Visa information system (VIS)

The ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Interior are jointly responsible of the visa information system.

At the European level, the European Agency for the operational management of large-scale IT systems in the field/area of freedom, security and justice (eu-LISA) is responsible for the operational management of the central VIS and the national interfaces. In addition, it provides a communication infrastructure between both and is responsible for the supervision, security and coordination of the relationship between the participating countries and the provider.

When an application is found admissible in accordance with the Visa Code, the visa authority shall create the application file by entering the data referred to in the VIS; the visa authority shall check whether a previous application of the individual applicant has been registered in the VIS by any of the Member States.

When a decision has been taken to issue/deliver a visa, the visa authority shall add other relevant data, including the type of visa, the territory to which the visa holder is entitled to travel, the validity, the number of entries authorised by the visa into the territory and the length of stay authorised by the visa.

In the event that the visa authority representing another EU country interrupts the examination of an application or is obliged to refuse, cancel or revoke a visa, or to extend the period of validity of the visa, the authority must add further data.

Access to the VIS for the purpose of entering, amending or deleting data is exclusively for the authorized staff of the visa authorities.

No French service has direct access to the VIS. Data exchanges with the European information system, or the consultation of this information are carried out exclusively through national IT applications (processing of the "Visas 2 global network" and "France-Visas" for the "France-Visas" for processing visa applications and "VISABIO" for verifications).

Access to these applications, which consequently determines access to the VIS, is governed at a national level by several texts:

• decree of 22 August 2001 creating a computerised processing of nominative information relating to the issuing of visas in diplomatic and consular posts (processing known as "Réseau mondial Visas 2" or "RMV2");

The purpose of this process is to enable the examination of applications for the issue of visas by exchanging information, on one hand with national authorities and on the other hand with the authorities of the Schengen States in particular by uploading in the VIS system a copy of the data relating to visas for a stay of less than three months issued by the French authorities ; to facilitate the follow-up and processing of administrative and litigation appeals relating to visas.

• order of 26 September 2017 creating an automated processing of personal data relating to foreigners applying for a visa called "France-Visas". This processing allows:

• to process visa applications by exchanging information with national authorities and with the authorities of the States implementing the Schengen acquis through the Visa Information System (VIS) for data relating to visas for a stay of less than three months issued by the French authorities;
• to improve the conditions for issuing visas by means, on one hand, of an internet portal and a teleservice designed to inform applicants and enable them to submit visa applications online, and, on the other hand, for authorised companies and institutions, of a space for submitting invitations to their foreign partners subject to the visa requirement;
• in the context of the examination of visa applications, to combat the illegal entry and residence of foreigners in France, by preventing document fraud, identity theft and abuse of procedure
• to facilitate the monitoring and processing of administrative and contentious appeals relating to visas.

• Articles L. 611-6 and R. 611-8 to R. 611-15 of the Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile (CESEDA) relating to the automated processing of personal data relating to foreigners applying for a visa (VISABIO).

The purpose of this process is:

• to better guarantee the right of residence of legal residents and to combat the illegal entry and residence of foreigners in France, by preventing document fraud and identity theft
• To enable the processing of applications for the issue of visas by exchanging information, on one hand, with national authorities and, on the other hand, with the authorities of the Schengen States, in particular by entering into the VIS system a copy of the data relating to visas for a stay of less than three months issued by the French authorities; to facilitate the follow-up and processing of administrative and litigation appeals relating to visas.

These texts provide a framework for the processing of personal data communicated by applicants. They designate the authorities allowed to collect, store and use such data for specific purposes. They also set out the list of data that may be collected and the period/duration they may be kept. Finally, they lay down the procedures relating to the rights of individuals.

Only the following categories of data are registered in the VIS:

• alphanumeric data on the applicant and on visas applied for delivered, issued, refused, cancelled, revoked or extended;
• photographs;
• fingerprints;
• links to previous visa applications and to the application files of persons travelling together.

Data can be registered in the VIS in case of:

• submission of the application;
• delivery of the visa/issuance of the visa;
• interruption of the examination of the application;
• refusal of the visa;
• cancellation, withdrawal or reduction of the period of validity of the visa;
• extension of the visa;

and are detailed in Articles 9 to 14 of Regulation (EC) No 767/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 July 2008.

Each application file is stored in the VIS for a maximum period of five years. Only the country responsible is allowed to modify or delete the data it has transmitted to the VIS.

No French service has direct access to the VIS. The exchange of data with the European information system, or the consultation of this information, is carried out exclusively through national IT applications (processing of the 'Visas 2 global network' and 'France-Visas' for the

The exchange of data with the European information system, or consultation of this information, are carried out exclusively via national IT applications ("Visas 2 World Network" and "France-Visas" processing for the processing of visa applications and "VISABIO" for verifications).

