Moving to France as Spouse of an Irish passport holder

Moving to or from France
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Hi All

I have searched topics but i havent found anything relevant only pre brexit.

Looked at links from Gov websites but seems conflicting info.

Background we live in Spain with permanent residency. Thinking of relocating depending on conditions for moving.

Husband has an irish passport ( uk citizen) i am uk citizen uk passport.

  1. I understand despite it saying i can move and have the same rights as my husband i need to apply for a long stay visa.
    Yet when i checked the visa application tool it says a visa not necessary if i have as a foreign national a long term residence permit.

Main query is if i came on my Spanish TIE its presumably three months( tourist ) in which time i need to apply for my CDS. The worry is i understand it can take a long time in which case would i be illegally staying once over the three months. ?

Again checking the financial requirements which i understand are different for the spouse of an EU citizen as opposed to a UK citizen post brexit?

I keep being advised of different amounts but a government link someone kindly sent me stated 897.00 as a couple. ( Have more and will own our house have savings ) however i do not want to move and be refused residency.

Sorry for the long post, maybe there will be an EU passport holder has moved post brexit with non EU spouse.

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The fact that you are a Spanish resident with TIE as far as I understand is irrelevant as this grants no freedom of movement in other EU countries.

Essentially your part er has freedom of movement to come here and you can join him visa free for 3 months. During that time you have to apply for a carte de résident, amd the receipt you get when you apply is all the proof you need.

Here is official link. Also look up a post by Geoffrey Croshaw (sp) who has just done this

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This thread may also help


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Whoops, sorry forgot your more recent experience.

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Thanks George , i dont understand why Geoffrey had to pay 200e. Apart from the fact it should be free as spouse of an EU member. I slso thought they could not charge anymore than they do to a national for their identity card. Do French citizens psy 200e?

Thank you for the referrals to the appropriate eu sections. Seems a minefield.

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Is this perhaps another useful link ?.. it definitely says the CdS should be free for a non-european family member accompanying or joining the European family member
 but that it must be officially applied for within 3 months of arrival
 and a “confirmation of application” will be issued to prove compliance.

click on the Autre Nationalité and it gives drop-down sections which explain how to proceed.

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Fortunately it is the only case (at least I’ve ever heard of) where this has been reported as happening. Geoffrey has been strongly encouraged to seek a refund


There is absolutely no question or any doubt in my mind that the CdS is totally free. I personally would go fully armed with appropriate evidence from the website (eg the one that @Stella kindly linked to) and the extract from the actual regulation stating the CdS should be free etc (that I’ve quoted from/previously posted screenshots in the main thread on this topic). Let me know if you can’t find it (the regulation). Personally I’d be very surprised indeed if any other prefecture even attempts to argue that the CdS is anything other than it being free of charge. Do let us know how you get on.

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Thank you for the link Stella, just looking for as much info as possible. I am in touch with Fabien regarding applying but still get different answers lol so its a bit worrying. Still he has been recommended on a few sites and i would think knows his stuff :slight_smile: :laughing::laughing:

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For visa applications it is not Fabien, or his registered and insured business, but people he collaborates with. They are a separate hand holding service and these services are completely unregulated here.

So I recommend people do their own research, double check everything and do not rely on anything other than published official information - in French not google translate which gets stuff wrong. By all means use a hand-holder if one doesn’t feel confident going it alone. But make sure you understand exactly the process and what they are doing in your name at every step.

(Most things it is actually quite easy to so it yourself, the hard bit is working out what to do!)

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Hi Jane,
thanks i totally understand what you mean and here in Spain i have done nearly all thinks myself.
However not a word of French and going by some of the stories i am not confident i could do it. Plus i can only read the info by translating which as you say can mistranslate .

For example, i am still in a quandry over visa or not visa. I have gone on the french gov visa wizard. If i say spouse of an EU citizen and ask about short stay, it says not needed though i will be asked by border guards for ie health insurance , means of rturn flight etc, accommodation and 32.50 a day for length of 3 months. Long stay it said required BUT not if i have a long term residence card from another EU state. ( i know not FOM but it allows me to move to france sin visa and apply for CDS ) However it then states purpose of visit, nothing seems to apply as not family renuification , if i put visitor it then states i need supporting docs, ie passport, prooof o income etc and to pay 99e, not that i mind 99e but i was under the impression no visa needed. I really fell like going around in circles .

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Hi,
if you click on the link Stella put up you can change it to English

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Hope this helps.

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Thanks Wozza though i think its still done via Google translate ? will have a look.

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The European commission official website, as well as the respective Government sites (including France) 
 offer a choice of language
 it’s built into their websites


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thank you Stella good to know. I messaged embassy Madrid who confired i dont need a visa, but of course need to apply for CDS after 3 months . So at least from the horses mouth so to speak

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Hi there @Tranmere 

Regardless of what Spain says
 I think you should apply for the French CdS as soon as you arrive in France
 it does say on the French Gov site that application should be made within those first 3 months
 (thus not to wait until 3 months have elapsed before applying
 or you’ll fall foul of the penalty 200€ for late-application)

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I’d reccommend getting the application docs together so you’re ready to whack in the Application within days/weeks of your arrival here in France 


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Think of that but it seemed to suggest i had to do the three months first.

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You would not be the very first person to come to France with the intention of a short stay, which is helpfully visa free. You may very well be struck by a ‘Damascene’ conversion, very shortly after arrival, and decide France is the place you and your EU spouse want to settle in. As @Stella says you then bang in your pre prepared CdS application. Inevitably it will initially involve an online booking for an appointment which is possibly several months hence, but they send you a waiver of the usual EU 90/180 day counting rules in the interim.

I would be fascinated to hear whether anyone travelling with an EU passport holder is actually stopped at the border and grilled as to their intentions! Obviously you’d definitely want to have all the relevant details of your health insurance, income etc to hand just in case, but I’m sceptical you actually be stopped, or at least you be quite unlucky


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It must be stressful for you
 trying to make head and tail of all the information 


Whatever you decide to do
 I wish you well. :+1: :+1:

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Thank you , just so much conflicting info. Jane is correct i need to do research but forums like Survive France help enormously. As ie yourself , George etc giving links to Government info. Real life experiences from members :slight_smile:

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Morning George

It will be a good few months yet before we can make the move but i will update as and when. Definitely hoping not stopped but i will be sure to have all documents .