France · Spouse visas
France Spouse of a citizen
First stay: 1 yr
Long-stay visa valid as residence permit (VLS-TS) "private and family life / spouse of a French national"
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Spouse of a citizen is a spouse visas route for France. You can work locally. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- First stay
- 1 yr
Time and long term
RenewalRenewable
The VLS-TS covers up to the first year, then a 2-year multi-year card follows, and a 10-year resident card after 3 years of stay.
Permanent residenceAfter 3 years of residence
A 10-year resident card can be requested after 3 years of stay if the marriage is at least 3 years old and the couple still lives together; it also needs B1 French and the civic exam.
CitizenshipAfter 4 years of marriage
A foreign spouse can apply for nationality after 4 years of marriage, or 5 years if you lived in France less than 3 years and the spouse was not registered with a consulate abroad.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
Apply for the VLS-TS at the French consulate; someone who entered with a short-stay visa and married in France can request the card in France.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports, or passports from Algeria
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- Applicant is a non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss national married to a French citizen.
- The marriage was celebrated by a French registrar, or a foreign marriage is transcribed in the French civil registers at Nantes.
- The community of life with the spouse has not ceased since the marriage.
- The French spouse has kept French nationality, and the applicant is not in a polygamous situation.
Documents1
- Transcription of the marriage certificate if the marriage was celebrated abroad.
Steps2
- Apply for the VLS-TS "spouse of French national" at the French consulate in the country of residence.
- Validate the VLS-TS online within 3 months of arrival and pay the validation fee on top of the visa fee.
After you arrive3
- After one year, request a multi-year "private and family life" residence card, valid 2 years.
- After three years of stay, a 10-year resident card can be requested, if the community of life continues.
- After four years of marriage the spouse can apply for French nationality.
When you become tax resident
How France decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
1 year at first, renewable
- Tax residence
Tax domicile rules in Art. 4 B CGI.
- Income tax
Progressive scale per family-quotient share: 0% to EUR11,600, (≈ $13,000) 11% to EUR29,579, (≈ $33,000) 30% to EUR84,577, (≈ $94,500) 41% to EUR181,917 (≈ $203,000) and 45% above, set by Finance Act 2026-103 of 19 February 2026.
All tax rules for France Tax records checked
Full official text
For the non-EU spouse of a French citizen. It gives a one-year long-stay visa valid as a residence permit with the right to work, then a two-year multi-year card, and a 10-year resident card after three years. 1
Requirements
- Applicant is a non-EU, non-EEA, non-Swiss national married to a French citizen. 1
- The marriage was celebrated by a French registrar, or a foreign marriage is transcribed in the French civil registers at Nantes. 1
- The community of life with the spouse has not ceased since the marriage. 1
- The French spouse has kept French nationality, and the applicant is not in a polygamous situation. 1
- Transcription of the marriage certificate if the marriage was celebrated abroad. 1
- Apply for the VLS-TS "spouse of French national" at the French consulate in the country of residence. 1
- Validate the VLS-TS online within 3 months of arrival and pay the validation fee on top of the visa fee. 1
- After one year, request a multi-year "private and family life" residence card, valid 2 years. 1
- After three years of stay, a 10-year resident card can be requested, if the community of life continues. 1
- After four years of marriage the spouse can apply for French nationality. 1
Stay
- VLS-TS valid generally up to 1 year; then a 2-year multi-year residence card after one year, and a 10-year resident card after three years of stay. Entering on a short-stay visa and marrying in France allows a "private and family life" card after 6 months of life together.
- Initial permitted stay: 12 months.
- Visa validity: 12 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals; Algerian nationals follow the bilateral agreement. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Work in France allowed with the residence permit.
Official sources
- Can a foreign spouse of a French national stay in France? · Service-Public.gouv.fr · checked 2026-10-12
- 10-year resident card of a foreigner in France · Service-Public.gouv.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative) · checked 2026-10-11
Spouse of a citizen and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a citizen | – | 1 yr, renewable | Yes |
| Spouse of a resident | Needs income of €1,867+ a month ≈ $2,090 | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Spouse of a citizen Portugal | – | – | – |
| Spouse of a resident Spain | Needs income of €900+ a month ≈ $1,010 | – | Yes |
| Spouse of a resident Georgia | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How long can I stay on the Spouse of a citizen?
VLS-TS valid generally up to 1 year; then a 2-year multi-year residence card after one year, and a 10-year resident card after three years of stay.
Can I work on the Spouse of a citizen?
Yes. Work in France allowed with the residence permit.
Who can apply for the Spouse of a citizen?
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals; Algerian nationals follow the bilateral agreement. Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Spouse of a citizen lead to permanent residence in France?
Time on the Spouse of a citizen counts toward permanent residence in France, which the rules allow after 3 years of residence. Time on the Spouse of a citizen counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 4 years of marriage.
How are Spouse of a citizen holders taxed in France?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Spouse of a citizen. The standard rules apply: Progressive scale per family-quotient share: 0% to EUR11,600, (≈ $13,000) 11% to EUR29,579, (≈ $33,000) 30% to EUR84,577, (≈ $94,500) 41% to EUR181,917 (≈ $203,000) and 45% above, set by Finance Act 2026-103 of 19 February 2026.
More in France
Spouse and partner visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
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How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 2 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Can a foreign spouse of a French national stay in France? · Service-Public.gouv.fr · checked 2026-10-12
- 10-year resident card of a foreigner in France · Service-Public.gouv.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.