Spouse Visa

Everyone is free to get married to whosoever they want to and French residents are no exception but what if the spouse is a foreigner and he/she is coming over either for a long stay or a short stay, definitely they will still need a visa, so what type of visa do they need? It is still the family visa, although the steps may differ along the way, it still follows the same procedure.

A French citizen with a foreign wife and/or child(ren) can apply for their spouse to join them in France. The visa can last from around 90 days i.e. 3 months to a year. For stays lesser than 3 months, the applicant will apply for a short-term visa while for stays exceeding that, the applicant should apply for a long-term visa.

Check if you need to apply for a France Couples visa

There are certain countries with privileges to enter and exit France without needing to apply for a visa. Check to see if your country is among these. In replacement for a visa, the residents of these countries have to go through another method of verification. However, anyone aiming to stay for longer than  6 months will have to get a proper visa.

Obtain French married visa application form

This is probably the most important step in the visa application process. Applicants who want to visit France will need to get their visa application, this is what you take along to the consulate during your interview. Without it, you cannot even be considered to be an applicant.

Schedule your Interview

Get a date for your interview and go along with all documents requested.

The documents you will be required to bring along can include:

The filled visa application form. You need to take this along with you as stated in one of the previous points. The application form must not contain any false information as you would be required to provide proof of every claim you make in the form.

2 Passport Photographs. Your photos must be in passport format, colored, and be recent.

Passport. Go along with a valid passport with at least two blank pages. It must be valid for at least 3 more months after your estimated date of leaving France.

Copies of older visas. If you’ve been to other countries, then you might need to provide the approved visas for those travels.

Certificate of criminal record – This can be gotten from the security controlling agency in your country. Sometimes, you might be asked to tender your certificate of criminal records for other countries you’ve visited as well.

Proof of paid visa fee. For all payments made during the processing of your visa, always endeavor to keep the receipt and if it is online payment, be sure to keep the receipt page as you would be asked to present them, just to prove that you have paid all necessary fees

Additional documents for the spouse of a French citizen. Special to the spouse visa is the presentation of all documents related to your spouse, their birth certificate, passports, ID cards, and any other documents that give more information about your spouse.

Proof of nationality of the spouse living in France. You must be ready; with enough evidence, to prove the nationality of your spouse. This can also be done with an ID card or a passport.

“Livret de Famille”.  This refers to your proof of marriage, a marriage certificate issued by the French registry or by whichever government is operating in the area where you had your marriage.

Proof of Accommodation. You and your spouse must prove that you have a stable accommodation where you will be staying.

Proof of Subsistence. This refers to the both of you having the financial capability to take care of each other. You can either claim that you have enough to fend for yourself throughout your stay or your partner can sign an affidavit saying that they have enough resources to cater to your needs. Note, that if you are bringing a dependent then you need to factor them into your expense as well.

Attend your interview

After scheduling your appointment, make sure to organize all required documents in preparation for the date of your interview.

It is also worth noting that; spouses of French citizens are allowed to apply for a 10-year residency card and that is if their marriage took place at least three years before the application for the visa.