This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you click and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.
I am writing this post as an American, planning to marry a Frenchman and settle in France. In the summer of 2019, I applied for and received a visa long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS), a long-stay visa that acts as a temporary residence permit after validation. Having arrived at the beginning of September, I am currently navigating the next steps of the visa process and our upcoming civil ceremony. While some information in this post is very specific to this particular case, much of the information here, regarding the visa process, can be applied towards other types of long-stay visas.
**Please note that the following post is my personal experience and I cannot guarantee that others will have the same exact experience. I hope that you find useful information here, but do keep in mind that you should proceed based on your own unique situation. Also note that requirements can and do change! Use this post as a starting point, but stay up to date on the information that is supplied on government websites.
The Long-Stay Visitor Visa
When I started the visa process, I had a lot of questions, and I found it difficult to locate reliable and up-to-date information. As a direct result of this, I decided that if I managed to get through it all and be granted a visa, I would start a blog to help others figure it out. Well, here I am! My biggest source of information was other blogs. However, while I did find a few blogs addressing how to get the visa process started as the spouse of a French citizen, I never found a blog that spoke of the process as someone who was not yet married. I turned to comment sections for advice and ultimately used my best judgment when deciding how to proceed.
Given that my plan in the long run is a permanent move to France, I knew that a long-stay visa would be best to start out with, but I was unsure how to indicate the category of my visa and to make the purpose of my stay clear. It’s not as simple as choosing a long-stay visa. You have to know the type: spouse, worker, visitor, etc. In my case, I wanted to make sure I selected the visa that would allow me to get married and then apply for a residence card later.
Are you in the beginning stages of figuring out how to move to France to join your French partner? I know there’s a lot to sort through and figure out. Allow me to lay out your options and provide you with a roadmap for success.
The former long-stay visa application, which was used before VFS Global began handling applications, had a box to check if you intended to get married in France. The new application does not mention marriage as a reason for coming to France, at all. I was unable to locate any official resources about what to do if you plan to get married to a French citizen and move to France. This scenario was not mentioned among the long-stay visa categories.
To see if I was on the right track, I decided to call VFS Global. I explained my situation and asked for advice on the type of visa to apply for. I also asked follow up questions to see if additional documents would be necessary. They essentially told me, after each question that I asked, that they could not give me any advice. I should refer to their website, and, using the information provided, make my own decisions about which visa to apply for and how to apply for it. Very helpful, thank you.
I thought I might have better luck soliciting the New York City French Consulate for information, but I was immediately told that the visa branch of the consulate was closed, and I should contact VFS Global with any questions I might have. Great, yes, cool. In retrospect, I should have contacted the Washington French Consulate, as they are the ones who now handle the visa applications, but this was not clear to me at the time, so I didn’t even consider it. I wish you the best of luck if you attempt to call either VFS or one of the consulates!
The United States government, while known for being strict about granting visas of this nature, at least provides detailed information about how to do it on official websites. And so, I turned to the website of the US Embassy in Paris for more information. According to their Marriage in France document, “If you plan to settle in France [after marrying a French citizen], you should apply for a long-stay visitor visa.” France – 0, USA – 1
UPDATE (July 2020): The Marriage in France document no longer exists. It seems to have been replaced with the General Guidelines for Marriage and Civil Partnerships (PACS) in France.
Applying for the Visa and Booking Your Appointment
The visa application must be completed and submitted online. The online application is fairly straightforward to use and generates a PDF version of the application for you to print out. Other than the application, there are no other documents that need to be submitted electronically. The maximum length of a long-stay visa is one year. On the application, I indicated my stay would be more than one year.
In the spring of 2018, the French consulates of the USA began outsourcing the collection of visa applications and documents to VFS Global. There are centers located in many major cities in the USA, and you can apply at whichever one you like, regardless of where you live. I booked my appointment, via the online booking system, at the New York City location (145 West 45th Street). There was a booking fee of $28.45.
When I submitted my application at the end of June, the first available appointment date was three weeks away. Summer is a busy time for visa applications, so this did not surprise me. Depending on the time of year, the availability of appointments can fluctuate. Plan ahead, while also keeping in mind that you cannot apply for a long-stay visa more than three months before your departure. If there’s an appointment cancellation, the new opening will be reflected on the site, so check back frequently if you want an earlier date.
Documents to Prepare
When it comes to preparing for the visa appointment, err on the side of being over prepared. If you’re in doubt about a certain document, bring it with you. Be sure to keep photocopies for your own records.
