French voters at the French embassy in Beirut. Illustrative photo by Lyana Alameddine/L'Orient-Le Jour
BEIRUT — The French consulate general in Lebanon has not stopped offering appointments to visa applicants, contrary to what some online media have suggested, two sources close to the consulate told L’Orient-Le Jour on Wednesday, before the consulate itself posted a denial on X.
"The Consulate General of France in Beirut wishes to refute reports of an alleged suspension of visa issuance. This information is false. Visa issuance continues uninterrupted. However, as is the case every year at this time, there has been a sharp increase in the number of applications. The consulate is fully mobilized to handle this situation," the statement read.
"It is not materially possible, however, to instantly handle the entire volume of applications received. The result is an increase in processing times and longer waits to obtain an appointment," the consulate continued.
These rumors have been fueled by the difficulty in securing appointments for visa applications to France in recent weeks, due to heavy demand over the summer and as the new school year approaches, explained one of the sources contacted, who estimated that this pressure should ease toward the end of the summer.
The consulate also called on "users to be patient and strictly follow the procedures in force," to "beware of unofficial information and rumors circulating on social media," and to rely only on "information published by the consulate’s, embassy’s, and our service provider TLS's official channels."
As a reminder, the French consulate in Lebanon announced last week that non-biometric Lebanese passports are no longer accepted for Schengen visa applications through the TLS center in Beirut, which handles visa applications for France and other consular services.
