-eighty Schengen visas approved via consulate
The French Embassy is set to be opened here in September and France believes it will open up business cooperation not only for itself but other European nations.
“One of the goals of opening this embassy here in September is to enhance economic cooperation,” French Ambassador to Guyana, Nicolas de Lacoste, told the Sunday Stabroek in an exclusive interview while visiting here this week.
“Unfortunately, Guyana is not known much in France in Europe, and when I say I am the Ambassador to Guyana, they think French Guiana and say, ‘Oh we have an embassy in French Guiana’ and I have to explain, I always have to explain, no it’s Guyana in South America,” he added.
He said that most French nationals are not familiar with this side of the hemisphere and associate Guyana, if not with their country’s overseas territory, “they think New Guinea; somewhere in Africa.”
The embassy will be located at Lot 25 Lama Avenue, Bel Air Park, Georgetown.
Ambassador de Lacoste said that with this country’s oil boom will also come an “economic boom” and more persons will be attracted. “I am sure with the economic boom, in a few years everybody will know about Guyana, especially given also the Global Diversity Alliance initiative,” he said.
France, the ambassador assured, will do its part to put Guyana on the global investment stage, while he will do all that he can to make this country attractive to French businesses. “We have to make sure that Guyana is on the radar; as a go-to for French companies. Some countries are much more advanced; we have had some delay but we want to be there. We want our companies to contribute for the development of Guyana.”
He explained that over the past two years, there have been three French private-sector economic missions here and expressed the hope that when the embassy opens in September, there will be more, as it will be easier also for Guyanese to have access to France. Last year’s mission saw 10 companies visit Guyana and de Lacoste says that he is determined to see those numbers increase.
The French envoy also hailed the partnership that Guyana has with France and said that during his visit here, he has met with officials who were full of praise especially regarding his country’s military collaboration with this country. Further, officials here also “conveyed that they consider France, more and more, as the entry gate into the European Union.” He added, “Opening an embassy, obviously we want to be this entry point for Guyana.”
But even as plans are ongoing for the embassy’s opening in September, the ambassador pointed out that the French Consulate here will continue with the processing of Schengen visas.
Since visa processing began in October of last year for France as a main destination as well as French Guiana and Martinique, the French consulate has received 101 applications and has granted 80 visas. “Eighty visas delivered so far to Guyanese and third-country applicants,” the Ambassador informed.
Main port of stay
One issue highlighted was that many persons who applied for visas to visit other European nations did not know that France or its territories has to be their main port of stay. Many persons would make appointments for visas but not show up. “So instead of having 20 or 30 applicants at a time, there was like half of that,” he related.
“…Unfortunately we are not delivering visas for people who want to go to Italy or Germany… we don’t have agreements with these countries to deliver visas with their names so we are delivering for France and its territories,” he added.
Stabroek News last October had reported that it would be possible to apply for Schengen visas in Guyana if the main destination is France, following a release from the Delegation of the European Union in Guyana.
It had explained that the applications will be received two days a month and the first sessions would be Monday October 21 and Tuesday October 22, 2024.
For this purpose, visa applicants were instructed to: 1) complete their applications online at https://france-visas.gouv.fr on the Suriname page; make an appointment online at https://consulat.gouv.fr/ambassade-de-france-a-paramaribo/rendez-vous?name=Visas%20Georgetown; and 2) go to the Honorary Consulate of France, at 46 First Avenue Subryanville, Georgetown, Guyana, in order to submit their applications.
Applications must include: completed and signed France visa application form; receipt of application; passport; photo; supporting documents (the list is provided on France Visas); the application fee indicated on France visas; and a pre-stamped FedEx envelope for the passport’s return from Suriname to the applicant’s address.
Previously Guyanese interested in applying for a Schengen visa to travel to European countries were required to visit the Dutch embassy in Suriname. This had prompted the Irfaan Ali administration to press the EU delegation here for progress on enabling the processing of visas here.
On August 17, 2022, President Ali had urged the European Union to put arrangements in place for Guyanese to be able to access Schengen visas here for travel to Europe, rather than having to go to Paramaribo. He had then given a three-month timeframe in which he said he would like to see some resolution.
A major breakthrough came earlier last year when France announced it was setting up an embassy here.
Following the visit here of France’s Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, in March last year, a joint communique was issued with the announcement of the establishment of the embassy.
“Given the desire to forge closer links as neighbouring countries and friends, Guyana and France have decided to write a new chapter in their history by opening a French Embassy in Georgetown in 2025. France will be the first EU (European Union) country with this level of diplomatic representation in Guyana,” the joint communiqué informed.
The Ambassador said underscored that the French Embassy came to fruition from the constant lobbying by President Ali. “President Ali continued to make a demand and it was by President Ali and France that [the embassy is being set up],” he disclosed.