After submitting your application, you’ll receive a list of required documents that you will need to bring with you to your appointment. As an American citizen, residing in the United States and applying for the long-stay visitor visa, here’s what I ended up bringing:
- Appointment confirmation page
- Current passport
- Valid at least three months after your return date
- At least two free pages
- You will be handing this over, so make sure you photocopy your passport page for your own records
- Old passport
- I submitted photocopies of my previous visas (not necessarily required but I thought it might aid my application)
- Application
- Printed, signed, and dated
- One ID photo
- US passport photo size works for this. Mine was slightly too big, and he just cut it to size.
- Annoyingly, they’re just going to staple this to your printed out application form, because France.
- Sworn statement saying that I will not work in France for the duration of the visa
- I created a simple document in French and in English.
- Proof of professional status
- I recently quit my teaching job, so I brought the letter from my employer accepting my resignation. Seeing as how I was unemployed at the time of my application, I don’t think that I actually had to bring anything for this.
- Essentially, prove your status as a working professional or student, if either of those cases applies to you.
- Proof of accommodations in France
- I had my boyfriend write an attestation d’hébergement based on this example, in which he stated that he would be housing me for the duration of my visa.
- I also brought one copy each of his rental agreement, a recent electricity bill, and his passport, for good measure!
- Proof of funds
- Three months of bank statements (savings & checking)
- Three months of credit card statements
- The amount of resources you must justify depends on whether you have already paid for accommodations or not.
- Medical Insurance for the duration of the stay
- I brought a Confirmation of Coverage letter and a copy of the insurance card.
- I paid a little over $400 for one year of coverage with IMG – Patriot International, and I bought it through Insubuy, which helps you compare a few different plans. When you indicate that you want Schengen Visa medical insurance, it makes sure that all the requirements are met. Upon purchase, you immediately get temporary cards and a Confirmation of Coverage letter in your email. If you need to cancel the insurance, as long as no claims have been made, you get a prorated refund from the date of cancellation.
- Credit card for paying the fees
- I was charged a total of $145, which paid for the visa ($110) and mailing fees ($35). If you choose to pick up your visa in person, you will only be charged for the visa. The visa itself costs 99 euros, so I think the actual amount you pay changes depending on the exchange rate for the day.
- Copy of my plane ticket so they would know my departure date (not required)
Based on my desire to marry and settle in France, I brought a couple of supplemental documents with me that I thought might help:
- Letter of Motivation
- I wrote a letter in both French and English explaining my intent to marry and to integrate myself within French society. Without going into too many details, I briefly gave some background information on myself as a French teacher and on my relationship.
- Sworn statement regarding marital status
- I created a simple document in French and English indicating that I was not currently nor ever have been married.
The Appointment
I showed my appointment confirmation upon entering the center in New York City (145 West 45th Street) and was then directed to the elevators to begin my ascent to the fourth floor. This building handles a lot of visas, with each floor housing a few different countries. There was a small queue to check in at the desk on the 4th floor, where I was given a ticket with a number. We were instructed to turn off our phones, and then a security guard did a quick inspection of our belongings. I was directed into the French visa waiting room where screens above indicated the ticketed number currently being served. It was easy to know when my number was called and which window to go to.
The man who assisted me really didn’t seem particularly knowledgeable about the visa process. He only asked for things that were explicitly listed. For example, the paragraph above the list says that I should bring copies of previous visas, but since this was not on the actual list, he didn’t ask me for them. As another example, when proving I had sufficient means, I wanted to give him my credit card statements, but he said it wouldn’t be necessary since it’s not real money. It should be noted that credit cards are listed as a way to prove you can provide for yourself on the application itself, so I insisted he take the statements anyways. He eventually ended up saying that I could include whatever I wanted in my application, at which point I emptied out the folder I had brought with me. I’m not sure whether any of those extra documents actually helped my application, but I don’t think they hurt it!
After handing in my application and supporting documents, I was directed to take a seat again in the waiting area. I didn’t have to wait long before I was called to a small room for the biometrics fingerprinting. This is also when they took the picture that would later be on my visa.
In total, I was in and out of the building in under 15 minutes, which left me feeling anxious about the outcome of my visa. The last two times I had gotten visas, I had applied directly at the French consulate, where after meeting with a visa specialist, you had a good idea of whether your documentation was sufficient or not. The specialist would actually take the time to look at your supporting materials, which puts you at ease (once it’s over!). What if I forgot something or they needed something else? Would they actually take the time to contact me about it or would they just refuse my visa? Fortunately, I didn’t have to find out.
Did this guide help you? Say thanks with a cup of coffee!
