Documents needed for French (Schengen) tourist visa.

As redundant as this article may seem, but trust me not even a single website (at this point of time) tells you the entire set of documents that are needed by VFS to process the french tourist visa. I went to the centre twice to figure it out. I hope it should help you cut short your number of trips to the VFS centre.

Here is the List:

1. Duly filled and signed application form.
2. Cover letter addressed to the exact consulate/embassy your application will go to. If you are not sure, then take printed one application addressed to every consulate you are confused with. I hope looking at the VFS site you will at least zero it down to 2 or max 3. My hyd centre was Hyderabad and VFS site told me that my visa will be processed by Chennai, but at the VFS centre I got to know that its Bangalore. 
3. Flight bookings. Needless to mention that the entry and exit should be from France. 
4. Travel Insurance (Cover more than 30000 euros per head). Ensure that your passport number are also updated in the policy.
5. Hotel bookings. 
6. Photos with proper visa size requirement. 
7. Vacation letter from your employer. It must state that you are working on so and so designation and you are granted leaves for the duration of your trip. Its good idea to put the exact dates in this letter too. Also mention the date when you are reporting back to work.
8. Salary slips for last three months.
9. ITR returns for last three years.
10. Any other income proof (FD, etc copies) can be your supplementary documents. Not reqd but the idea is to make the authorities to feel that you have enough money to sustain the expenses of your trip.
11. Your passport copy. Front and back
12. Photo copy of all the visas which are stamped on your current passport
13. Photocopy of all our previous passport (if any).
14. Marriage certificate copy if you are sponsoring your partner's trip too.
15. Child birth certificate copy (if child is accompanying too) 

Please note that every member of your group/family should furnish all the above mentioned documents individually. For UK visa they take separate application forms but common supporting documents. But its not the case with french visa. Please prepare well ahead and make separate sets for all. On a lighter note, you really do not want to print and copy your document in the VFS centre. They charge a fortune. May be you can save that money towards your shopping expenses in Paris. 

All the best.