French Spouse Visa

What is a French Spouse Visa?

If you are married to a French citizen or permanent resident, they can sponsor you for a French Spouse Visa (also known as French Settlement Visa), which you can apply for while you’re in Thailand. This visa allows you to reside with your spouse on a long stay in France and can eventually qualify you for permanent residency later down the line.

This page will explore everything you need to know about the French Settlement Visa, including its benefits, the documents required, and how you can complete the application process in Thailand.

Benefits of a French Settlement Visa from Thailand

The French Spouse Visa provides you access to the following benefits:

• You can stay with your spouse in France from 90 days to 1 year on a long-stay visa.
• You will be able to work in France and acquire a work permit.
• You have the option to study at any educational institution in France.
• You can extend your stay on the visa before it expires by applying for a residence permit.
• It allows you to fulfill the requirements to obtain permanent residency in France after staying in the country for 3 years.

This visa also permits you to travel temporarily to other European countries located in the Schengen area without needing a Schengen Visa:

• Eastern Europe: Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia
• Northern Europe: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden
• Southern Europe: Greece, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain
• Western Europe: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland

French Spouse Visa Requirements

To qualify for this visa, the following French Spouse Visa requirements need to be met:

• You and your spouse must be at least 18 years old.
• You must be legally married to your French spouse (if you and your partner have not married yet, you can seek an alternative such as a French Fiancée Visa).
• Your marriage must be formally registered in France via the French Civil Registry.
• The sponsor for the visa must be a French national or reside in France under permanent residency status.
• Your spouse must have sufficient income and funds to support you during your stay.
• Your French spouse is currently domiciled in France and has been living there for at least 18 months.

French Visa Required Documents for Your Spouse

As part of the application, you need to collect and provide the following French Visa required documents:

• Completed and signed online Long-stay Visa Application Form
• Valid passport (at least 6 months validity must be remaining)
• 2 passport-sized photos (in color, 3.5cm x 4.5cm in size, taken against a white background)
• Photocopy of the passport’s biopage
• Proof of marriage documents*
• Copy of a national ID card (if applicable)
• Proof of medical insurance
• Additional proof of relationship documents (such as photographs of you and your spouse together, or a letter written by your spouse describing the relationship, among other items)
• Proof of proficiency in the French language

In addition, your spouse will also need to submit some French Visa supporting documents for the application. French sponsors for a settlement visa must be able to provide:

• Proof of French nationality or permanent residency. Examples include:
  • National ID Card
  • Certificate of Nationality
  • Decree granting your spouse their French nationality
  • A registration card showing that your spouse is a French person residing overseas
• Proof of their finances, such as income taxes, bank statements, and pay slips
• Proof of their accommodation in France, such as lease agreements, rent receipts (for the past 3 months), or title deeds
• Confirmation of settlement in France
• Any supplementary proof of relationship documents
• Birth certificates (only applicable if you have any children that are non-French citizens)

It is also important to note that all Thai documents must be translated into French by a government-authorized translation office and certified by the French Embassy.

*NOTE: The documents you need to provide as evidence that you and your partner are married depend on the location of your marriage:

• If you married your spouse in France or any of the French overseas territories, you only need to provide a copy of the recent marriage certificate (which must be less than 3 months old) and the family book (both the original and copy).
• If you married your spouse in Thailand or another country, you need to provide a copy of the recent marriage certificate (less than 3 months old), the family book (both the original and copy), and a copy of the transcript of the marriage certificate on the French Civil Status Registries.

Obtaining Permanent Residency in France as a French Settlement Visa Holder

Once you have acquired your French Settlement Visa and lived in France for at least 3 years, you qualify for permanent residency status in the country. Once you reach this mark, you can apply for a 10-year French permanent residency permit, which can be renewed on an annual basis.

To apply, you need to prove you can sustain yourself on a financial level by providing evidence in the form of 3 years worth of tax payments and employment contracts. While on a permanent residency permit, you can also secure self-employment or work for a French employer without needing a work permit.

How to Apply for a French Spouse Visa in Thailand

To apply for a French Settlement Visa, you must complete an online application form on the French government’s visa application portal. After completing it, the form and all subsequent documentation will be submitted to the French TLS in Bangkok.

France TLS will collect your and your spouse’s biometrics, after which they will then forward the application to the French Embassy in Thailand. A government official will be appointed to review your application and decide whether or not to approve it. You will also be required to attend an interview at the embassy, where you will be asked questions about your relationship with your married partner and reasons for wanting to live in France.

This interview is to determine if your relationship is genuine, and that the purpose of your settlement visa is to live together in France and not illegal immigration. If you submit insufficient or incorrect evidence of your relationship or the interviewing officer is not satisfied with your answers, your visa will be denied. Future applications may also be jeopardized by this denial, so be sure to prepare thoroughly for the interview.

If the immigration officer is satisfied with your interview and your application is approved, they will send it back to the visa application center. You can choose whether to collect your passport (which will have the visa affixed to it) in person at the center or by requesting a courier service to drop it off at your address in Thailand.

What Siam Legal Can Do For You

If you are looking to apply for a settlement visa, then reach out to Siam Legal for professional assistance. With 20 years of experience helping both foreigners and locals secure immigration solutions quickly and efficiently, our professional law firm and visa consultancy in Thailand has the knowledge and expertise to streamline your application.

Our team of experts does this by making sure all required paperwork - including official documentation and photocopies - is properly prepared and in order before being submitted to the visa application center. Our support eliminates mistakes that could cause delays or rejection, and our expert guidance ensures a swift and hassle-free application experience.

Our French Settlement Visa services include:

• Extensive examination of your eligibility for the visa, taking into account factors such as financial records, employment history, and personal information.
• A consultation session hosted with our French Immigration Specialists for answers to any questions or concerns you may have regarding the visa.
• Detailed checklist highlighting all the required documents you and your spouse need for the application.
• Careful and accurate preparation of your documents, checking for errors before the documents are submitted.
• Frequent updates on the application status through correspondence with the relevant government agencies.
• Professional advice on how you can handle yourself during the interview if you need to attend one.

Contact Siam Legal today to streamline your French Settlement Visa application and secure a comfortable life with your married partner in France as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do you provide a checklist of documents needed for the application?

Yes, when requested, Siam Legal’s foreign visa team will provide you and your spouse with a checklist highlighting all the items needed for a French Spouse Visa. You can acquire all these documents while currently living in Thailand.

What is the current processing time for a French Spouse Visa?

The current French Spouse Visa processing time is 4 weeks on average. For some nationalities, the processing times may be longer. Citizens from the following countries will likely need to wait longer for their French visas:

• Africa: Algeria, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Somalia, Sudan, Zimbabwe
• Asia: Indonesia, North Korea, Philippines, Vietnam
• Europe: Belarus
• Middle East: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Yemen
• South America: Suriname

How much do you charge for your services?

For our comprehensive application services for the French Settlement Visa, we charge you a total of 46,500 baht plus value-added tax (VAT). This fee applies to our foreign visa services and does not include the cost of the actual visa or the application fee required by VFS France.

What can I do if my spouse’s application gets rejected?

If you received a refusal letter from immigration regarding your French Spouse Visa application, then contact Siam Legal’s foreign visa team for support. We will evaluate the reason for your application’s rejection and guide you smoothly through the reapplication procedure.