Receiving the Results
The good thing about VFS Global now handling the collection of applications and their subsequent transportation is that you’ll receive electronic notifications about the status of your application. The downside is that these notifications really don’t tell you anything about your application except where it is literally located. It was nice knowing that my visa application had made it to Washington, for example, but imagine my chagrin upon receiving this text: “Your processed application ref no.XXX is being dispatched via courier on 26-07-2019.” What does that even mean?? Am I getting my visa? Was my application rejected?? I was especially anxious because, after being told the application review would take a couple of weeks, my passport was on its way back to me exactly one week after I had dropped it off in New York. I was told I could track my application with the long reference number printed on my receipt, but don’t torture yourself with that. No real information is given via this tracking service either.
No one was home when they attempted to deliver my passport. It’s one of those instances where someone actually needs to sign for the delivery. A note was left saying that it was being brought to UPS and I could get it there. I signed for the envelope and found my passport with it’s pretty new sticker inside.
Arriving in France and Next Steps
Upon entering France, if you were granted a long-stay visa, the border police will only ask to see your passport containing the visa. In my case, they did not even look at that page at all, but as long as I have a stamp indicating my entrance date into the country, I’m all set.
The next step for me is getting my visa validated within three months. Only people with visas valid for between six and twelve months are required to do this. According to the slip of paper I received with my visa, this process is apparently done online. Once married, I should be able to change my visa status from a visitor to the spouse of a French citizen, which will allow me to work.
Questions? Comments? Similarities or differences between your visa experience and mine? Reply below!
Oh, zut alors! There’s got to be an easier way to escape from Trump & Co. Maybe I’ll try the Canadian northern route… 🙂
Oh, zut, says the French man with the French passport! 😛
I’m gonna be going through the visa process soon. We got married here in the 3rd country that we live in and had the marriage registered with the French government (that whole process was pretty long and tedious, American getting married to a French person in a 3rd country, lol, I don’t recommend to go this route if you have a choice, we didn’t have a choice since I was on a really strict work contract and couldn’t move to France right away). But I’ll be doing the visa process with the consulate here (post-COVID, it’s gonna be interesting, lol) since I’m a legal resident in this country. I don’t have to go through the VFS Global, thank god, the consulate here where we live handles the visa process, and they’ve made it super simple for spouses of French people. It’s a smaller consulate and we’ve been there quite a few times already so some of them already know us. But anyways, always consult the consulate where you live because the process may be a little different in each country.
Hi Emilie! Adding a third country to the mix adds a whole other level of fun, haha. I’m glad that the consulate where you’re applying has made the process simple for spouses of French people. I hope everything goes smoothly for you. Good luck!
I had my visa appointment almost 2 weeks ago. Not a good experience, though it might have been my attitude that made it worse. I was the last appointment of the day, so the guy at the embassy wasn’t exactly happy to deal with me, and didn’t even say hello to me (even though I tried to say it to him), he just asked me what I was there for. I gave him all the paperwork the Embassy initially asked for and didn’t give him the other documents I had, he didn’t ask for anything else. But, once he saw my ID photo, he was like, nope, it has to be a white background (mine was light blue), but I was like “but it just says a light color (fond clair)” and in my ignorance both me and my husband assumed any color that was light, and the guy said, nope, fond clair means white, hahahhahaha, and he gave me 30 minutes to find a photo machine in the subway in Seoul to fix it (though all the photo booths in Korea heavily photoshop pics without you being allowed to say no to it), but the embassy guy said to come back if the machine was broken and he’d take the photo (though it’s highly irregular for him to do it and he didn’t want to do it, but that he would do it if the machine was broken). I had a full on panic attack because my husband wasn’t right outside the embassy (he wasn’t allowed in for the appointment which pissed him off anyways) and when he did find me standing there freaking out, he went with me to find this photo booth in the subway. And of course it was broken, lol. So I went back to the embassy, told the guy it was broken, he set up the camera and took the pic in like 10 seconds. WHY DIDN’T HE JUST DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!????? It would’ve saved me a panic attack and getting all hot and sweaty from the rain and the humidity in Seoul (and him having to see me a second time, lol). Anyways, he processed my request and I’m supposed to get my visa sometime this week, hopefully
Oh, gosh! What an ordeal! They always have to find something wrong, don’t they? For the record, “fond clair” does not mean white! And light blue is actually mentioned on this official website which details the photo standards in France… https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F10619
I’m glad he helped you out in the end, and I hope you get that visa this week!
We had a form from the Embassy in Korean that specifically says not to use a white background, which we used to do my pics. But when I showed the guy that form (he spoke Korean better than me so I knew he could read the form), he said, nope, that’s only for passports not visas, hahahahhahah, geez!!!!!
What?! Wow!
Ok. I’m not going to lie. I don’t understand the process of anything you described. I’m interested because soon I will be going through the same thing, marrying a Frenchman and applying for a visa to stay in France. Is it really as complicated as you described above? And do I have to apply for a long stay visa in America, if we plan on getting married in France first ?
