The visa was the biggest stress. 

For anyone who has already had the pleasure of dealing with the french consulate in Sydney, where french visas are processed, you will know that this stress was legitimate. 

Firstly, in order to apply for a visa, you must actually be in person at the consulate in Sydney, even if you aren’t from Sydney.

This means a nice flight down to Sydney, at your own expense of course. 

However, you can’t just fly down whenever you feel like it. You have to actually have an appointment. But these appointments aren’t like hairdresser appointments. You can’t just ring up and ask for one. You have to go online, and use an outdated web booking platform in order to find the next available appointment…which might be three months from now. 

Once you finally have this rare appointment, you must compile your dossier, aka, the mountain of paperwork needed to apply for the visa. Such documents include academic transcripts, finances, accommodation in France, university acceptance letters, travel insurance, previous visas, birth certificates, plane tickets, letters of motivation, an envelope for return postage…

Yes, you read that right. A return envelope. 

Because despite the fact that you go all the way to Sydney, you don’t get your visa immediately. 

You must wait. 

Weeks. 

Once it is processed, they send your visa, and your passport back to you. 

This means that if you are on time constraints, like me, the process is very stressful. [especially considering how reliable Australia post is!]

Thankfully, I had already been through this drama before, for my semester exchange to Lyon in 2017. So, in one way, I was prepared. Yet this preparation did nothing to calm my nerves regarding the timing. 

Thankfully, it all worked out. I received my visa and passport four days before I was due to fly out to France.