The following have access to RMV2 processing:

• Agents of the central services of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the Directorate of French Nationals Abroad and Consular Administration, the Directorate of Strategic Security and Disarmament Affairs, the Directorate of Continental Europe, the Directorate of Africa and the Indian Ocean, the Directorate for North Africa and the Middle East, the Directorate for the Americas and the Caribbean, the Directorate for Asia and Oceania, the Directorate of Globalisation, Development and Partnerships and the Protocol Department), the Ministry of Immigration (the Directorate of Immigration), the Ministry of Interior (the Directorate General of Internal Security and the Central Directorate of the Border Police), the Ministry of Budget (the Directorate General of Customs and Excise), the Ministry of Defence (the Directorate General of External Security), individually designated and specially empowered by the minister to whom they report or by officials designated by the minister;
• Agents of diplomatic missions and consular posts, individually and specially empowered by the head of the diplomatic mission or consular post to which they report;
• Agents of the prefectures and State representations in New Caledonia, French Polynesia and the Wallis and Futuna Islands, individually designated and specially authorised by the Prefect or the State representative and, in Paris, by the Prefect of Police;
• Agents of the French Office for Immigration and Integration, individually designated and specially authorised by the director of the French Office for Immigration and Integration
• Agents of the commission for appeal against decisions to refuse entry visas to France, individually designated and specially authorised by the president of the commission.

The following have access to France-Visas processing:

• The officials of the central services of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs involved in the examination of visa applications and in the management of administrative and contentious appeals, individually designated and authorised by the head of department to which they report;
• Officials of diplomatic missions and consular posts responsible for examining visa applications, individually designated and authorised by the head of the diplomatic mission or consular post to which they report;
• Prefectural officials responsible for processing visa applications, individually designated and authorised by the Prefect and, in Paris, by the Prefect of Police;
• Prefecture officials responsible for applying the regulations relating to the issue of residence permits, processing of asylum applications and preparing and implementing removal measures, individually designated and empowered by the Prefect and, in Paris, by the Police Prefect;
• Officers of the national police and members of the national gendarmerie responsible for examining applications for the issue of visas at the borders and for checking the travel documents of third-country nationals at the external borders, who are individually designated and authorised by the head of the department to which they report;
• The officers of the commission of appeal against decisions to refuse entry visas to France, individually designated and authorised by the chairman of the committee;
• For the purposes of the attestation procedure referred to in the thirteenth paragraph of Article R. 311-3 of the Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners and the Right of Asylum, the agents of the French Office for Immigration and Integration, responsible for residence admission procedures, individually designated and authorised by the Director General of the Office.

The following shall have access to VISABIO processing:

• Officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Immigration involved in the processing of visa applications, individually designated and specially authorised by the minister to whom they report;
• Prefecture officials, including in the context of the assessment procedure provided for by Article R. 221-11 of the social action and families Code (“Code de l'action sociale et des familles”), and those responsible for applying the regulations relating to the issuing of residence permits, processing asylum applications and the preparation and implementation of removal measures, individually designated and specially authorised by the Prefect;
• Border control officers from the national police and gendarmerie and customs, individually designated and specially authorised by the head of their department;
• Agents of the Ministry of Interior, individually designated and specially authorised by the head of the national police service or by the commander of the gendarmerie group, responsible for the removal of foreigners;
• Judicial police officers of the national police and gendarmerie services, individually designated and specially authorised by the police prefect, the director of public security, the departmental director of the border police or the commander of the gendarmerie group concerned, as well as the judicial police officers of the central directorate of the judicial police, the central directorate of the border police or the general directorate of the national gendarmerie, for identity verification missions provided for by Article 78-3 of the Code of Criminal Procedure;
• Customs officers under the conditions set out in Article 67c of the Customs Code, individually designated and specially authorised by the regional director of customs or, where applicable, the director general of customs and indirect rights;
• For the purposes of the attestation procedure referred to in the thirteenth paragraph of Article R. 311-3, agents of the French Office for Immigration and Integration, individually designated and specially authorised by the Director General of the Office, responsible for residence admission procedures;
• For the exclusive purpose of the assessment provided for by Article R. 221-11 of the Code of Social Action and families (Code de l'action sociale et des familles), agents responsible for implementing child protection, individually designated and specially authorised by the president of the departmental council.
• For missions to check the authenticity of visas and the legality of residence, judicial police officers and, by order and under the responsibility of the latter, the judicial police officers of the national police and gendarmerie services who have been individually designated and specially authorised under the conditions set out in point 4 of I may access the personal data recorded in the automated processing.

The following may also have access to personal data recorded in the automated processing under the conditions set out in Article L. 222-1 of the Internal Security Code:

• Agents of the national police force and members of the national gendarmerie units responsible for the prevention and suppression of acts of terrorism, individually designated and specially authorised, respectively by the director general to whom they report;
• Agents of the specialised intelligence services mentioned in Article R. 222-1 of the Internal Security Code, individually designated and specially authorised by the director to whom they report, for the sole purpose of preventing attacks on the fundamental interests of the nation and acts of terrorism;
• For the sole purpose of carrying out the checks mentioned in Article R. 611-8, data relating to the surname, first name, date and country of birth, photograph of the foreign national and the issue of a visa, its date, its period of validity and the travel documents may be consulted by the agents of the social security bodies individually designated and specially authorised by the directors of these bodies.

The public is mainly informed through the website of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (diplomatie.gouv.fr) under the heading "Coming to France". The information on this site are general in scope: the main types of visa (C and D visas), possible exemptions, the case of family members of EU citizens, checks on arrival, how to read a sticker, etc.