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Family visas for Europe · France

France family visa from the UK

To move to France to live with your French husband or wife, you apply online on France-Visas for a long-stay spouse visa, then hand it in at TLScontact. The visa is free, but a marriage held abroad must first be recorded in the French civil register. Joining an EU citizen in France, you need only a free short-stay visa, then a residence card in France.

We prepare it with you from a £399 service fee, confirmed before you pay. Any official fee is paid by you to the embassy.

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Your route depends on your partner

The French Consulate General in London decides every UK application. You hand it in at TLScontact in London, Manchester or Edinburgh, whichever suits you. Every line below comes from an official page, linked beside it, read on 2 November 2026.

Joining a French citizen

A long-stay visa that works as a residence permit. Free and filed in the UK, once your marriage is recorded in the French register.

Visa
A long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS) for private and family life, as the spouse of a French national. Source
How to apply from the UK
Online on France-Visas, then an appointment in person at TLScontact. Direct appointments at the consulate are for short-stay visas only. Source
Before you apply
A marriage held abroad must be recorded in the French civil register. For a UK marriage the French spouse asks the London consulate: about 4 months with a prior marriage capacity certificate, about 6 months without. Source
Fee
No visa fee for the foreign spouse of a French national. TLScontact charges 40 to 55 euros per appointment. Source
Processing time
Allow at least 20 working days. Once your file reaches the London consulate it is generally decided within 2 to 15 working days. Source
After you arrive
You validate the visa and pay a tax, then sign an integration contract with OFII, which includes a French test. Longer residence cards need an A2 level and a civic exam since 1 January 2026. Source
Translation
Documents in a language other than English or French may have to be translated into French. Source

Joining an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen who lives in France

No long-stay visa: a free short-stay visa if your passport needs one, then a free residence card you apply for in France.

Visa
A short-stay visa that lets you apply for a residence permit as soon as you arrive. If your passport does not need a visa, you simply enter and apply within three months. Source
How to apply from the UK
France-Visas form, then TLScontact, or a direct appointment at the Consulate General on Wednesday mornings, in person. Source
Fee
No visa fee for family members of EU, EEA and Swiss citizens. Source
After you arrive
Apply for your free residence card online on ANEF within 3 months of entering France. Filing late costs 300 euros. Source
Processing time
Under EU rules, a visa taking more than 15 days should be exceptional, and the residence card must be issued within 6 months. Source
Language
The integration contract, with its French test, does not apply to EU nationals or the family living with them. Source

Joining a non-EU national who lives in France

Family reunification (regroupement familial): your partner applies to OFII in France first, then you apply for the visa.

Your partner starts this one in France. We tell you exactly what is theirs and prepare your side from the UK.

Your partner's step
Your partner must have lived in France for at least 18 months and files the application with OFII where they live. Source
Income and housing
For 2 or 3 people, average income of 1,867.02 euros gross a month over the last 12 months, and housing of a minimum size (for example 22 m² for a couple in zones A bis and A). Source
Decision
The prefect decides within 6 months of the complete file; no answer means refusal. You must then enter France within 3 months of the visa being issued. Source
Fee
The long-stay visa is 99 euros, plus the TLScontact service fee. Source
Translation
Documents need a French translation by an approved translator. Source

Documents most applicants need

The full list depends on your route. We send you yours, item by item, once you order.

  • Passport valid at least 3 months beyond the visa you apply for
  • Two recent photos in ICAO format
  • Your marriage certificate, recorded in the French register if your partner is French
  • Your partner's passport or identity card
  • Proof of your life together and your plan to live in France

What we do

  • Check your case and tell you which visa applies, and whether we can help, before you pay
  • Build your document list from the embassy's own requirements for your country
  • Check every document, translation and apostille before it goes in
  • Fill in the application form with you, in your own account where the embassy uses an online portal
  • Prepare you for the appointment and stay with you until the decision

What you do

  • Get the certificates, apostilles, translations and any language test your country asks for
  • Sign and submit the application yourself, and attend the appointment in person
  • Pay any official fee directly to the embassy or consulate

We are a private company, not an embassy, consulate or visa centre. We do not give legal advice, and we do not handle visas into the UK.

Questions about the France family visa

Can I apply for a French spouse visa from the UK?
Yes, if you live in the UK. You apply online on France-Visas and hand in your file at TLScontact in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. The French Consulate General in London decides.
How long does a French spouse visa take?
Allow at least 20 working days for the visa; the London consulate generally decides within 2 to 15 working days of receiving your file. Before that, a marriage held abroad must be recorded in the French register, which takes about 4 to 6 months for a UK marriage.
How much does the French spouse visa cost?
There is no visa fee for the spouse of a French national. TLScontact charges 40 to 55 euros per appointment, and a validation tax is due after you arrive. Our service fee starts at £399.
Do I need to speak French before I go?
The official pages we read set no test before you leave. After you arrive, the OFII integration contract includes a French test, and since 1 January 2026 longer residence cards need an A2 level and a civic exam.
My partner is Spanish and lives in Paris. Which visa do I need?
EU rules apply: a free short-stay visa if your passport needs one, then a free residence card applied for online in France within 3 months of arriving.
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What you are protected by

WayaNerd Ltd, registered in England and Wales, company number 16269713. 48 Margery Park Road, London, E7 9JY. Contact us

Official sources

Read on 2 November 2026. Rules change: we check your embassy's page again for your case.

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