France Spouse Visa For UK Citizens
If you are a British citizen married to a French national and want to live together in France, you will need a long-stay spouse visa. Since Brexit, British citizens no longer have an automatic right to settle in France through free movement.
The France spouse visa allows eligible applicants to join their French spouse, establish their family life in France and obtain residence permission. You must prove that your marriage is legally recognised, your spouse holds French nationality, and your married life is continuing.
At Total Law, our immigration lawyers can assess your eligibility, help prepare your documents and guide you through the application process. Call +44 (0) 333 305 9375 or contact us online for assistance with your French spouse visa.
What Is a France Spouse Visa?
A France spouse visa is a long-stay visa for non-EU citizens who are married to French nationals and intend to live in France.
The usual route is the visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS), marked vie privée et familiale, meaning private and family life.
Once validated, this visa serves as a residence permit for its validity period, which can be up to 1 year. It allows you to live and work in France without obtaining a separate work permit.
Before your visa expires, you can apply for a residence card if you continue to meet the relevant conditions.
Do British Citizens Need a Spouse Visa After Brexit?
Yes. British citizens need a long-stay visa if they intend to settle in France with their French spouse.
You can normally enter France without a short-stay visa for visits of up to 90 days in any rolling 180-day period. However, this arrangement does not automatically permit long-term residence or employment.
Different rules may apply if you were lawfully living in France before the end of the Brexit transition period and qualify under the Withdrawal Agreement.
Page Contents
- France Spouse Visa Eligibility Requirements
- Documents Required for a French Spouse Visa
- How to Apply for a France Spouse Visa From the UK
- France Spouse Visa Fees and Processing Times
- What Happens After Arriving in France?
- How to Renew Your French Residence Permit
- What Happens if Your French Spouse Visa Is Refused?
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
France Spouse Visa Eligibility Requirements
To qualify as the spouse of a French national, you must prove that your marriage is legally valid and that you intend to maintain your family life together.
The main requirements include:
- Being legally married to a French citizen.
- Providing evidence of your spouse’s French nationality.
- Having a marriage recognised by the French authorities.
- Demonstrating that your married life is genuine and continuing.
- Holding a valid passport.
- Providing the supporting documents required for your circumstances.
- Meeting the applicable public order requirements.
There is no fixed minimum income threshold for the standard spouse-of-a-French-national route. However, the authorities may request information about your circumstances and intended residence.
What if Your Spouse Is Not a French Citizen?
Different rules apply when your spouse is an EU citizen or a non-EU national living in France.
Family members of qualifying EU, EEA or Swiss citizens may benefit from separate European family residence arrangements.
If your spouse is a non-EU resident, you may need to use the family reunification procedure (regroupement familial), which can involve income, accommodation and residence requirements. The standard French spouse visa should not be confused with these other family reunification routes.
Documents Required for a French Spouse Visa
Your application must include evidence of your identity, marriage and eligibility to join your French spouse.
The required documents depend on your circumstances, but include:
| Document | Purpose |
| Valid passport | Confirms your identity and nationality. |
| Completed visa application form | Provides your personal and immigration details. |
| Marriage certificate | Confirms your legal marriage. |
| Proof of French nationality | Establishes that your spouse is a French citizen. |
| Evidence of continuing married life | Demonstrates that your relationship is genuine and ongoing. |
| Evidence of intended residence | Supports your plans to establish family life in France. |
| Passport photographs | Must meet the applicable photograph requirements. |
| Additional supporting documents | May be required for your individual circumstances. |
Your marriage certificate and other civil records may need to meet specific formatting, translation or registration requirements.
How Do You Prove Your Marriage Is Genuine?
You may be asked to demonstrate that you and your French spouse maintain a genuine married life.
Evidence could include joint bank statements, tenancy agreements, utility bills showing the same address, correspondence or records of time spent together.
The evidence required will depend on your circumstances, particularly if you currently live in different countries.
What if You Married Abroad?
If you married outside France, your marriage needs to be transcribed into the French civil register for the spouse-of-a-French-national immigration route.
This process records your foreign marriage in the French civil status system.
For example, if you are married in the UK, you may need to complete the relevant transcription formalities before applying for your long-stay visa.
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How to Apply for a France Spouse Visa From the UK
Applications are made through France-Visas, followed by an appointment at an authorised visa application centre.
Step 1: Check Your Eligibility
Confirm that you qualify as the spouse of a French national and that your marriage is recognised by the French authorities.
You should also establish whether any additional documents are required because of your immigration history or marital status.
Step 2: Complete the Online Application
Use the official France-Visas website to select the appropriate long-stay visa category.
Complete the visa application form and obtain your personalised document checklist.
Step 3: Book an Appointment
Applicants in the UK attend a TLScontact visa application centre in London, Manchester or Edinburgh.
You must arrange an appointment to submit your application and complete any required biometric formalities.
