France Issues Over 730,000 Visas in 2021, Morocco Leads Recipients

The number of visas issued by France in 2021 is 733,070, which represents a slight increase of 2.9% compared to 2020 (712,317 visas). Compared to the number of visas issued in 2019 (3,534,999 visas) before the health crisis, there is a clear decline. The four main countries that benefited the most from French visas in 2021 are: Morocco, Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia, according to the preliminary report on visas and residence permits granted to foreigners last year.

Regarding residence permits, 270,925 were issued, 370,569 including the British, it is specified. First-time issuances of permits increased by 21.9% compared to 2020, a year marked by a 20.9% drop compared to 2019. The main reason for the allocation of a residence permit (85,844 permits against 90,534 in 2019) remains the same: family reasons. In total, 87,694 student residence permits were issued last year.