France’s outsourced visa-processing partner Capago notified users late on 6 December that the France-Visas website will be completely offline for two scheduled maintenance windows: Wednesday 3 December (15:30–19:30 Alger time) and Tuesday 9 December (06:00–09:00). During each four-hour outage the portal will not accept new applications, fee payments, biometric-appointment bookings or status-tracking requests.
Why Algerian routes matter. All Algerian nationals – whether tourists, students or posted workers – must first complete an online France-Visas file before they can enrol biometrics at Capago centres in Algiers, Oran, Annaba or Constantine. Early December is high season for Algerian holiday-makers heading to French ski resorts, for international students returning after the winter break, and for HR departments finalising Q1 assignments. Even a short shutdown can cascade into weeks of rescheduling if appointment slots are pushed back.
![France-Visas portal to shut down twice next week, risking year-end application backlog]()
Impact on global mobility programmes. Employers relocating staff from Algeria to France should warn assignees to submit applications well before the blackout and to expect automatic rescheduling of any appointments that fall within the maintenance windows. Travel dates tied to start-of-year projects or university re-enrolment may need to be moved. Mobility teams should also plan for courier delays because Capago’s collection counters will be congested once the portal reopens.
Mitigation tips. • Download and save partially completed applications before the cut-off. • Use Capago’s group-booking function for corporate dossiers to gain priority slots once the system is back. • Advise travellers to keep proof of the outage (Capago e-mail or SMS) in case airlines question visa issuance timing. • Monitor France-Visas’ Twitter feed for any extension of maintenance windows.
Long-term context. France-Visas processes more than 3 million applications a year and has struggled with surges since pandemic restrictions eased. The foreign ministry is upgrading infrastructure ahead of the phased roll-out of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) in 2026, which will require tighter data integration between consular posts and border agencies.
Why Algerian routes matter. All Algerian nationals – whether tourists, students or posted workers – must first complete an online France-Visas file before they can enrol biometrics at Capago centres in Algiers, Oran, Annaba or Constantine. Early December is high season for Algerian holiday-makers heading to French ski resorts, for international students returning after the winter break, and for HR departments finalising Q1 assignments. Even a short shutdown can cascade into weeks of rescheduling if appointment slots are pushed back.
Impact on global mobility programmes. Employers relocating staff from Algeria to France should warn assignees to submit applications well before the blackout and to expect automatic rescheduling of any appointments that fall within the maintenance windows. Travel dates tied to start-of-year projects or university re-enrolment may need to be moved. Mobility teams should also plan for courier delays because Capago’s collection counters will be congested once the portal reopens.
Mitigation tips. • Download and save partially completed applications before the cut-off. • Use Capago’s group-booking function for corporate dossiers to gain priority slots once the system is back. • Advise travellers to keep proof of the outage (Capago e-mail or SMS) in case airlines question visa issuance timing. • Monitor France-Visas’ Twitter feed for any extension of maintenance windows.
Long-term context. France-Visas processes more than 3 million applications a year and has struggled with surges since pandemic restrictions eased. The foreign ministry is upgrading infrastructure ahead of the phased roll-out of the EU’s Entry/Exit System (EES) in 2026, which will require tighter data integration between consular posts and border agencies.
