The outsourcing company responsible for managing French visa applications in Morocco, TLScontact, has decided to tighten the verification process for Moroccans applying for the document in Rabat to put an end to visa appointment fraud.
In line with the new rules, starting today, September 18, 2024, Moroccans applying for a French visa in the Rabat centre will be required to go through a video call through which they will verify their identity, Schengen.News reports.
As TLScontact has explained, the verification process will be carried out by the company’s employees.
The same noted that this new measure would apply to first-time French visa applications for family visits, tourism, business, sporting events, research, professional travel, cultural, scientific, and training purposes.
We are introducing this new process for certain types of visas in order to protect visa applicants from fraudulent and expensive networks of third-party appointment booking agencies.
The company further emphasised that the aim of this change is to ensure fair access to French visa appointments for all legitimate applicants.
This Is How Booking an Appointment Under New System Will Work
To be able to book a French visa appointment in the Rabat centre under the new system, applicants will, just as before, need to complete the visa application form with the correct information.
As soon as the validity of the application is verified, the employees of TLScontact will video call the applicants to confirm their identity.
During the video call, the French visa applicants will have to display their passports on the camera to let the employees verify their identity. Once this procedure is completed and if the verification is successful, an email containing the appointment details will be sent to the applicant.
Following identity confirmation, the application will be kept for a total of 45 days. In case an appointment is not made during this period, the applicant will have to go through the same procedure all over again.
As the French local media noted, Moroccan applicants applying for a French visa will not have to pay a fee for this service. They will only need to pay the usual fee upon their visit to the visa centre.
France is the most popular EU country for Moroccans to apply for a Schengen visa. Moroccans filed a total of 310,057 French Schengen visa applications in 2023. The approval rate for Moroccan applicants to France stood at 81.3 per cent last year, meaning that 251,950 visas were granted.