Oh, Valerie—getting the visa is the easy part of the process! 😅 😊 I understand that this can all be very overwhelming (especially with the added difficulty of a pandemic!), but know that other people have made it work, and so can you! Also keep in mind that you can talk to several people about their experiences, and they’ll all tell you it went differently for them.
There are multiples ways that you can go about marrying a French person and settling in France. I chose to get a long-stay visitor visa so that I could start my life in France with my Frenchman. We left the States on a plane together 🥰 Then, we got married in France, and now I can change to my next status which is a family and private life residence card. I don’t have to go back to the States to do this.
Some people go to France with no visa (under the 90-day visa-free travel limit). They get married, and then they come back to the States and apply directly for the family and private life visa (vie privée et familiale). Visas are typically issued from your home country. Other people get married in the States, and then get their marriage recognized in France before applying for their visa.
There’s not necessarily one right way of doing things. If you’d like to talk with other people about their experiences, I would recommend joining these two Facebook groups: Married to a Frenchman and Life With a Frenchie.
Wishing you all the best. Good luck!
Hi Ellen! I’m in a similar situation as you. I am an American getting married to a Frenchman in two weeks at the local mairie here in France. I currently hold a long stay visa VLS-T. I haven’t been able to find any official government information on not going back to the US to change my visa status. Where were you able to find this info? What govt agency should I be contacting? The local prefecture, OFII office? Any direction is greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
Lauren
Hi Lauren!
First of all—congratulations on your upcoming wedding!! I’m sure it’s not what you envisioned amid all this chaos, but I hope you have a wonderful day 🙂
The procedure is called “changement de statut,” and it’s very common. Let’s say you came as a student, and now you’re working. You would need to change your visa status. I came as a visitor and now I’m married, so I need to change the status of my visa in order to reflect that. One of the resources I tend to use for information is https://www.service-public.fr/
I came on a VLS-TS. The TS (titre de séjour) denotes that I have a right to a residence permit, and I went through a validation process with the Office of Immigration. It’s also a renewable visa. I’m not as familiar with the VLS-T, but from what I understand, it is a temporary, non-renewable visa. I’m not sure what this means for being able to change your status.
After my wedding, I called the Préfecture to explain my situation and set up an appointment to change my status (my appointment is at the end of August). This person emailed me a list of documents I would need to present. I would recommend you call the Préfecture as soon as possible—don’t wait until after your wedding.
In my experience, it sometimes takes a few tries before you find someone with the right information. There are a lot of inconsistencies in French administration.
Whatever the outcome, I wish you all the best!
Ellen
Hello again! We are officially married! I am now trying to contact the local prefecture to confirm the requirements I need to meet in order to get a change in visa status here in France (information varies online and we are wondering if there are exceptions being made during Covid) since my visa is VLS-T and not VLS-TS. We first tried to contact the prefecture in Bayonne, near Biarritz where his mother lives and where we stayed for a couple of months. We thought this may be easier given it’s a smaller town but, you guessed it, it’s not :). They are only open four hours a day, won’t return emails and you have to call between 9and 10 am to schedule an appointment. However no one answers this number-we tried for a week. So now we are back in Paris where we live and can prove our residency. We have been callomg the local prefecture here every day and end up reaching the end of the line and get hung up on. I was hoping you possibly had an email or direct number for the Paris prefecture? If not we will just head over to the office and see if we can get anything accomplished in person. Either way, thanks for reading and for your help!
-Lauren
Hi Lauren! Nice to hear from you again. Congratulations on your wedding!
Yes, the information does vary, or sometimes it’s just not clear. Very frustrating. I’m sorry that you’ve been having a hard time contacting the préfecture. They’re hard to reach under normal circumstances, so now it’s even worse.
The main number for the Paris Préfecture is 34 30. I’ve had better luck reaching them first thing in the morning. I believe the line opens at 9am. Rumor has it that if the line hangs up on you, if you call back right away, you’ll get magically put through. (Myth? Maybe worth a try! 🤷🏼♀️ Seriously, let me know if it works! 😅)
Here’s an email address you can try: pp-dpg-sdae-10eb-sejour@interieur.gouv.fr
You can also try sending them a message right through their website: https://www.prefecturedepolice.interieur.gouv.fr/Demarches/Particulier/Ressortissants-etrangers/Ressortissants-etrangers/Titres-de-sejour-Nous-contacter/Nous-contacter-salle-sejour-Amerique-Asie-Europe-Oceanie
I was at the Préfecture today to apply for my Vie privée et familiale carte de séjour (and woohoo! I was approved!) At this time, I don’t think anyone without an appointment is allowed inside. It was a bit crazy there, but there were some agents outside that you could possibly approach.
