FranceFamily

Residence permit for the spouse of a French national in France

A residence permit for a foreign national from a country outside the European Union who is married to a French citizen. The «vie privée et familiale» card allows you to live and work in France, and then to move on to a resident card and to French citizenship.

Source: Service-Public.fr — the official French administration portal

Who can obtain it

The basis is marriage to a French national, recognised by the French state. What you have to do depends on the visa the foreign national entered the country with and on their nationality.

General conditions

Nationality of a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland
Marriage to a French citizen
The marriage was celebrated by a French civil registrar or transcribed into the French civil status registers
Life together (communauté de vie) has not been interrupted since the date of the marriage
The spouse has retained French citizenship
The applicant is not in a polygamous marriage
The card allows work: the employer does not need a separate work permit

The standard route: the VLS-TS visa

The long-stay VLS-TS visa «vie privée et familiale / conjoint de Français» is arranged at the French consulate in the country of residence
As a rule the visa is issued for no more than 1 year
In the first year the visa takes the place of the residence card
The visa has to be validated within 3 months of entry and the tax paid
In the second year the application for the multi-year «vie privée et familiale» card is filed

Entry without a long-stay visa

Lawful entry on a short-stay visa, or without a visa if your nationality exempts you from one
The marriage to the French national was celebrated in France
Genuine life together in France — at least 6 months
A temporary residence card for 1 year is issued
The temporary card cannot be renewed more than 3 times in a row on the same grounds

Separate rules by nationality

Algerian nationals enter on a visa, and a short-stay one is enough
An Algerian national requests a residence certificate for 1 year marked «vie privée et familiale»
After 1 year of marriage an Algerian national can obtain a residence certificate for 10 years
Tunisian nationals arrange a VLS-TS as in the general case
A Tunisian national can request a 10-year resident card after just 1 year of marriage

What it costs

Tax on the long-stay VLS-TS visa (paid on validation)	300 EUR
Stamp duty for the first issue of the residence card	350 EUR
Stamp duty for renewing the residence card	250 EUR
Duplicate residence card	+350 EUR
Visa fee for regularising entry without a long-stay visa	+300 EUR
Stamp duty on the declaration of acquisition of French citizenship	+255 EUR
Total government feesThe sum of the mandatory rows in the table. “Duplicate residence card” adds 350 EUR; “Visa fee for regularising entry without a long-stay visa” adds 300 EUR; “Stamp duty on the declaration of acquisition of French citizenship” adds 255 EUR.	900–1 805 EUR

Documents to gather

The application is filed online, so all documents are uploaded electronically and have to be legible. Civil status documents in a foreign language are accompanied by a translation by a sworn translator, and in some cases require an apostille or legalisation at a French consulate.

A copy of the passport pages with the visa and the entry stamp, or with the entry stamp alone, or a certificate of exemption from an entry visa, or a valid residence card
Evidence of nationality: passport, a consular certificate with a photograph, an identity document with a photograph, a consular card with a photograph, or a certificate of nationality no more than 6 months old
A full copy of the birth certificate with the latest marginal notes; where necessary, the court decision on its transcription
The e-photo digital photograph code from an accredited photographer or photo booth
Evidence of the address of residence, no more than 6 months old
Evidence of the spouse's French citizenship: a valid passport, a national identity card or a certificate of French citizenship no more than 6 months old
A full copy of the marriage certificate, or the transcription of a marriage certificate for a marriage celebrated abroad
A joint sworn declaration of life together and documents evidencing it: the tenancy agreement, electricity bills, bank details
A sworn declaration that there is no polygamy in France — for nationals of countries where polygamy is permitted
If life together has been interrupted by death or violence: the death certificate, a police report, a divorce decision on the fault of the spouse, or a conviction of the spouse for violence
A signed copy of the undertaking to respect the principles of the Republic
Proof of payment of the stamp duty — produced when the card is handed over
The OFII medical certificate — produced when the card is handed over

How the process runs

What to do in the general case: entry on a long-stay visa, then the move to a multi-year card and on to a resident card. All applications for residence titles are filed online through the ANEF portal.

