Application for VLS-TS: Step Three in the French Marriage Process

I’m going to be honest with you: after everything that came before this, the eight weeks for the certificat, the waiting for the transcription, the silence that felt loaded, the visa application itself was the quickest piece of the entire puzzle.

From my appointment at the visa centre in Chicago to my passport arriving back at my door with the visa inside was eight days. Eight days. In the French administration realm, that might be a record.

The France-Visas Portal

Your starting point for everything related to your visa application is france-visas.gouv.fr. This is the official French government portal where you will create your account, complete your application, upload your documents, book your appointment, and track your application once it has been submitted. Create your account before you do anything else. You can save your progress throughout the application and return to it as many times as you need.

How the Application Works

The application form is completed entirely online. You will be asked a range of questions covering your personal information, your plans in France, your intended date of entry, who you will be living with, and how you will support yourself financially during your stay.

The process moves through several sections in order:

• Your plans — make sure your passport number is correct in this section because you cannot go back and change it. I made this mistake and ended up paying the application fee twice. The agent at my appointment was kind enough to waive the express delivery fee to make up for it, but save yourself the headache and double check before you submit.
• Your personal information
• Your visa type
• Your last visa if applicable
• Your planned date of entry — note that this will likely become the date on your visa so make sure it is accurate
• Your contacts in France, who you will be staying with and who will be financially responsible for you
• A recap overview before you submit
• Document uploads
• Your appointment booking

Once the application is complete, print your application form and your registration receipt. You will need both at your appointment along with all supporting documents.

Important: Visa applications cannot be submitted more than three months before your intended date of entry for a long-stay visa.

Documents You Will Need For Your Appointment

• Your signed and dated application form
• Your passport
• Your France-Visas registration receipt
• An ID photograph
• Your copie intégrale de l’acte de mariage — your official French marriage certificate from the transcription process
• A copy of the wedding page and the following two pages of your livret de famille

Pro tip: Bring extra copies of everything. At my appointment, the second agent asked for a copy of my passport that was not on the official list. Because I had extras, it was not a problem. If I hadn’t, it could have been. There was a photo copy machine in the space, but I had no spare change and I didn’t see if it took cards or not. 

Booking Your Appointment

In-person appointments are no longer handled at the Embassy level. Since my application in 2020, the process has changed, VFS Global, which handled appointments when I went through this, has been replaced by TLScontact in the United States.

Check france-visas.gouv.fr for the current list of appointment centres near you and to book your slot. You can change your appointment date and time once if needed.

The Fee

As the spouse of a French national, the VLS-TS visa itself is free. There is however a visa application centre fee for the in-person appointment, paid directly to TLScontact when you book. This fee is the same regardless of visa category, there is no separate rate for spouse applicants.

When I applied in 2020 through VFS Global this was $28.95. TLScontact has since taken over in the United States and the current service fee is approximately €40–55. Fees change, so verify the exact current amount directly on france-visas.gouv.fr or on the TLScontact website before your appointment. It is non-refundable once your biometric data has been collected, so make sure your appointment is confirmed before you pay.

The visa fee and the TLScontact service fee are the only costs at this stage. Further fees come later, the OFII stamp fee after you arrive in France, and eventually your first residence permit. I cover both of those in the next steps of this series.

Note: France significantly increased residence permit fees effective May 1, 2026. If your first permit application is coming up, read the full breakdown before you file.

The Day of Your Appointment

I had read the reviews of the Chicago location online before my appointment and was genuinely nervous. They were not encouraging. But my experience was the complete opposite, the staff were helpful and informative, the process was straightforward, and there were no surprises.

A few practical things to know before you go:

• You will not be allowed up to the office until fifteen minutes before your scheduled appointment time. If you arrive earlier, you will be asked to wait downstairs.
• Anyone who comes with you will not be allowed into the appointment, they will need to wait in the lobby or nearby. My dad waited around the corner at a Starbucks while I went in alone.

The whole process took about 45 minutes. When you check in at the front desk you will be given a number. Screens throughout the waiting area display who is currently being helped and who is next. When your number comes up it will tell you which counter to go to.

At the counter, the agent will ask for your application and supporting documents, ask you questions about why you are applying, who you are joining in France, and what you will be doing there. When that is done they will walk you through next steps and give you a receipt with your application reference number, this is what you use to track your application status on the TLScontact website.

After that you will be called to a separate room to have your biometrics taken. Your photo, fingerprints, and eye scan. A second agent will verify your information. When that is done, you are free to leave.

Eight days later, my passport arrived at my door with a visa sticker inside it. I booked my flight before the end of the month.

Keep in mind this was in 2019 and wait times can change. Be prepared for any amount of timeframe. 

One Critical Step After You Arrive in France

This is something I want to flag clearly because it is easy to miss in the excitement of finally arriving: within three months of entering France on your VLS-TS, you must validate your visa online through the official government portal. This is not optional. Skipping this step has consequences for your status in France.

I have a full post walking you through exactly what to do and when, head there before you land so you know what is coming.