As another resource, I’d recommend you check out the following Facebook groups: “American Expats in Paris” and “Applying for a French CdS.” You might be able to connect with someone in a similar situation.
And one final website, which explains that there is a procedure for those who married a French person, but did not arrive on a VLS-TS: https://www.demarches.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/carte-sejour-vie-privee-familiale-etranger-france Obviously, I can’t guarantee anything, but maybe it will work out for you.
I am sending you good vibes and wishing you the best as you navigate all of this! I’ll be awaiting your update! 🙂
I really like your post. Thanks for sharing that! My boyfriend is Italian and he lives in France. We would like to live together for 1 year and see if we get on well. Do you think the long stay visitor visa would be the best visa for me? Thank you! 🙂
Thanks, Érica!
I’m really not qualified to give advice about what kind of visa you should apply for. I chose the long-stay visitor visa because it made sense for me and my situation! Namely, it would give me a full year to get married and begin transitioning to a permanent life in France, and I could switch to another residence card (family and private life) after marrying my French husband. I quit my job to start this new chapter of my life, and I had the required financial resources saved up. With the visitor visa, you are not allowed to work for a French company or solicit French clients.
There is a lot to consider when choosing your visa, especially during the current pandemic situation. Keep in mind that only certain types of visas are being issued at this time. Find out more information here: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en_US/web/france-visas/
Good luck!!
Hi! Your advice is very helpful. Does anyone have any reports they would be willing to share about how long it takes on average to get the visa processed? We are getting married in France this month and I will fly back to the USA to do the visa. Considering COVID, the quarantine period, and the fact that we have pets together here in France, we are trying to plan ahead. I have read reports elsewhere that are anywhere from a few days to two weeks? All the best !
Hi Alex! Congratulations on the upcoming wedding 😀 Can I assume that you’re marrying a French citizen?
Your estimated turnaround time for the visa sounds about right. There are a lot of factors that can affect the processing time, but, generally speaking, the spouse visa (vie privée et familiale) is quite straight-forward to obtain. I’ve always booked my flights and included my flight info with my visa paperwork. They say that they take this into account. I’m not sure if they actually do, but I haven’t missed a flight yet 😉
If you’d like to hear recent experiences about applying for a visa, I recommend these two Facebook groups to you: Americans in France – Open & Kind group and American Expats in Paris. Even if you’re not in Paris, there is a wealth of information in that second group.
Are you currently here on a visa? If so, you might qualify to apply directly for a carte de séjour vie privée et familiale through marriage without having to return to the United States (https://www.americaineinfrance.com/2020/09/01/carte-de-sejour-vie-privee-et-familiale-through-marriage/).
Best,
Ellen
Hi Ellen. Thanks a lot for your blog which gives a ton of useful info and feedback for applying to long term visa / getting married in France.
I am French, currently living in the US with my American girlfriend but planning to getting back to France early next year and getting married there. We would ideally like to go the same path you did, i.e. applying for a VLS-TS for her, then getting married in France and then updating her status there and applying for the titre de sejour without having to go back to the US.
However, I read a lot of comments from other people explaining they either entered France with a short term visa to get married, then moved back to the US to get the husband/spouse VLS-TS and then enter back in France with it, or directly married in the US to get the husband/spouse VLS-TS and go to France.
Therefore, I am wondering how straightforward is it to apply for a VLS-TS explaining that you need it to get married in France? Did you get any questions/complications about why you needed a 12-month visa to enter France, or why you did not get married and apply for the spouse visa from the US?
Thanks so much in advance for your help. It’s a bit stressful to make sure to select the right box and have the administration understand the situation well !
Best,
Thibaud
Hi Thibaud,
I’m so glad that you’ve found my blog to be helpful 🙂
There are multiple ways to go about getting married and moving to France together. Everyone will have an opinion about the “best” way, but the truth is, everyone’s experience is different. No matter the process you choose, you can run into complications and delays (or everything might go smoothly). Often, how quickly you move through the system is based on who is looking at your file, which is totally out of your control. Whichever path you decide on, don’t get caught up in “what ifs!”
Getting the long-stay visitor visa was very straightforward. I had my passport back with the visa in it one week after applying. As mentioned above under the documents I included in my application, I wrote a motivational letter and was honest about heading to France in order to get married and start a life here. The 12-month VLS-TS is what you NEED to arrive on in order to change it to the spouse carte de séjour later on, so that’s not an issue.
