Do you need to enter France directly for the visa to be valid?

Question

My wife's nephew is coming to stay with us (in France) to complete his studies.

The closest airport though is in Geneva, Switzerland. Does he have to land in France for the visa application to be accepted? If yes, is it acceptable for the flight to have stops in other countries?

Answer 1

Quite generally:

• He can enter the Schengen Area at any point
• He can make as many stops as he wants outside or inside the Schengen Area. Stops outside the Schengen Area may have their own requirements for transit.

I'm not aware of any formalities at the point of entry (other than checking that the passport and visa are valid, of course). Depending on the length of the studies it may be necessary to validate the visa / convert to a residence permit once he is in France, but this does not happen at the border.

There may be a few very specific exceptions, but the consulate/embassy would probably have made that very clear if it were the case.