How to get a France visa from Mali

• The tourist visa is for Malians intending to visit France for vacation, sightseeing or other leisure activities.
• With the tourist visa, you can also attend social events, cultural events, festivals.
• You can also visit friends and relatives residing in France.
• If you are visiting a friend or relatives in France, you will need to submit an invitation letter showing their home address and telephone number.
• A valid ID of the host should be presented as well.
• For this visa, you must submit a cover letter stating the purpose of your visit, places you intend to visit while in France and the duration of your stay.
• If you are not a national of Mali, you must submit a valid resident permit.
• If you are employed, you must provide proof of your employment by submitting your employment contract (signed by both you and your employer), your bank account statements of the last six months and your income tax return.
• You must also provide a letter of no objection from your employer stating awareness of leave for the entire duration you intend to stay in France.
• You are expected to prove that you can spend at least €120 daily if you do not have a proof of accommodation, €65 if staying at a hotel and €32.50 daily if staying with a loved one.
• If a third-party intends to sponsor your trip, you must submit a sponsorship letter.
• You cannot work with a tourist visa.
• This visa costs €60 for applicants 12 years and above, €35 for children between 6-11 and is free for children under 6.
• It is usually processed in 15 days.

• The student visa is for Malians who intend to study in France for a period of more than 90 days.
• You must have received admission to study in a France learning institution before applying for this visa.
• An admission letter from the school is necessary when applying.
• You are also required to present the original copy of your acceptance letter into a French university. The letter must show the applicants personal data, duration, and type of course/research work to be done, financial guarantee and it must affirm that the applicant has sufficient knowledge of the language the program will be taken in.
• You must provide proof of a minimum monthly income of €615 for the entire duration of your stay in France. This could be in the form of a certificate of scholarship or bank statement showing a deposit in a French bank account, or an undertaking by a sponsor to accept financial liability.
• If you are being sponsored, you must show documents that attest to your sponsor being capable of taking care of all your financial expenses in the country as well as a copy of a valid ID of your sponsor.
• You are required to show proof of accommodation for the first three months of your stay in France. This could be a hotel reservation or statement from a host offering to host you in France.
• Your biometric data will be collected at the point of submission of your application form. Thus, you are advised to submit your visa application in person.
• This visa costs €180.

France is one of the safest countries to visit due to the country having a very low crime rate and how rare it is for violent crimes to occur. There are however cases of pickpocketing, purse snatching and other petty thefts in certain areas. To stay safe at all times, it is advisable for travelers to exercise caution in large cities and popular tourist destinations.

To report crime-related emergencies, dial the toll-free number 17, the National Police will respond in urban areas while the Gendarmerie will in rural areas. In France, it is illegal to not report a crime you witnessed or assist a person in danger. This means that you must report every crime you witness or react to cries for help unless helping the person in danger puts you in danger. Failure to do so might lead to you being charged with a fine or a jail sentence.

Generally, the tap water (Eau du robinet) in France is drinkable. However, there could be exceptions in certain rural areas and sinks in train bathrooms, where there will be a sign "Eau non-potable" declaring the water unsafe for drinking. Eau potable is potable water but some travelers might not like the taste so it is advisable to stick to bottled water.

France is the most visited tourist location in the world but the must-see places really vary depending on different individuals and their interests. ​Paris is one of the world’s most beautiful cities and you should definitely check out its iconic landmarks like the Eifel Tower and the Champs-Elysées and then take a romantic walk in Montmartre. You could also visit Louvre Museum in Paris. Lyon and Nice also offer tourists great experiences in places like the Roman Amphitheater, Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Vieille Ville, Promenade des Anglais, Parc de la Colline du Château (Castle Hill Park), and the beautiful Fontaine Bartholdi.