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Plaine des Sables, Réunion — Réunion

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Réunion

Réunion visit visa for Pakistan passport holders

VisitVisaInfo Editorial Team

Our Réunion guide is built from official government and embassy sources.

Last updated

On this page
  1. Document requirements
  2. Fees and timeline
  3. Fees
  4. Timeline
  5. How to apply
  6. Visa ratio
  7. FAQ
  8. Official sources
  9. Related guides

Réunion · Plaine des Sables, Réunion · Eddy Legros · CC BY-SA 4.0

Summary

Embassy visa required
Visa type
French short-stay visa valid for La Réunion (overseas-territory visa)
Stay limit
Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Entries
Single or multiple, as stated on the visa

La Réunion is a French overseas department, but it is outside the Schengen area and has its own entry list, set by the French order (arrêté) of 26 July 2011. Pakistan is not among the countries whose passport holders are exempted from a visa in Annex II of that order, so a Pakistani visitor needs a short-stay visa whose sticker covers La Réunion. A Schengen visa alone does not allow entry.

La Réunion is a volcanic French island in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar and next to Mauritius. Visitors come for the Piton de la Fournaise volcano, the cirques of Mafate, Cilaos and Salazie, lagoon beaches and Creole food. Pakistani travellers often pair it with Mauritius or visit relatives, students and business contacts on the island.

Although La Réunion is part of France, it is not in the Schengen area. Its entry rules come from a French order of 26 July 2011, and Pakistan is not among the countries listed as exempt from a visa. Pakistani passport holders therefore need a short-stay visa issued specifically for the island.

A Schengen visa does not cover La Réunion. The French Ministry of the Interior says overseas territories need their own visa, so travellers combining Paris and Saint-Denis must file two applications. One exception helps Pakistanis already living in Europe: anyone holding a current titre de séjour or long-stay visa from France or another full Schengen country may come for short stays without the island visa.

You apply online through France-Visas and lodge the file at the visa centre named by the French Embassy in Pakistan. The fee is EUR 60 for adults, cheaper than a Schengen visa, and the stay is limited to 90 days in any 180.

Arrival is at Roland-Garros or Pierrefonds airport, or by sea at Le Port. Carry proof of accommodation, funds and a return ticket, and a passport valid three months past departure. Because French authorities give no standard turnaround, book your appointment early; files may go in half a year before the flight.

Checklist

Document requirements

  • Pakistani passport valid at least three months beyond your planned departure from La Réunion, issued within the last 10 years, with at least two blank pages
  • France-Visas online application for a short-stay visa valid for La Réunion
  • Receipt of the EUR 60 visa fee (EUR 35 for children aged 6 to under 12)
  • Recent passport photo meeting ICAO standards
  • Hotel bookings or a hosting certificate for your stay on the island
  • Proof of funds for the trip, such as recent bank statements
  • Return or onward air ticket and travel medical insurance
  • Any further documents listed by the France-Visas wizard for your purpose of travel

Pakistanis apply through France-Visas and then lodge the file at the visa centre named by the Embassy of France in Pakistan. Holders of a valid residence permit or long-stay visa from France or a full Schengen member state are exempt for stays of up to 90 days in 180. Several exemptions for Réunion apply to other nationalities only (for example South Africa, Mozambique, and agency tours for Chinese and Indian travellers) and do not cover Pakistani passports.

Checklist source: legifrance.gouv.fr, pk.diplomatie.gouv.fr

Money and time

Fees and timeline

Fees

  • Official fee

    €60

    France-Visas lists EUR 60 for a short-stay visa for Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, La Réunion, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, EUR 35 for children aged 6 to under 12, and no charge for children under 6. The visa centre where you lodge the file may add its own service charge.

    Fee source

Timeline

  • Processing and appointments

    No fixed processing time is published for overseas-territory visas. The French Embassy in Pakistan says applications can be lodged up to six months before departure and that appointment and processing delays can grow depending on where and when you apply.

Official links

How to apply

You will leave VisitVisaInfo for an official government or designated VAC website.

Check another passport

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Passport country first, then destination. Pages only show fees, timelines, and refusal rates that official sources have published.

Official statistics

Visa ratio

Not officially published

France does not publish overseas-territory visa approval or refusal rates for Pakistani applicants.

A percentage is shown only when an official source published one for this route. Blog tables and estimates are left out.

Quick answers

FAQ

Do Pakistanis need a visa for La Réunion?

Yes. The 2011 French ministerial text covering La Réunion's border lists every nationality spared a visa, and Pakistan does not appear. You need a short-stay visa whose sticker is valid for the island.

Does a Schengen visa from France let me visit La Réunion?

No. Schengen rules stop at European France, as the interior ministry points out, so overseas territories need their own short-stay visa. If you plan both trips, you file two separate visa applications.

How much is the Réunion visa?

Adults pay EUR 60 and children from 6 to 12 pay EUR 35, with under-6s free, per France-Visas. That is below the EUR 90 Schengen charge.

What is the longest stay allowed?

Up to 90 days in any 180-day period. The same 90 days are shared across Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, La Réunion and Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon if your visa covers more than one of them.

What does the territory line on the sticker mean?

The order explains that a sticker marked valid for France except CTOM covers all five territories in the order, while a sticker naming just one department, such as La Réunion, is valid there alone. Read the line before you book onward trips.

Where do I apply from Pakistan?

Begin with the France-Visas wizard, which lists the papers and price for your case, and then hand in the printed file at whichever visa centre the French mission in Islamabad points you to. The embassy suggests applying up to six months before departure.

Can I get a visa on arrival at Roland-Garros airport?

Only in exceptional cases. The order allows a border visa of up to 15 days when you can prove an urgent reason that stopped you applying in advance. Treat it as a fallback, not a plan.

Which airports and ports are official entry points?

Roland-Garros airport at Sainte-Marie, Pierrefonds airport at Saint-Pierre, and the port at Le Port. All three operate permanently.

I live in Europe with a residence permit. Do I still need a visa?

Not for short trips. Annex II exempts people whose current residence card or long-stay visa comes from France or another country applying all Schengen rules, for visits of up to 90 days in a 180-day window.

How long must my passport be valid?

At least three months beyond the day you plan to leave La Réunion. It must also have two blank pages and have been issued within the last 10 years.

Can I visit Mauritius and hop over to La Réunion?

Only with the right visa. A special free border visa for tourists coming from Mauritius or the Seychelles applies to Chinese, Indian and Russian nationals, not to Pakistanis.

Is there an official refusal rate?

No. French authorities release no approval or refusal statistics for La Réunion visas by nationality.

Checked against

Official sources

Last checked for Réunion visas on 5 November 2026. Rules change without notice, so confirm on the official pages before you apply or travel.

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