Step 4: Submit Your Documents
Bring your passport, marriage certificate and other required documents to the appointment.
The French consular authorities may request additional information or an interview if clarification is needed.
Step 5: Receive Your Decision
The French Consulate General in London is responsible for deciding applications submitted through the UK visa application process.
If your application is approved, you can travel to France and complete the necessary residence formalities. Need help preparing your application? Call Total Law on +44 (0) 333 305 9375 or contact us online.
France Spouse Visa Fees and Processing Times
How Much Does a French Spouse Visa Cost?
The French consular visa fee is waived for eligible spouses of French nationals.
However, applications submitted through TLScontact in the UK are subject to a basic service charge, currently between €40 and €55. Additional costs may include certified translations, optional services and legal fees.
You must also pay the applicable tax when validating your VLS-TS after arriving in France.
How Long Does a French Spouse Visa Take?
The French consular authorities indicate a processing period of 2 to 15 days, although some applications take longer to be processed once they reach them, and additional checks can extend this period.
You should also allow time to secure an appointment and prepare a complete file.
France-Visas permits applications to be submitted up to 180 days before your intended departure.
What Happens After Arriving in France?
You must validate your VLS-TS online within 3 months of entering France.
This confirms your residence status and allows the visa to function as your initial residence permit.
You will need your visa details, date of arrival, French address and payment of the applicable validation tax. Failure to validate the visa can affect your lawful residence and ability to travel.
Can You Work With a French Spouse Visa?
Yes. A validated VLS-TS marked vie privée et familiale allows you to work in France without a separate employment authorisation.
This applies while your residence permission remains valid and you meet the relevant conditions.
How to Renew Your French Residence Permit
The initial VLS-TS is valid for up to 1 year. To remain in France afterwards, you must apply for the appropriate residence card before your existing permission expires.
Eligible spouses of French nationals may obtain a multi-year private and family life residence permit, valid for 2 years.
To qualify, you must continue to meet the relevant conditions, including maintaining your married life and your spouse’s French nationality. You may also need to satisfy applicable republican integration requirements.
You should submit your residence permit application online between 4 and 2 months before your current visa or residence document expires. Depending on your circumstances, you may also need to meet French language and civic integration requirements.
Can You Obtain a 10-Year Residence Card?
A spouse of a French national may qualify for a 10-year resident card after three years of lawful residence in France, provided the applicable conditions are met.
These include continuing married life, your spouse’s French nationality, and the relevant residence and integration requirements.
The 10-year residence card is not granted automatically. The French authorities will assess your eligibility when you apply.
Can Marriage Lead to French Citizenship?
Marriage to a French citizen can provide a route to French nationality by declaration.
You may qualify after four years of marriage if you meet the applicable conditions. However, the qualifying period increases to five years in certain circumstances, including where you have not lived continuously in France for at least three years since your marriage and your French spouse was not registered with the French consular authorities during your time abroad.
You must also demonstrate a continuing married life, meet the applicable French language requirements and satisfy the other conditions for acquiring French nationality.
What Happens if Your French Spouse Visa Is Refused?
Your application may be refused if the French authorities are not satisfied that you meet the eligibility requirements.
Reasons may include insufficient evidence of marriage, missing documents, concerns about the continuation of family life, or public order issues.
You may be able to challenge the decision or submit a fresh application addressing the concerns raised.
For a long-stay visa refusal, an administrative appeal to the CRRV is required before bringing a court challenge. The deadline is 30 days from the date of notification of the refusal.
If necessary, the matter may subsequently be considered by the competent administrative court.
You should review the refusal notice carefully because the applicable procedure and deadline are important.
How Can Total Law Help?
Applying to live with your spouse in another country can be complicated, particularly when you need to register a foreign marriage, establish your eligibility or resolve questions about your immigration history.
Our immigration lawyers can assist with:
- Assessing your eligibility for a French spouse visa.
- Reviewing your marriage and supporting documents.
- Preparing and checking your application.
- Explaining the relevant residence permit requirements.
- Advising on residence renewals and longer-term settlement.
- Reviewing refusal decisions and available legal remedies.
We can help you understand the requirements and prepare your case with the appropriate supporting evidence.
Speak to Total Law about joining your French spouse. Call +44 (0) 333 305 9375 or complete our online enquiry form.
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Related pages for your continued reading.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The spouse-of-a-French-national route requires a legally recognised marriage.
If you are engaged, in a PACS or living together without being married, different immigration arrangements may apply.
In limited circumstances, you may qualify to apply for residence from within France.
For example, an exception may apply if you entered France lawfully, married a French national in France and have lived together in France for more than 6 months.
You must meet the relevant conditions. This is not a general alternative to applying from the UK.
Divorce, or the end of your marriage, can affect your eligibility to renew a residence permit based on your marriage to a French national.
However, exceptions and protections may apply in certain circumstances, including domestic violence or the death of a spouse.
Your options depend on your residence history and individual circumstances.
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