Visa

 

Visa

France is part of the Schengen area, so getting to it is open to all Europeans without any visa. Foreigners can find more information about the visa process and related details on france-visas.gouv.fr.

Invitation Letters

The OpenStreetMap Foundation, which organises the international State of the Map 2026 (SotM) conference together with OpenStreetMap France, can provide invitation letters for Visa applications or work purposes to community members who have a conference ticket.

How to request your invitation letter

After ordering your State of the Map 2026 ticket via https://2026.stateofthemap.org/tickets/, please email the OpenStreetMap Foundation:

Recipient: dorothea+sotm2026@osmfoundation.org
Proposed email subject: SotM 2026 invitation letter request - Full name, with the SURNAME(S) IN CAPITAL letters please.
Important: Kindly provide,

  1. The confirmation code that you received when you ordered your SotM ticket
  2. Full name, as it appears on your passport, with the SURNAME(S) IN CAPITAL letters please
  3. Residential address, including country
  4. Date of birth in YYYY-MM-DD format (optional, but it might help)
  5. Passport number (optional, but it might help)
  6. Profession, if applicable (optional, but it might help)
  7. Work address, including country, if applicable (optional, but it might help)
  8. Title of accepted SotM 2026 talk/workshop, for any presenters/co-presenters of SotM talks and workshops, if applicable
  9. Name and full address (including country) of embassy/consulate where the Visa application will be made. Or full address (including country) of the company/University office which requested the invitation letter.

When you are going to get your digital invitation letter

Please note that once your have provided your details and have received confirmation, you may receive the letter up to 1-2 weeks (typically earlier) in electronic format.

We typically do not provide invitation letters in paper with wet signatures.

Exceptions for ticket ordering

You do not have to order your ticket if you need an invitation letter and,

  • You received a SotM 2026 travel grant from the OpenStreetMap Foundation. Your ticket is included in the travel grant. This does not apply to people who received travel grants from other organisations.
  • Your employer is a SotM 2026 sponsor and has confirmed to the OpenStreetMap Foundation (dorothea+sotm2026@osmfoundation.org) that they will provide you with a complimentary conference ticket which they will receive with their sponsorship.
  • You are a SotM 2026 volunteer and the State of the Map organising committee of the OpenStreetMap Foundation has confirmed to the OpenStreetMap Foundation (dorothea+sotm2026@osmfoundation.org) that they will provide a free ticket.

Frequently asked questions

What if they reject my Visa application or I cannot attend the conference?

We will reimburse the cost of the ticket that you have pre-ordered. Please note that we cannot reimburse any bank/PayPal/service fees. To request a reimbursement, please email us:

Recipient: dorothea+sotm2026@osmfoundation.org
Proposed email subject: SotM 2026 pre-order reimbursement - Full name, with SURNAME(S) IN CAPITAL LETTERS please.
Important: Please send,

  • Your full name, as it appears on your passport, with your surname in capital letters please.
  • The payment method you used: bank card/PayPal account/bank transfer.
  • The date of the ticket pre-order - it will be in the email where you requested the invitation letter.

On reimbursement
Kindly note that once we have all the details, reimbursement from our side can typically take up to two months. We cannot provide an estimate on when the reimbursed amount will reach you, as it also depends on the processing time of your bank and/or PayPal.

Can I get an invoice?

Yes. During the ticket ordering process you can select to get an invoice.

Please email Dorothea at dorothea+sotm2026@osmfoundation.org.
Proposed email subject: SotM 2026 question regarding invitation letter process - Full name, with SURNAME(S) IN CAPITAL letters please.

Please email the volunteers of the State of the Map 2026 organising committee at sotm@openstreetmap.org.
Proposed email subject: SotM 2026 question - Full name, with SURNAME(S) IN CAPITAL LETTERS please.

Kindly note that all conference organising committee members are volunteers, organising the conference during the limited personal time, and that they live in different time-zones. Therefore, there might be some delays in getting an answer.

We hope to see you at SotM 2026!