Can I use a visa issued by the French to go straight to another Schengen country?
The Schengen Agreement stipulates that you have to apply to the country that is the main destination for your first trip. Once a Schengen visa has been issued it is then valid for all Schengen states, so in theory you can then use it to travel to any other member country. But if you use a visa issued by the French to travel elsewhere first, it can jeopardise any future applications. If it is clear that you have misused the visa there is the possibility that you may not be issued with one in the future, for a period of time at the discretion of the embassy.