1
Marry and have the marriage recognised in France
The marriage has to be celebrated by a French civil registrar. If the ceremony took place abroad, the certificate must be transcribed into the French civil status registers — the central civil status service in Nantes. Without transcription the marriage is not recognised in France.
2
Obtain the VLS-TS visa at the consulate
as a rule, up to 1 year
The application for the long-stay visa «vie privée et familiale / conjoint de Français» is filed with the French consular authorities in the country of residence. The visa allows you to stay in France for its whole period of validity and removes the need to arrange a residence card in the first year.
3
Validate the visa after entry
3 months from the date of arrival
Validation is done online, and at the same time the tax is paid, which is added to the visa fee. Once validated, the stay counts as lawful and you can cross the Schengen border again.
4
File the application for the multi-year card
no earlier than 4 months and no later than 2 months before the document expires
The application is filed online on the ANEF portal. Immediately after filing, an electronic certificate acknowledging the file is issued. The stamp duty is €350: a €50 stamp fee and a €300 tax.
5
Collect the card at the prefecture
2 years
The prefecture notifies you that the title is ready. The card is handed over at the prefecture or sub-prefecture for your place of residence, and most prefectures require an appointment. When it is handed over you produce proof of payment of the stamp duty and the OFII medical certificate.
6
Move to the 10-year resident card
10 years
After 3 years of residence and with a marriage lasting at least 3 years you can request a resident card. The application is filed 2 months before the current title expires. In addition the authorities check French at level B1 and passing the civics exam marked «carte de résident»; people over 65 are exempt from these requirements. The card is valid for 10 years and is renewable, but lapses if the holder has left France for more than 3 years in a row.

Timelines and rights

Work

The residence permit gives the right to work in France, and also to travel within the Schengen area and beyond it.

Who you can bring with you

The programme is designed for the foreign spouse themselves. For minor foreign children living in France there is a separate travel document.

The spouse — a French national

Has to have been French on the day of the marriage and to retain citizenship at the time of filing. This is evidenced by a valid passport, a national identity card or a certificate of French citizenship no more than 6 months old.

Minor foreign children living in France

For travel outside France a document de circulation pour étranger mineur (DCEM) is arranged. The document is issued for a maximum of 5 years and is produced together with the passport. The application is filed by the parent holding a valid residence card, and the stamp duty is €50.

An applicant who has been widowed or has suffered spousal violence

The requirement of continuous life together is waived. A death certificate, a police report, a divorce decision on the fault of the spouse or a conviction of the spouse for violence is required.

Renewal and the grace period

The renewal application is filed online through ANEF no earlier than 4 months and no later than 2 months before the current document expires. The stamp duty on renewal is €250: a €50 stamp fee and a €200 tax. On the move from a temporary card to the first multi-year card, republican integration is checked: attendance and diligence in the training under the CIR contract, French at level A2 and passing the civics exam marked «carte de séjour pluriannuelle»; people over 65 are exempt from the language and civics exams. The temporary card cannot be renewed more than 3 times in a row on the same grounds. The multi-year card is issued for between 2 and 4 years. Renewal may be refused if the applicant cannot evidence habitual residence in France: the centre of personal and family interests moved to France plus at least 6 months of stay during the calendar year. A holder of the multi-year card who has been married to a French national for at least 3 years is entitled to request a resident card 2 months before the current title expires.

What comes next: permanent residence and citizenship

Route to citizenship

After 4 years of marriage the spouse can apply for French citizenship.

Frequently asked questions about Residence permit for the spouse of a French national

How long is the card issued for to the spouse of a French national, and what comes next?

In the first year of stay the status is provided by the long-stay VLS-TS visa: as a rule it is valid for no more than 1 year and removes the need to arrange a residence card. After 1 year of residence the spouse of a French national requests a multi-year «vie privée et familiale» card for 2 years. After 3 years of residence it becomes possible to request a 10-year resident card. All these titles are issued on condition that the spouses' life together has not ended.

Does the card give the right to work in France?

