Invitation letter for a visa application (France)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in French
The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
For someone in France inviting a foreign relative or friend who needs a visa, for a private visit of under three months. The official document is the attestation d’accueil (Cerfa 10798), which the host requests in person at the town hall, with a €30 tax stamp. This letter, in French under French law, goes with it in the visa file without replacing it: it presents the guest, the dates and purpose of the stay, the accommodation and the costs the host covers. The guest attaches it to the visa application.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- A relative or friend from abroad wants to visit you in France and needs a visa.
- You are hosting a foreign guest for a short private stay and want to introduce them in the visa file.
- You already have the attestation d’accueil from the town hall and want an invitation letter to go with it.
- You want to set out in writing the dates, purpose, accommodation and costs you cover for your guest.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Host's date of birth
- Phone
- French embassy or consulate (full name, with the city)
- Address of the French embassy or consulate
- City
- Date
- Person invited
- Invited person's passport number
- Invited person's date of birth
- Invited person's nationality
- Invited person's home address
- Relationship to the invited person (e.g. relative, friend)
- Purpose
- Travelling from
- Travelling until
- Costs the host takes on
- Attestation d'accueil validated by the town hall: number and date
- Attachments
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Is an invitation letter enough for a foreign relative to get a French visa?
- No. For a private visit of under three months to a private host, the official proof of accommodation is the attestation d’accueil (Cerfa 10798): the host requests it in person at the town hall of their home, with a €30 electronic tax stamp that is not refunded if refused, then sends it to the guest. The invitation letter completes the file by explaining the relationship, the dates and the costs covered; the consulate alone decides whether to issue the visa.
- What must the guest provide with a Schengen visa application for France?
- The guest applies at the French consulate or the provider it designates, following the list on the official France-Visas website. It usually includes a valid passport, the attestation d’accueil, travel medical insurance covering at least €30,000 (article 15 of the EU Visa Code), proof of means and the return booking. This letter is added to it, with a copy of the host's ID or residence permit.
- What does the person issuing a French invitation commit to?
- In the letter, the host confirms the accommodation and states the costs they cover; in the attestation d’accueil, the host also undertakes before the town hall to pay the guest's living costs if the guest cannot. State only what is true: a false statement can lead to prosecution and to the visa being refused. The town hall may check the accommodation before validating the attestation d’accueil.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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