# Emigrating to France from the UK, what are my options?



## FrMSM

Hi,

I intend to emigrate to France and become a resident of France
I am the spouse of a French national (married in the UK 2019), I am a UK national since birth
Our infant child is living with their parent (my spouse) in France and has dual nationality of France and UK (Born in the UK)
We own a property in France since September 2022
I have a non dependant relative (parent) who lives in France via the EU settlement scheme/post brexit
I currently have booked a visa appointment for a VLS-TS and have all of the necessary documents, apart from health insurance
I will have health insurance through my spouses work once I am a French resident

My questions:

Would I be better off applying for a VLS-T and then a residency permit when in France, if this is possible? (assume I can do this via the local prefecture, would I need health insurance for this? I have a GHIC for the initial VLS-T)

I had been intending to move to France initially as unemployed and once a French resident commence working again I could look to setup as a freelance contractor if this is better? I had been intending to put that my spouse would be funding my stay on my application. If I list myself as a freelance contractor my income would be sporadic

If anyone can advise or comment on their recent experience if similar?


----------



## Bevdeforges

As the spouse of a French national your best course of action is to go for a "spouse visa." (Actually, this is a "vie privée et familiale" visa based on your marriage to a French national.) This visa and the residence permit that goes with it is pretty much the "A ticket" visa. It is usually very quickly granted and cannot be refused to you unless for some reason the authorities consider you to be a risk to public security in France. The visa also gives you full rights to work. And I'm fairly sure that the application for a spouse visa will take into account the notion that your health insurance is part of your husband's cover. Just make sure to bring all the documentation of your marriage, including your livret de famille. (If you haven't registered your marriage with the French authorities, best to do that ASAP.)

On arrival, you will need to validate your visa (it is one of the VLS-TS where your validated visa serves as your titre de séjour for your first year). You will need to register with the OFII and clear their protocols, which include a medical exam and a few meetings and/or classes. But the meetings may very well include a session with the Pole Emploi to help you set up a job search and an evaluation of your level of French language skills (with the possibility of free French language classes if you need them to reach the initial A1 level).


----------



## FrMSM

Bevdeforges said:


> As the spouse of a French national your best course of action is to go for a "spouse visa." (Actually, this is a "vie privée et familiale" visa based on your marriage to a French national.) This visa and the residence permit that goes with it is pretty much the "A ticket" visa. It is usually very quickly granted and cannot be refused to you unless for some reason the authorities consider you to be a risk to public security in France. The visa also gives you full rights to work. And I'm fairly sure that the application for a spouse visa will take into account the notion that your health insurance is part of your husband's cover. Just make sure to bring all the documentation of your marriage, including your livret de famille. (If you haven't registered your marriage with the French authorities, best to do that ASAP.)
> 
> On arrival, you will need to validate your visa (it is one of the VLS-TS where your validated visa serves as your titre de séjour for your first year). You will need to register with the OFII and clear their protocols, which include a medical exam and a few meetings and/or classes. But the meetings may very well include a session with the Pole Emploi to help you set up a job search and an evaluation of your level of French language skills (with the possibility of free French language classes if you need them to reach the initial A1 level).


Hi,

Thank you for the comment, this was our initial understanding that I would apply for a "spouse visa" although I cannot find this on the TLS contact application process, the "France-visa" wizard suggests this is the visa to apply for but when applying for a visa on TLS contact website there is not a suitable option, an option of 'Family Reunion via the OFII procedure' is available under long stay visas but requires the spouse/family member you would be joining to have been in France for 15 months. Until September 2022 my spouse and I lived in England, so this is not appropriate? My non-dependant relative (parent) has been living in France for 15 years and as a resident since 2021, so this might be an option although has a different address to where I will be staying

Googling "vie privée et familiale" brings me to here which sounds like what I need, my difficulty again has been trying to select an appropriate visa type on the TLScontact website, after explaining my situation many times to the customer service team I was advised to apply for the VLS-TS 'visitor' option. Frustratingly there is an option for a VLS-TS Family Reunion but only if based in Monaco, which we are not.