Ultimately, I chose to move to France on a long-stay visitor visa because the most important thing was for us to be together after being in a 3-year long-distance relationship. However, we did run into complications. You might not have these problems, but I want to be honest with you! After marriage, our initial request to change to the spouse carte de séjour was denied, in part because I did not have any bulletins de salaire. On a visitor visa, you are not allowed to work in France for French companies or clients. Clearly, we had the misfortune of a préfecture officer who didn’t know his own job and got annoyed when we tried explaining the rules to him. Then Covid happened. So I ended up spending an entire year on the visitor visa before I was able to change my status, whereas we had planned on switching after about 6 months. I was still able to get into the French healthcare system and take care of other administrative things. By the way, my second appointment at the préfecture was a breeze and that officer didn’t ask us for my bulletins de salaire…
Something you should keep in mind is that visitor visas are not currently being issued, and it’s unclear when they will be issued again for Americans. Check here for the latest info: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/web/france-visas/
If you are currently together in America, it might in fact be easier for you to get married there. Then you would need to get the marriage recognized in France and she could apply for the spouse visa. Those are currently being issued. If you need to head back to France for a job, etc, you might be separated for a bit but the good news is that being married really facilitates things.
Another option is to get married in the States and head to France without a visa. Spouses are allowed to accompany a French national. Technically, she could then apply directly for a carte de séjour on French territory. (http://accueil-etrangers.gouv.fr/demande-de-titre-de-sejour/vous-etes-ressortissant-e-non-europeen-ne/vous-etes-ressortissant-e-de-pays-tiers-non-algerien-ne/vous-etes-en-france-vous-demandez/vous-etes-marie-e-avec-un-e/?fbclid=IwAR0QLoszF7I6rYSP7h_niKoVejfjokV4CHo8ENLfqkSgAui7Bhg-Qw6MrHE) I don’t recommend this route, even though there is a process for it, because it involves the spouse overstaying their time and being in France sans papiers. I’ve heard that this can also negatively impact your request to get French nationality later down the road, although that might just be a rumor.
I know how stressful this process can be, but just keep in mind that many other people have done this already, and you can do it, too! Good luck with everything!
Ellen
Thanks so much Ellen for all this. That’s super helpful 🙂
hello, thanks for this wonderful blog that will guide me to move to France and get married, similar to your experience. One thing I’m not clear on…. you indicated – “….I was unsure how to indicate the category of my visa and to make the purpose of my stay clear. It’s not as simple as choosing a long-stay visa.” But I’m not seeing which option(s) you choose to make this successful for you. I realize your experience was more than a year ago, but could you clarify which plans and purpose of stay you went with? Thanks. Harbeer
Hi Harbeer!
Some of the visa categories are: student, spouse, and worker. I chose the category “visitor.” Doesn’t sound like much of a category does it? haha There is no category for a fiancé. I had found an article on the US Embassy website, which I cited above, and it indicated that if an American intends to marry a French citizen and establish residence in France, they should get a long-stay “visitor” visa.
There was nowhere on the application itself for me to indicate that this was exactly my intention, so in addition to choosing the “visitor” category, I wrote a letter of motivation. I mentioned this under my list of documents.
I hope this clears up the confusion. I know it’s a lot to sort through.
Ellen
Hi Ellen,
This is the most helpful information I have found about applying for a short-term visa – thank you so much!
For the two ‘attestations’ you wrote (one about not engaging in professional activity, and one ‘attestation d’hébergement’ from your fiancé confirming he would be housing you), did you have these authorised by a notary or anything, or was it okay just to bring them with your signatures?
Thank you so much for this really helpful post!
Ana
Hi Ana,
I’m so glad you’ve found my blog to be helpful 🙂
I did not get those two documents notarized. I just brought them as is.
Good luck with your application!
Ellen
Hello Ellen! It’s been so lovely and useful to read your blog, I also read everything until your happy ending and even your guidelines for the bank accounts and more, I love it! I’ve been between London and Paris as my partner (we are pacsed) lives here. I read your blog since many months ago and I’m finally ready to apply for my Visa de Long-Séjour and I’m curious about 3 things if you don’t mind me asking:
1.- when you did your process, did you put on the website of the Visa Wizard that your plans were “visitor” or another one of the options provided?
2.- Did you get to choose between the VLS-TS and the VLS with the carte de séjour within 2 months or was it directly the former?
3.- I’m thinking about using the same insurance that you had “Patriot Travel Medical Insurance” directly from IMG’s Website as I’ve seen from the ones I’ve been researching that is the most trusth-worthy, complete and with a good price. I was thinking to get the one that covers $50,000 (~42,000 Euros) for $365. But, I was wondering if the embassy pointed out something about it as it is sold as a “Travel Insurance”? Also, did you only attached a page of the certificate of insurance of Patriot Insurance showing the period that would cover you and your data or the whole contract?
Thank you so much!
