Le visa long séjour « vie privée et familiale – conjoint de français » : que faut-il savoir ?

May 5, 2025

The ‘private and family life – spouse of French national’ long-stay visa: what do you need to know?

Thanks to the growing development of multicultural relations, marriages between people of different nationalities are becoming increasingly common. The French are no exception.

However, when our clients have married abroad and want to move to France, questions automatically arise: « Is it possible? How can it be done? What do I have to do? Does my nationality affect the procedure for coming to France? »

In this article, Administra-vie will try to clear up your doubts, help you understand your situation better and, above all, your rights.

We are a company of immigration experts who can help you with all the steps you need to take, in complete security, confidence and transparency. If you would like to find out more, please visit our website. Contacting us is just a click away.

Here are a few things to remember

First of all, it's important to understand that a marriage between a French national and a foreign national is entirely possible. In this context, it is important to emphasise that, contrary to what certain speeches or even erroneous information provided by certain prefectures may lead you to believe, marriage can be celebrated without any problems, whether abroad or in France.

In other words, you do not have to get married in France for the marriage to be valid in that country. There are, however, some conditions that must be met.

Please note that the most important conditions, applicable to most countries outside the EU, are listed here. They may vary depending on your nationality. This information may therefore help to dispel any doubts and give you a starting point, but you should always make sure that your situation is in line with the procedure you are considering embarking upon.

The advantages of this visa

This visa is very attractive for two main reasons:

It is what is known as a visa as of right (de plein droit, in French). This means that if the conditions are met, it cannot be refused by the consulate of the country of residence.

It is one of the most comprehensive visas for settling in France, in that the foreign national is not required to have a job, and as long as the marriage lasts, the person's rights are very broad: he or she can work and travel within the Schengen area without any justification other than this visa (for the duration of the marriage, of course), it can be renewed quickly as long as the marriage lasts, and above all, after certain years of marriage, it gives the right to apply for French naturalisation.

The conditions of this visa

Although it has been established that the marriage can be celebrated abroad, for it to be valid in France, it must be recorded in the registers of the consular civil status office where the marriage took place. Otherwise, a full copy of the French marriage certificate is sufficient.

One of the most fundamental requirements is that the spouses demonstrate that they are living together. The aim is to detect fraudulent marriages designed to deceive the administrative authorities in order to obtain residence permits.

Tips for a successful application: the keys

Make sure your situation is in line with the conditions for the submission of this type of visa.

Ensure the quality of your file: gather all the necessary documents before your appointment at the consulate.

Take the time to prepare your file.

Provide all relevant originals and translations.

Administra-vie will support you from A to Z of the procedure. What does this mean?

Preparing the file, by helping you gather all the documents you need to have in your possession. Our experts will analyse them, put them in order and prepare the whole dossier for presentation to the consulate or embassy in your place of residence.
Our experts will take care of requesting the opinion in regards to the project to the Ministry of the Economy and Finance.
If you don't know what to do, they can help you make an appointment at the embassy or consulate of your place of residence.
They will go through all the steps with you, providing personalised support via telephone calls and e-mail consultations. Above all, Administra-vie does not charge by the hour, but a fixed total amount for the entire case.
If your visa is refused, we will advise you on your rights and what you can do administratively.

Would you like to find out more? Don't hesitate to consult our blog, which contains up-to-date information that may help you!

Still have questions?

Using the contact form on our website
By email: contact@administra-vie.com
By telephone:
+ 33 7 56 98 48 02
+ 33 7 56 98 57 46

We can assist you in French, English and Spanish! We work with integrity and dedication and offer reasonable rates depending on the procedure in question.

You don't live in the Alpes-Maritimes? Don't worry, Administra-vie operates throughout France and can assist you remotely.

You don't live in France? We also assist you remotely.

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