Looking at the google link above this suggest I could enter on a short stay visa, therefore avoiding the requirement for health insurance as I have a GHIC but requires I have proof of 6months of life with my spouse in France when applying for my residency permit at the prefecture, this does not work as I would only have 6 months of life with my spouse in France on the last day of my visa? 

I have not looked into the cost of health insurance as of yet but assume this will be in the thousands which has been the basis for research into alternative options

Our marriage is registered with the French authorities thankfully. 

Apologies if this does not make sense, I feel like I have lost the understanding of English and French while trying to figure this out...


----------



## 255

@FrMSM -- The VLS-TS is the correct visa: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1764?lang=en .

I plugged some assumed info. into the visa wizard and got this list of requirements: Do you need a visa ? | France-Visas.gouv.fr .. This came from this page: France-visas.gouv.fr | The official website for visa application to France . Just go through the visa wizard and provide whatever is required and you should be "good to go." Cheers, 255


----------



## BackinFrance

Since your marriage is registered in France and your spouse is resident here, I think you can enter France on the 90 day stamp in your passport and apply at the Préfecture here. This requires payment of a fee of about €250. 

Good luck.


----------



## Bevdeforges

VLS-TS is not a type of visa, it is merely a characteristic of a range of visa types. The visa you want is a long-stay visa. When asked, your "reason" for the visa is "family settlement" (sometimes listed as "family or private settlement") and the main purpose of your stay is "spouse of a French national." It is not a "family reunion" visa - that applies only to family members of non-EU nationals already settled in France.


----------



## BackinFrance

Démarches - Ministère de l'Intérieur


Le portail officiel du ministère de l’Intérieur consacré aux démarches administratives : carte grise, immatriculation, carte d'identité, passeport, permis de conduire, accueil des étrangers, acquisition et détention d'armes, associations, élections, réglementation routière, volontariats




www.demarches.interieur.gouv.fr





As I said, you may well be able to enter France on the 90 day stamp in your passport visa waiver. However your spouse should check with the local Préfecture to ensure that it is not one of those that does not do this particular process.


----------



## FrMSM

Bevdeforges said:


> VLS-TS is not a type of visa, it is merely a characteristic of a range of visa types. The visa you want is a long-stay visa. When asked, your "reason" for the visa is "family settlement" (sometimes listed as "family or private settlement") and the main purpose of your stay is "spouse of a French national." It is not a "family reunion" visa - that applies only to family members of non-EU nationals already settled in France.


Edit: posted before I had finished typing...updating

I am in agreement with your statement but when selecting a "visa type & travel purpose" on TLScontact these are the options provided 

"Long-stay Visitor"

"Long-stay Au pair"

"Long-stay Monaco"

"Long-stay Monaco family member"

"Long-stay Working Holiday Visa"

"Long-stay voluntary work"

"Long-stay Veteran"

There is a "Short-Stay Family of a French national" option but this is for 90 days... which I don't think is correct for my purpose?

"Short-Stay Family establishment - Family of a French national" again for 90 days but the purpose is if you are a "minor child of a French national" (not me) or "dependent adult child of French national"


----------



## FrMSM

BackinFrance said:


> Démarches - Ministère de l'Intérieur
> 
> 
> Le portail officiel du ministère de l’Intérieur consacré aux démarches administratives : carte grise, immatriculation, carte d'identité, passeport, permis de conduire, accueil des étrangers, acquisition et détention d'armes, associations, élections, réglementation routière, volontariats
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.demarches.interieur.gouv.fr
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As I said, you may well be able to enter France on the 90 day stamp in your passport visa waiver. However your spouse should check with the local Préfecture to ensure that it is not one of those that does not do this particular process.


From everything I have read I need to apply from my country of nationality as applying at the local prefecture was only applicable to people taking advantage of the EU settlement scheme/withdrawal agreement. A visa is not necessary for UK citizens due to the 90 in 180 rule, is my understanding


----------



## BackinFrance

Just enter on the stamp in your passport and get yourself regularised in France.


