk resident though i have a zimbabwean passport???

Question

I have indefinate stay to live in the UK which makes me a UK resident though i have kept my zimbabwean passport.

Do i still need to get a visa and if so how long would it take.

And finally am i able to get it sorted in one day if i go to the embassy??

All comments welcome xx

Answer 1

Whether or not you require a visa depends on your nationality and what passport you carry.

Having leave to reside in the UK does not change the essential fact that you are a Zimbabwean and not a British citizen.

Therefore you must meet the same visa requirements as any citizen of Zimbabwe.

It is very unlikely that you can take care of this in one day.

You should expect it to take at least several weeks AFTER you have submitted the required application and supporting documentation.

Answer 2

The UK is not part of the Schengen Agreement which permits foreign residents to freely travel in Europe. Therefore, you will have to ask for a short-stay visa from a French consulate in the UK. There are border controls at airports in Paris and at the railway station in London when you travel to France, so you will be inspected and denied entry to Continental Europe if you haven't got a visa.