A France spouse visa from India follows one of three routes, costs €0 or €99 depending on the sponsor's status, and choosing the right one at the start saves months. Spouses of French citizens apply for a long-stay visa that is free of charge once the Indian marriage has been transcribed in the French civil registry, which takes two to six months. Spouses of talent card holders apply for the talent-family visa (€99) with or after the principal, with no income or housing test, and are decided in two to four weeks. Spouses of other foreign residents go through family reunification (€99), where the sponsor must have lived in France for 18 months, earn at least the SMIC of €22,404.20 and have adequate housing before OFII and the prefecture approve, which takes six to twelve months.
The compact version with the price card and checklist is on the France family visa route page. This article compares the three routes, explains transcription and the sponsor tests, and sets out where files fail.
Which France spouse visa route applies to you?
| Route | Sponsor | Conditions | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spouse of a French citizen (conjoint de Français) | French citizen | Valid marriage transcribed in the French civil registry; community of life; no fraud | Free visa; €225 card tax |
| Talent-family (famille de talent) | Talent card holder or applicant | Marriage and minor children; applied with or after the principal; no income or housing test | €99 visa; €225 card tax |
| Family reunification (regroupement familial) | Foreign resident with 18 months' residence and a permit of at least 1 year | Income at least the SMIC over 12 months (excluding benefits), housing of the local standard, OFII and prefecture approval | €99 visa; €225 card tax |
Identify the sponsor's status first. A spouse of a salarié permit holder who applies for a talent-family visa, or a spouse of a French citizen who applies as a visitor, is refused for using the wrong route. Civil partnerships (PACS) do not give a visa right but count towards a private and family life permit after a year in France.
How does marriage transcription work for spouses of French citizens?
A marriage celebrated in India is valid in French law only once it is transcribed. The French spouse files the Indian marriage certificate (registered under the Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act or the applicable personal law, apostilled through the Ministry of External Affairs and translated by a sworn translator), the certificat de capacité à mariage if it was obtained before the wedding, and both spouses' civil documents with the consulate in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Puducherry or Kolkata or the embassy in New Delhi. The consulate may interview the couple separately. Transcription takes two to six months and is free; a marriage celebrated without the prior certificate can still be transcribed after a hearing. Couples planning an Indian wedding should request the certificat de capacité à mariage first, which makes transcription much faster.
How much does it cost?
| Item | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Long-stay visa, spouse of a French citizen | Free | Fee exemption for spouses of French nationals |
| Long-stay visa, talent-family or family reunification | €99 | Per person; not refunded on refusal |
| Marriage transcription at the consulate | Free | Apostille of the Indian certificate and sworn translations extra |
| First residence card or VLS-TS validation | €225 (€200 tax + €25 stamp duty) | Within 3 months of arrival (VLS-TS) or on issue of the card |
| VFS Global service fee | Set by VFS | Per application |
Vistolane shows the applicable fee on the France destination page at the official rupee rate; where the visa is free, only the service fee is charged.
How is the family reunification sponsor tested?
The sponsor must have lived in France for 18 months with a residence permit of at least a year, must have earned at least the SMIC (€22,404.20 a year gross in 2026, higher for families of three or more) from work over the previous 12 months, excluding benefits, and must have housing that meets the local size standard. The sponsor files the application with OFII in France, the town hall inspects the housing, and the prefecture decides within six months, often longer. The approval is sent to the consulate, which then issues the visa in two to four weeks. If the sponsor qualifies for a talent card, switching the principal to that route lets the family skip the whole procedure.
How does the application run?
- Prepare the marriage documents: register the marriage in India, apostille the certificate through the MEA and obtain sworn French translations. Spouses of French citizens request transcription from the consulate.
- Sponsor's step: talent-family relies on the principal's talent application or card; family reunification needs the sponsor's OFII filing and the prefecture's approval sent to the consulate.
- Complete the France-Visas long-stay family route, book VFS, pay €99 (or nothing for spouses of French citizens) and give biometrics with the transcribed marriage certificate or the approval, passport and civil documents.
- The consulate decides in two to four weeks once the marriage is transcribed or the reunification approval is received.
- On arrival, validate the VLS-TS online within three months and pay €225, or apply on ANEF for the card; sign the republican integration contract (CIR) with OFII, which includes French classes where needed.
How long does it take from India?
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Apostille and translations | 2 to 6 weeks |
| Marriage transcription (spouse of a French citizen) | 2 to 6 months; start immediately after the wedding |
| Family reunification approval (OFII and prefecture) | 6 months, often longer |
| VFS appointment to visa | 2 to 4 weeks; talent-family decided with the principal |
| Arrival to card or validation | Within 3 months; €225 and the CIR appointment |
Where the sponsor is applying for a talent card, lodge the family file with the principal's; the France work visa guide explains the principal's timeline.
After arrival
Spouses on all three routes may work from arrival. Spouses of French citizens receive a one-year "vie privée et familiale" permit, then a multi-year card, and can apply for the ten-year resident card after three years of marriage and community of life, with French at the level set by the 2024 immigration law (A2 for the multi-year card, B1 for the resident card). Talent-family cards match the principal's card length. Reunified spouses hold a one-year permit renewable while the family life continues.
Citizenship by declaration is open to spouses of French citizens after four years of marriage (five if less than three years' residence in France) with French at B1 and no serious convictions; naturalisation for others needs five years' residence. India does not permit dual citizenship, so Indian citizens surrender the Indian passport and apply for an OCI card.
Why are France family visas refused, and what fixes each reason?
Marriage not transcribed or not recognised. The Indian marriage was not transcribed, the certificate lacked an apostille, or the consulate doubted the marriage after the interview. Complete the transcription first, submit apostilled and translated documents, and prepare both spouses for the interview on the same facts.
Family reunification conditions not met. Sponsor's income below the SMIC, housing too small, or less than 18 months' residence. Wait until the conditions are met or, if the sponsor can obtain a talent card, switch to the talent-family route.
Wrong route. A spouse of a salarié permit holder applied for a talent-family visa, or a spouse of a French citizen applied as a visitor. Identify the sponsor's status first and use the matching route.
Doubts about community of life. Long periods apart, inconsistent accounts, or a marriage shortly before the application. Provide a chronological relationship file with visits and communication and explain time apart.
Document inconsistencies. Names and dates differing between the passport, marriage certificate and birth certificate. Correct the Indian records before applying or provide affidavits explaining discrepancies.
How Vistolane handles it
Family routes on Vistolane go to a licence-checked immigration partner who manages the transcription or reunification steps and the France-Visas filing, with the applicable fee shown at the official rate. Start with the free eligibility check or the France family visa route page. Couples weighing other countries can compare the Germany spouse visa guide and the UK spouse visa guide.
