- Booking steps: Visit the VFS Global site, create an account, start a new booking, and pick the same centre as your France-Visas form (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Ottawa).
- Important info: appointment fee about $45; select visa category Long stay (D) and subcategory Working Holiday Visa (or Long stay - other category); book no more than one month ahead; finalize your France-Visas application; Canadian applicants are exempt from medical certificates and criminal record checks.
- After payment: print both confirmations (on-screen and email) and bring them.
- Day of appointment: biometrics; bring a completed application (all pages), receipt, VFS confirmation, and documents from chapter 2; travel insurance is mandatory; if no slots, expect mid/late-month releases and consider the Other subcategory or the waitlist.
The VFS Global appointment
VFS Global centres
When you get to the last page of your application on France-Visas, you will be asked to declare that you have made a VFS appointment before being able to continue further.
VFS Global is a private third-party service provider for governments worldwide. The company manages visa and passport issuance-related administrative tasks—for instance, it collects Working Holiday Visa applications and biometric data on behalf of the French government. However, applications are still transferred to the French consulate for processing.
You will drop off your application, provide biometric data and collect your passport after the decision is made at your designated VFS Global centre. Since biometric data collection is a requirement, you have to go in person to one of their centres in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or Ottawa.
Booking an appointment
Go to the VFS Global website and click on “2: If you have ALREADY FILLED the France-Visas application form”.
Make an account if you don’t already have one (VFS is separate from France-Visas). Then, sign in and start a new booking.
Important information
- The appointment fee is ~$45.
- You should select the same centre that you indicated on your application form (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, or Ottawa).
- For the visa category, select Long stay (D). For the subcategory, select Long stay – Working Holiday Visa. If that option is not shown, then select Long stay (D) – other category.
- It is not possible to book an appointment for more than one month later.
- You have the option of purchasing additional services offered by VFS, but those are completely option.
After payment, a confirmation message will appear. You will also receive a confirmation email. Print out both confirmations and bring them with you to your appointment.
Finalizing your France-Visas application
Don’t forget to finalize your application on France-Visas after booking your appointment with VFS Global!
Check the box to confirm that you did make an appointment with a VFS Global centre and that a date has been scheduled. Click “Submit to the visa center”. Congratulations, you’re all done with your online application!
The day of your appointment
During your appointment, VFS associates will take your biometrics (photo and fingerprints) and check that your application file is complete. Make sure to bring:
- Your completed application form, all pages (see image below)
- The receipt of visa application (see image below)
- The VFS appointment confirmation
- All other documents listed in chapter 2 (original and photocopy)
Don’t forget that it is mandatory to have travel medical insurance! We’ve been recommending
Globe WHV insurance since 2005. They’ve already covered thousands of working holiday makers, to France and elsewhere.
What should I do if no VFS appointments are available?
Since demand for appointments is high and supply is low, there is a good chance that there will be no availability at the moment you try to book an appointment.
Don’t panic, patience is key. According to our experience and stories from past applications, VFS centres release appointments at the middle and end of every month. This means that on the 14-15th and 30-31th of every month, you should pay close attention to the website for new availabilities.
Here are a couple of additional tried and true tips from past working holiday makers:
- If the appointment subcategory for Working Holiday Visa is full, try the “Other” subcategory. According to past participants, this won’t be an issue.
- If you don’t want to deal with checking the site regularly, you can also pay CA$47 to be added to the waitlist for appointments. Past participants have confirmed that it works, but wait times are unpredictable; be prepared to wait 2-3 weeks before receiving an invitation. And also beware that if you join the waitlist for a city, you cannot manually claim an earlier appointment at a centre in another city even if you see a spot open up.
You could also try to contact the VFS customer service, but it is unlikely that they can do anything for you.
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(68) Comments
Hi Jackson!
I’m applying of the WHV to France very soon, and it appears I will be unable to get the medical certificate or criminal record check in time. I see that you’re saying they’re not necessary, which is great news! However, the VFS appointment says I need them, and when I call they say it’s required. I’m wondering how to navigate this at my appointment?
Is it still true that I won’t need these documents? I’m having difficulty finding another government source stating that these aren’t required, I’m hoping to bring this with me as a reference to my appointment. Do you know where I can find this section of the agreement?
Thanks for the help!
Hi Farhang. If you are Canadian, then these are not required. You can read point 5 of the following article to understand why https://pvtistes.net/en/tips-applying-working-holiday-canadians-france/. I (and many others) got the WHV, and was never asked to show either document.
If you contacted VFS customer service, it’s possible they provided contrary information. They are outsourced employees in a third country (neither France nor Canada), so they may have just been reading the checklist back to you. In any case, VFS only takes the applications and forwards them to the French consulate for processing, so they don’t actual have any decision role in assessing applications.
Hi Jackson!
I had a question about the insurance cover and cover letter… I currently pay for Cigna Global Worldwide that renews on May 9 2026… I also bought a return flight on May 6 2026 as that was the cheapest option.
I can’t renew my insurance early of course, and it was so expensive that I don’t want to buy another cover… is it ok to state in my cover letter that I would like to spend part of 2026 in France and then stay longer than I intended? I will obviously renew my insurance in May of next year and I would only stay as long as my visa permits (I’ve had the Aus and England WHVs too and I’ve never overstayed and would never either).
Hi Safia. I don’t fully understand your question. What is your situation exactly? You are on your first WHV and want to apply for a second WHV next year? What cover letter are you talking about?
Hi there,
For the cover letter portion of the application how much information did you share about your itinerary and how thorough was your cover letter?
I currently don’t have an exact itinerary besides cities I’d like to visit and I’m afraid my application will be denied if I don’t share enough information.
I plan to write a basic cover letter stating: purpose of travel, intent to leave and financial means of support throughout the stay. Is there any other vital information that I should include(thorough itinerary, etc)?
Itinerary is not required. It’s enough to just explain your interest in France. But they don’t need to know your exact plan. Most working holiday makers don’t even have one themselves!
Hi, I’m currently in the process of waiting for a VFS appointment slot to open up.
The only thing I’m unsure of is do I need to bring proof of accommodation to the VFS appointment or can I book my accommodation once I’ve been granted a visa and in my hands?
Multiple tutorials are giving me varying instructions. Some say to book inward plane ticket/accommodation to show proof at the VFS appointment, some don’t. As I would like to buy a plane ticket AFTER I have my VISA in hand like you suggested, I’d like to preferably do the same (if possible) for my accommodation.
Besides the required docs that are on the registration form that France-Visas gives me is there anything else I need to bring as proof in order for a WHV Visa to be granted? (Accommodation, inward plane ticket, etc)
Thank you very much for the help!
Hi. If you look at your official checklist, neither proof of accommodation nor France-bound plane ticket is listed. I myself didn’t present either of them when I applied. The housing address is for reference purposes only and is not binding in any way.
Thanks for the reassurance! Appreciate the help.
Hi,
I am applying for the WHV from Toronto Ontario, I am in france right now for vacation waiting for my appointment at the VFS to get my WHV.
I finally found on appointment in Montreal because I never find any in Toronto.
I took that appointment but I saw after that on my application it says that my VFS is Toronto, can I still use Montreal to get it ? Do I need to change in my application and put Montreal instead of Toronto ?
I am going to fly back to Canada just for my appointment I just want to make sure I am doing the right thing
And after this appointment how long does it need to get the Visa ?
Thank you for your help !
Jorge
Hi Jorge. I’m not sure about this. I recommend that you contact VFS support to confirm. And please let us know here once you have the answer, thanks!
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