----------



## BackinFrance

FrMSM said:


> From everything I have read I need to apply from my country of nationality as applying at the local prefecture was only applicable to people taking advantage of the EU settlement scheme. A visa is not necessary for UK citizens due to the 90 in 180 rule, is my understanding


That is not correct, you need to read my link much more carefully.


----------



## FrMSM

BackinFrance said:


> That is not correct, you need to read my link much more carefully.


I would be very happy to accept this but If I enter France with a simple stamp on my passport I am legally allowed to be in the country for 90 days in 180 - please correct me if wrong.

From your link I would need to provide 6 months of life in France which is not possible without being in France illegally for 3 months on my passport stamp?


----------



## BackinFrance

You have not read all of the options in my link!! I did see that, but you need to read further. I would not have provided the link otherwise.


----------



## FrMSM

BackinFrance said:


> You have not read all of the options in my link!! I did see that, but you need to read further. I would not have provided the link otherwise.


After a thorough re reading from top to bottom...

1. Enter France as normal with a stamp in my passport at borde
2. Book an appointment at my local prefecture to take place no later than 1 month of being in France
3. Pay 425 Euros
4. Prepare documents -
Birth certificate (assume this needs translating from English)
Passport
Proof of French address
3No. photos
Translated marriage certificate, *although this states if I do not have a long stay visa, marriage in France is required, assume a French registered marriage that took place in the UK does not count*
my spouses passport

Then await a decision


----------



## BackinFrance

I perhaps should have said scenarios rather than options. I know people who have done this. It is absolutely not only for UK citizens, even if they think they are the center of Europe. 

Still, the path you take is up to you, though it seems you are having problems with the visa path.


----------



## Bevdeforges

FrMSM said:


> From everything I have read I need to apply from my country of nationality as applying at the local prefecture was only applicable to people taking advantage of the EU settlement scheme/withdrawal agreement. A visa is not necessary for UK citizens due to the 90 in 180 rule, is my understanding


Be careful with this approach. Way back when I was told at the French consulate that I could just enter France on the 90 day "tourist" visa and then "regularize" with the local authorities after I got there. Things vary by prefecture. I wound up being "sans papiers" for nearly two years after I arrived. 

The other consideration is that obtaining a "spouse visa" (i.e. as the spouse of a French national) is free of charge vs the fees quoted for regularizing after you get there on a short stay visa. 

The French visa information site says to contact the visa agency directly if you have questions. This might be a case where contacting TLS by phone or email would clarify things fairly quickly. But the main thing is that a visa for the spouse of a French national is free of charge.


----------



## BackinFrance

Bevdeforges said:


> Be careful with this approach. Way back when I was told at the French consulate that I could just enter France on the 90 day "tourist" visa and then "regularize" with the local authorities after I got there. Things vary by prefecture. I wound up being "sans papiers" for nearly two years after I arrived.
> 
> The other consideration is that obtaining a "spouse visa" (i.e. as the spouse of a French national) is free of charge vs the fees quoted for regularizing after you get there on a short stay visa.
> 
> The French visa information site says to contact the visa agency directly if you have questions. This might be a case where contacting TLS by phone or email would clarify things fairly quickly. But the main thing is that a visa for the spouse of a French national is free of charge.


The visa is free, but you still have to pay a fee in France, although that fee is less.


----------



## FrMSM

I have spoken to TLS multiple times for their advice and spent hours on the phone with them, they are not particularly helpful and akin to a cold caller reading a script. If anyone knows of a service which can advise or what to search for, immigration law? Or other I would be happy to follow those up


----------



## 255

@FrMSM -- Although I don't think it necessary in your case (see my post above,) you might want to contact Jean Taquet www.jeantaquet.com - I am a cultural bridge between France and the US in Paris. He typically handles "difficult" immigration cases. Cheers, 255


----------



## FrMSM

On the off chance anyone else happens to be searching for this.

I am progressing with the long stay visitor visa, with private health insurance, will update following my visa appointment...


----------

