How to appeal a visa refusal?

Express or implicit visa refusal and informal appeal

A visa refusal may come in two forms. It is express if you receive a written notification of refusal from the Consulate; the refusal is implicit if you do not receive a response within two months of the submission of your request.

Since November 1st, 2016, the French consular authorities are required to justify their decisions to refuse visas for foreign students. So don't hesitate to file an informal appeal with the French Consul in order to learn the reasons for the refusal and to request that the decision be overturned.

The Commission charged with visa refusal appeals

If the informal appeal is not accepted, you can appeal to the Commission de Recours contre les décisions de Refus de Visa d'entrée en France (CRRV - the Commission charged with visa refusal appeals). This procedure is a mandatory preliminary before any appeal to an administrative judge. It must be made within two months of the express or implicit refusal of the visa.

You may appeal to the CRRV in person, through a lawyer or through a family member. Your request must be in French and be sent by regular mail to the following address:

                Commission de recours contre les refus de visa d'entrée en France

                Ministère des affaires étrangères
                48, rue Georges Méliès
                BP 43605
                44036 Nantes cedex 01 - France

Appealing a visa refusal to an administrative tribunal

The Commission de recours contre les refus de visa d'entrée en France may recommend that the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Interior grant your visa. They may also expressly (in writing) or implicitly (by not responding within two months) reject your appeal.

If the CRRV rejects your appeal or if the Ministers confirm the visa refusal despite the recommendation of the Commission, you can, within the next two months, lodge an annulment appeal with the administrative tribunal of Nantes.