Three routes bring an Indian spouse to France. Spouses of French citizens apply for a free long-stay visa once the marriage is transcribed in the French civil registry. Spouses of talent card holders apply for the talent-family visa alongside the principal. Spouses of other foreign residents go through family reunification, where the sponsor in France must have lived there 18 months and show income and housing before OFII and the prefecture approve the visa (€99).
Which family route applies? If your spouse is a French citizen: the 'conjoint de Français' long-stay visa, free of charge, after the Indian marriage is transcribed at the French consulate. If your spouse holds or is applying for a talent card: the talent-family visa (€99), lodged with or after the principal's application, with no income test. If your spouse holds another residence permit (salarié, student with a job, etc.): family reunification (regroupement familial), which the sponsor starts with OFII in France after 18 months of residence.
What does it cost? No visa fee for spouses of French citizens; €99 for talent-family and family reunification visas, paid in rupees at VFS, plus the VFS service fee. After arrival, spouses of French citizens and reunified family members pay €225 (€200 tax plus €25 stamp duty) to validate the VLS-TS or receive the first card; talent-family cards cost €225 as well. Marriage transcription at the consulate is free; apostilles and translations are extra.
How long does it take from India? Transcription of an Indian marriage by the French consulate takes two to six months and is the long pole for spouses of French citizens; the visa itself follows in two to four weeks. Talent-family visas are decided with the principal's file in two to four weeks. Family reunification takes six to twelve months: OFII and the town hall check housing and income, the prefecture decides, and the consulate then issues the visa.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Routes | Spouse of a French citizen; talent-family; family reunification (regroupement familial) |
| Government fee | Free for spouses of French citizens; €99 for talent-family and family reunification |
| Marriage | Indian marriage must be transcribed at the French consulate for the spouse-of-French route |
| Sponsor test (reunification) | 18 months' residence, income at least the SMIC, adequate housing; none for talent-family |
| Language | No test for the visa; French A2 for the multi-year card and B1 for the 10-year card under the 2024 law |
| Processing | 2 to 4 weeks after transcription; reunification 6 to 12 months |
| Work | Spouses may work from arrival on all three routes |
| Where to apply | France-Visas online, then VFS Global in India |
| 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 |
For spouses of French citizens the marriage, if celebrated in India, must first be transcribed: the French spouse files the Indian marriage certificate, the certificat de capacité à mariage (if obtained before the wedding) and civil documents with the consulate, which may interview the couple; transcription is what makes the marriage valid in French law. A marriage without the prior certificate can still be transcribed after a hearing. Civil partnerships (PACS) do not give a visa right but count towards a private and family life permit after a year in France.
Family reunification requires the sponsor to have lived in France for 18 months with a permit of at least a year, to earn at least the SMIC (€22,404.20 a year gross in 2026, higher for larger families) from work over the previous 12 months, and to have housing meeting the local size standard. The application is filed with OFII in France, the town hall inspects the housing, and the prefecture decides within six months. Talent-family applications skip all of this.
| 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 price card at the official rupee rate; where the visa is free only the service fee is charged.
| Stage | Typical time | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Apostille and translations | 2 to 6 weeks | MEA apostille via authorised agencies; sworn translator |
| Marriage transcription (spouse of French citizen) | 2 to 6 months | Interview possible; start immediately after the wedding |
| Family reunification approval (OFII and prefecture) | 6 months, often longer | Sponsor's step in France |
| VFS appointment to visa | 2 to 4 weeks | Talent-family decided with the principal |
| Arrival to card or validation | Within 3 months | €225; CIR appointment with OFII |
Couples planning a wedding in India can shorten the route by obtaining the certificat de capacité à mariage from the consulate beforehand, which makes transcription faster.
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.
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| Passport and photos | Valid 3 months beyond the visa; previous passports |
| Marriage certificate | Registered in India, apostilled, with sworn French translation; transcription record for spouses of French citizens |
| Birth certificate | Apostilled and translated; non-availability certificate with affidavits where none exists |
| Relationship evidence | Photos, visits, communication; the consulate may interview both spouses |
| France-Visas form, receipt and appointment letter | Long-stay family route |
| Document | Standard the officer applies |
|---|---|
| French ID or passport, or residence permit | Talent card or application receipt for talent-family |
| Reunification approval (regroupement familial) | Prefecture decision sent to the consulate |
| Proof of address | Utility bill or lease less than 6 months old |
| Income evidence (reunification only) | 12 months of pay slips and the last tax notice |
The Indian marriage was not transcribed, the certificate lacked an apostille, or the consulate doubted the marriage after the interview.
The fix. Complete the transcription first, submit apostilled and translated documents, and prepare both spouses for the interview on the same facts.
Sponsor's income below the SMIC, housing too small, or less than 18 months' residence.
The fix. Wait until the conditions are met or, if the sponsor can obtain a talent card, switch to the talent-family 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.
The fix. Identify the sponsor's status first and use the matching route.
Long periods apart, inconsistent accounts, or a marriage shortly before the application.
The fix. Provide a chronological relationship file with visits and communication and explain time apart.
Names and dates differing between the passport, marriage certificate and birth certificate.
The fix. Correct the Indian records before applying or provide affidavits explaining discrepancies.
Yes. Spouses of French nationals are exempt from the long-stay visa fee. The marriage must first be transcribed at the French consulate, and the €225 tax is paid on the first residence permit in France.
Two to six months, depending on the consulate and whether an interview is needed. Obtaining the certificat de capacité à mariage before the wedding speeds it up.
Not for spouses of French citizens or talent card holders. Family reunification sponsors must earn at least the SMIC over 12 months, have adequate housing and 18 months of residence.
Yes, on all three routes, from arrival: spouses of French citizens, talent-family card holders and reunified family members all have full access to employment.
Family routes on Vistolane go to a licence-checked immigration partner who manages the transcription or reunification steps and the France-Visas filing; the applicable fee is shown at the official rate.