Yes. The «vie privée et familiale» residence title allows you to work in France and to travel within Europe and beyond it. The employer does not need to request a separate work permit. The 10-year resident card also gives the right to work without a separate permit.

What do the first card and its renewal cost?

The first issue costs €350: a €50 stamp fee and a €300 tax, paid in tax stamps. Renewal costs €250: a €50 stamp fee and a €200 tax. Proof of payment is produced when the card is handed over. The tax stamp is bought online or at a tobacconist's; Carte bleue, Visa and Mastercard are accepted, while payment through PayPal and American Express is not.

When should the application be filed so as not to miss the deadline?

The application is filed online no earlier than 4 months and no later than 2 months before the visa, VLS-TS or card expires. Filing is done on the ANEF portal, and an electronic certificate acknowledging the file is issued as soon as it is sent. The card is handed over at the prefecture or sub-prefecture for your place of residence, and most prefectures require an appointment.

Do I have to evidence a knowledge of French?

Yes, on the move to the multi-year card. Republican integration is checked: attendance and diligence in the training under the CIR republican integration contract, French at level A2 and passing the civics exam marked «carte de séjour pluriannuelle». Applicants over 65 are exempt from the language and civics exams.

What are the conditions for the 10-year resident card?

The resident card is issued if the marriage to a French national has lasted at least 3 years (for Tunisian nationals, at least 1 year), life together is genuine, the spouse has retained French citizenship and a marriage celebrated abroad has been transcribed into the French civil status registers. French at level B1 and the civics exam marked «carte de résident» are required, except for applicants over 65. The stamp duty is €350. Where entry was without a long-stay visa, a €300 visa fee for regularisation is added, of which €100 is paid on filing and is not refunded. Where the application is filed late, a visa fee of €180 is charged. The card is valid for 10 years and is renewable, but lapses if you are absent from France for more than 3 years in a row.

After how many years of marriage can I apply for French citizenship?

The declaration of French citizenship by marriage is filed after 4 years of marriage, if the applicant has lived in France continuously since the wedding. If less than 3 years have been spent in France and the French spouse was not entered in the consular registers, 5 years of marriage are required. A valid residence title, continuous life together and a sufficient command of French are needed. The fee is €255, and €127.50 in Guiana. Cerfa form no. 15277 is completed in duplicate and signed by both spouses. The spouses are called for an interview, after which a receipt is issued. The ministry has 1 year to refuse to register the declaration, or 2 years if objection proceedings have been started.

What can I do if the prefecture refuses?

If the applicant meets the conditions for issue, the prefect has to seek the opinion of the residence titles commission before refusing. The summons to the hearing is sent at least 15 days in advance. At the hearing you may be accompanied by a lawyer or another representative and an interpreter, and in certain conditions you may obtain legal aid. With an express refusal the decision comes as a reasoned letter and is usually accompanied by an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF); the deadline for applying to the administrative court is 48 hours, 15 days or 30 days depending on the type of OQTF. If the prefecture has not answered within 4 months, that is an implied refusal, which can be challenged within 2 months.

Do special rules apply to Algerian and Tunisian nationals?

Yes. An Algerian national enters France on a visa, and a short-stay one is enough, and while it is valid requests the Algerian residence certificate for 1 year marked «vie privée et familiale». After 1 year of marriage, with genuine life together, they can obtain a residence certificate for 10 years. A Tunisian national arranges a long-stay VLS-TS visa as in the general case, and after 1 year of marriage can request a 10-year resident card.

Can the card be obtained if the marriage was celebrated in France on a short-stay visa?

Yes, if three conditions are met: lawful entry to France on a short-stay visa, or without a visa if your nationality exempts you from one; the marriage to the French national was celebrated in France; and genuine life together in France has lasted at least 6 months. In that case a temporary residence card is issued for 1 year. The temporary card cannot be renewed more than 3 times in a row on the same grounds.

Other ways to move to France

Every route in one list — migration programmes: France.

The terms and the amounts are checked against official sources — the link sits under each section.Last checked on: 7 August 2026.