Hi Vivian,
I am happy to help, and I am glad to hear that my blog and guides have been useful to you.
1. I applied as a visitor.
2. Applying for a carte de séjour in the first two months is not an option of visitor visa. I indicated that my stay in France would be over 12 months so that I would be granted the VLS-TS. Read more about that type of visa here: https://www.americaineinfrance.com/2020/09/04/french-visa-terminology/
3. As indicated in the list of documents above, I submitted the Confirmation of Coverage letter (which explains the coverage policy) and a copy of the insurance card. I only recommend products and services that I trust. If the insurance I used was not compatible with this visa, I would be transparent about my experiences with it. It would never be my intention to steer someone in the wrong direction.
I hope this helps. Good luck with your visa application!
Best,
Ellen
Thank you so much for your reply Ellen, you’re a star! And your comments really helped me to clarify in my mind some steps of my application! (:
Great—I’m glad that this cleared things up for you 🙂
Hello!
Sharing my experience as an American woman marrying a French man in early 2022!
Hope this is helpful for anyone in a similar situation! This site has been such a support to me through these last months!
My partner and I lived happily in India for three years together; he returned to his mother’s home in west France (Sarthe) at the end of October 2021, and I joined him at the end of November 2021.
Before I met up with him, we got a great job opportunity in the Alps in Saint Veran, near the Italian border. When I reached France, I was staying without a visa, as Americans and other nationalities can do for 3 months (without working).
We looked into any way that I could get the proper visa to stay in France and work, but didn’t find any way to avoid me returning to America to get a visa… There was one comment on here where a woman shared that the major had worked something out for her to get her visa after the wedding while in France… It seemed more of an exception, and we didn’t feel confident to ask the major for a special favor.
We considered getting PACS’d since my family wouldn’t be able to make it in such short notice for a wedding… But, there were many more requirements for a PACS’d partner of a French citizen to get a long-term visa than a spouse… It didn’t seem guaranteed that I would get a long-term visa if we were PACS’d, and we didn’t want to leave a chance for my application to be rejected.
The lack of support from the official sources while looking through all of the information was very frustrating; I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t found this page (and similar ones) where everyone shared their experiences. I was tossed around like a hot potato while calling VFS, the consulates, the mairies, etc trying to get information… Each person said, “Sorry, we cannot advise you; please refer to the website for information, everything is there, or call [the other agency.]” The mairie asked me to call the consulate, the consulate asked me to call VFS, and VFS asked me to call the consulate… Ay ay ay. It was the only point in this experience when I cried! I really wanted someone with an idea of the whole thing to look at our case and advise us, but it wasn’t to be. My French is hardly A1, and my partner is “not good for these things,” so I did my best with what I understood from their site and from blogs like these. Thanks a lot, everyone, for sharing your experiences!
Once we decided to be married, we worked out the timing; there were a lot of various deadlines that we had to account for.. I won’t go into details. But, what could be useful to know is that one of you needs to be living in the area of the mairie that you will be married in for at least 30 days before the wedding can happen. We were staying with his mother in Sarthe, so she signed the ATTESTATION D’HÉBERGEMENT that Ellen mentions in this blog post. By the time that we could have the wedding, we were in Saint Veran (he was working). The wedding needed to be at the beginning of January for us because the employer wanted me to start at the beginning of February. We couldn’t have the wedding in Saint Veran since we hadn’t been there for 30 days. So, we returned to Sarthe for the wedding. The next day, he returned to Saint Veran for work, and I returned to America for my visa.
I landed in the O’Hare Airport in Chicago the day before my appointment for the visa. I slept in the airport. My new US debit card (my old one was lost) was going to arrive the next day with my father. The currency exchange outside of security (I think Terminal 5) closes at 4pm officially, but 3:45 practically. My bank hadn’t sent the pin for my new French debit card, yet, and I couldn’t change cash since I reached the exchange at 3:50… Luckily, my new belle-merre had packed many snacks for me!
My father picked me up the next morning and drove me to the VFS office on Ontario… The woman at the door let me up to the office early, but the office asked me to come back 15 minutes before my appointment (as their sign said).
For the spouse visa, I needed to present only a copy of my application that I filled out online, a copy of my husband’s passport, my original passport, a copy of our LIVRET DE FAMILLE that the mairie gave us after the wedding, a passport-sized photo that I took at a train station in France, and our marriage certificate (no proof of having lived together, etc.). Our mairie had given us two papers that looked like “Marriage Certificates” (with many copies of each paper), and we weren’t actually sure which of the two was the “marriage certificate” they wanted, so I brought both. The woman at VFS took the one that had a block of text describing who I am, who he is, our birth information, our parents’ information, etc. The other paper that she didn’t take had similar, but fewer, details. My husband didn’t understand the difference between the two, practically. When she asked for it, I apologized to the woman for leaving the original of our LIVRET DE FAMILLE in my father’s car. He was driving around looking for parking and I offered to go get it from him, but she waved it away… I mentioned to her that the office didn’t seem busy; there had been many available appointments when I was booking. She agreed. She asked about my return flight, and I told her it was scheduled for the 2nd of February.
