Question:
Dear Alex,
My partner and I are looking to move to France but are really confused about whether we have enough money to be accepted into the country after Brexit.
Our situation is that I am 55 and on a drawdown. pension which will expire in 2025 whereupon then my partner's pension will then kick into action. All told we have around £50,000 inclusive of my pension and once our house is sold we will be purchasing a house in France outright.
We are also looking to acquire a gite to renovate and rent out. Neither of us work at present (through choice).
We would be living on £50,000 for 2 years until my partner's pension comes into play when he is 55.
Would our respectives situations suit entry to the country?
Thank you very much for any information you can supply in this regard.
Kind regards, Ann-Marie.
Answer:
Hi Ann-Marie,
Many thanks for your message,
Obviously I am not an expert on these matters, but I understand that the minimum income requirement is 2,273 euros per month for a couple without children. As fas as I know there are not rules around savings, but here is some further info about visas along with a link to the French government website, which hopefully will be useful to you,
VLS-T (Visiteur) – The visa de long séjour temporaire ‘visiteur’ (VLS-T Visiteur) entitles you to stay for between three and six months, so this is the visa type that will be most useful to second home owners hoping to spend the warmer months of the year in France. You must leave France when it runs out but can reapply on an annual basis from the UK.
VLS-TS (Visiteur) – The visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour ‘visiteur’ (VLS-TS Visiteur) entitles you to stay for between six months and a year and is equivalent to a residence permit. This is the type of visa that will be particularly useful to people who want to try out France before moving there, although it does not permit you to work. On arrival in France, you must validate this visa through the French immigration office (OFII). You will have to pay a fee understood to be around €200 and the OFII reserves the right to call you for a meeting to carry out other formalities such as a medical examination and/or welcome visit. In the two months before the VLS-TS expires, you have the option of submitting a residence permit application to your local préfecture.
What are the requirements?
To obtain either of these long-stay visas, you must apply online and undergo an interview at a French Consular office in London, Manchester or Edinburgh. Both types of visa cost €99 (about £86) and there may also be a smaller service fee. You’ll be required to provide several documents and assurances, including that you won’t engage in any professional activity during your stay.
If your spouse or long-term partner is an EU citizen, you will still to apply for a visa but it likely that it will be more straightforward than if you are not in such a relationship.
At the interview, you will need to:
- Show your passport was issued less than 10 years ago and that it will still be valid at least three months after the expiry date of the visa you’re requesting
- Provide a passport photo
- Promise not to undertake any professional activity in France and prove your socio-economic situation (eg working/retired)
- Show you have travel health insurance for the duration of the visa’s validity
- Provide proof of your property title or rental agreement. If you are staying with hosts, you must prove that they are resident in France.
- Provide the last three months’ worth of bank statements for your UK current account, showing your full name and address, and proving you have enough funds for the whole duration of the trip (see below), or traveller’s cheques presenting the same guarantees. If you are financially sponsored by your spouse/partner, you must provide a marriage certificate and your partner’s bank statements.
Cdlt et Regards, SHARON.
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