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I have requested for a French long term (Type D) student visa from a consulate in India. It's a national Type D visa and not a Schengen visa. My question is that can we still go to other Schengen countries on this visa? If not then can we get a Schengen visa from a consulate in France?

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Your long stay visa (more than three months) falls under the lawful category for "Stays Exceeding three months":

When you stay in an EU country for a long stay, usually for more than 90 days, you will generally be issued with a long-stay visa and/or a residence permit.

If your long-stay visa or residence permit has been issued by a Schengen area country, you can travel to another Schengen area country for 90 days per 180 day period. You must:

  • justify the purpose of your stay;
  • have sufficient financial resources for your stay and travel back;
  • not be considered a threat to public policy, public security or public health.

You can also pass through other Schengen area countries on the way to your host country.

So on that basis, yes, you can enter the other Schengen states, as long as you follow those time-limited terms.

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  • This is one incredibly screwed up regulation, given there are no border checks how on earth are they planning to check who is spending how much time where. It should be free movement but work / study permit only in the country issuing the D visa.
    – user4188
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 10:06
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    Since this is a canonical answer I've answered it with up to date regulations.
    – JonathanReez ♦
    Commented Nov 17, 2017 at 12:28
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    There are no systematic border checks. However spot checks are done, and if you for example are checked at, say, the German - Polish border and can't satisfyingly answer the questions of the border guard you may have issues... However they cannot really track the time you spend outside of France so I suppose the 90/180 rule indeed can't be made to stick.
    – Krist van Besien
    Commented Feb 27, 2019 at 6:52
  • @chx it's a trust based system mostly, but for someone coming from India in this example, when you do eventually go back and you've exceeded your stay you will be flagged, so they will pick it up on the way out, so eventually you will get caught. If it's a spot check and you've exceeded your stay they will proceed with deportation proceedings. Makes sense to me at least ;)
    – kingmilo
    Commented Mar 20, 2019 at 10:47
  • @chx The misuse quota of this rule, for 3rd country Schengen residents, is considered so low that it's not worth the effort of checking everyone at every internal border. The monthly costs alone would be enormous. The inconvenience to the 99.9999999% of those being checked daily would be completely disproportionate and would defeat the main purpose of the freedom of movement in Europe. The rule is there as a backup in cases of misuse. If a person has been living in a rented apartment for the last 4 months, then the case is clear.
    – Mark Johnson
    Commented Jun 14, 2021 at 6:29

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