I left with a receipt which helped me find the webpage to track my visa application; it has the “reference number” on it. Within a day or two I got an email about a postage that was scheduled to be sent out in a week’s time. This made me hope that things would move quickly, and they did! I applied on Monday 10th and got my visa back by Thursday the 20th. I was surprised, as mentioned previously, that throughout the tracking of the visa there is no mention of if you actually got the visa or not. I didn’t know until I thumbed through my passport and found it inside, along with a few notes with instructions about updating myself about the COVID situation and what to do upon reaching France. My visa is valid from the 18th of January, although I told her my flight was on the 2nd of Feb… Maybe giving me the chance to change my flight since it was clear I came to the US for this.
So all goes well for us! I hope this is helpful for anyone in a similar situation. I will share again once I return to France and start applying for my card, etc.
Sarah
Wow, Sarah! Sounds like you’ve been through quite the ringer. I’m glad that my blog has been able to help you through some aspects of this adventure although much credit goes to you for being so resourceful.
Thank you for taking the time to share your experience here. I am certain it will help someone in the future.
All the best to you,
Ellen
Hello,
First wanted to say your blog and Instagram have been very helpful as a fellow expat here in France. Do enjoy all your content 🙂
I had a quick question regarding proof of funds….I am in the process of renewing my long term visitor visa and was wondering if you had to translated/convert your banking statements to French/Euros to prove funds? Or if printing out my BofA statement will suffice?
Thank you so much for your kind words 🙂 I’m glad to hear that my content has been helpful to you!
Please note that this blog post is in regards to attaining an initial long-stay visa for France while in the United States. As you are currently in France, you are renewing your titre de séjour and will be getting a carte de séjour. For clarity on these terms: https://www.americaineinfrance.com/2020/09/04/french-visa-terminology/
As far as translating/converting your bank statements when applying for a renewal in France, this depends on your préfecture! I wish I had a more solid answer for you. Some préfectures/agents insist upon it while others don’t. When unsure, it’s typically a good idea to be over-prepared. You can always ask at your meeting if it is necessary for next time!
Good luck with the renewal!
Ellen
Truly helpful – thanks for sharing!
I’m glad to hear that this helped you. Good luck with the process, Adam!
Hello !
First off I want to thank you for sharing all of this information! It is definitely the most helpful information I’ve found. I’m a french citizen and my U.S fiancé and I want to get married in France and settle there. We’ve been traveling back and forth since the beginning and then COVID hit… Toughest time of our lives but we pushed through ! Now we want to go the same route you did; apply for a one year visa and have a change of status 6 months after our wedding.
Our concerns are mainly financial, and how the finances will impact the long stay visa approval. Like you, he is going to have to resign from his job in the U.S, and the constant flying back and forth put a dent in his savings. My rent in France is pretty cheap; he would basically leave his job with roughly one year and a half worth of rent.
We want to be as transparent about our intentions as you were (a letter stating that we intend to get married and switch to a ‘Vie privée et familiale’ so he can work as soon as possible) so do you think they would consider this sufficient to approve the visa application?
I know this is a rather tough question to answer and that it is information that you cannot guarantee, but I’m really curious about your opinion on the subject 😀
Thank you again for sharing your experience, it has really helped us figuring things out, because French administration can be… eh!
Mathilde
Hi Mathilde!
Thank you so much for your kind words, and congratulations on your upcoming wedding 🙂
For the financial aspect, there is a minimum amount that he needs to justify—there is a link above in the Documents to Prepare section. The visitor visa is largely dependent on the applicant proving they have enough funds. (The amount of your rent is not really a factor here.)
You mention switching to the VPF so he can work as soon as possible. There’s no guarantee of how quickly this change will be made as there are a lot of factors in play: how soon you can get an appointment, whether the agent you meet with approves of your documents (it can be subjective), how reactive your préfecture is, etc. This process can take well over 6 months—I just don’t want you thinking that it’s automatic!
On the other hand, if you guys get married and he heads back to the States and applies directly for the VPF visa, he’ll have the status of the spouse of a French citizen as soon as he arrives in France.
Each pathway has its pros and cons. If you’re interested in discussing the potential timelines and next steps of each option as well as other key administrative procedures, you can book a call with me: https://www.americaineinfrance.com/book-a-call/
Best,
Ellen