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Checklist · France · updated October 16, 2026

France visitor visa for couples (married or not): 2026 checklist

Two applicants, two files, one story. In practice, married couples can share the means with a support letter; unmarried partners are judged individually.

The boxes are meant to be checked on paper.

Money

Married: marriage certificate + a short support letter from the earning spouse; the same financial summary in both files
Unmarried: each partner shows their own means; a partner's income can be presented as support but carries less weight; show the shared life (joint lease, same entry date, joint letter)
Household income vs roughly two benchmarks (2 × €1,477.93; the published figure is per single applicant), or one strong income clearly above it with the explanation written

Papers and letters

Same address, same entry date, same insurer dates on every document of both files
Children: birth certificates, school plan if any; no uniform income supplement is published, stay comfortably above the adults' sum
Passport valid 3 months beyond the visa end, issued within 10 years, 2 blank pages; copy of the ID page and prior Schengen visas
France-Visas online form, signed, with its receipt; two 35 × 45 mm photos
Motivation letter (one page: who, why France, how you will live, what you will not do, ties)
Sworn statement not to exercise a professional activity in France (handwritten or hand-signed original)

Insurance

Health insurance covering the whole stay (the legal requirement); in practice the consulate expects the certificate to name France, state the dates and the ceiling, and cover medical care, hospitalization and repatriation, starting on your entry date (not a travel policy)

Housing and appointment

Proof of accommodation: 12-month lease, deed, host's attestation d'hébergement with host ID and proof of housing, or a 3+ month furnished contract
Two separate France-Visas applications and two TLScontact appointments (consecutive slots, same account)
TLScontact appointment booked at any of the 10 U.S. centers (the nearest works; the decision is made by the French consulate in Washington, not by the center), no more than 3 months and no less than 1 month before travel; €99 visa fee + TLScontact service fee (about €220 for a long-stay visa; check the current amount on TLScontact's fee page), both charged in U.S. dollars, Visa or Mastercard only

Timing, in one line

Book TLScontact no earlier than 3 months and no later than 1 month before your travel date (France-Visas). The decision usually takes 15 days after the appointment, up to 45 in special cases, with your passport held meanwhile. Allow extra weeks to obtain your benefit letter and the insurer's visa letter. Do not give up your U.S. housing before the visa is in your passport.

Free next steps

Check your income in euros · The insurance letter the consulate expects · After you land: ANEF validation

Go further

The 32-page guide explains every line above with templates ($29, instant download). The written dossier review checks your actual file before your appointment ($199, on application, answer within 24 hours).

Sources, checked October 16, 2026: France-Visas (United States page and visa assistant), service-public.fr fiche F302, ANEF, Journal officiel (Assemblée nationale, written question no. 11730). Figures change at least yearly; re-check on the official source the week you file. Practical information, not legal advice.

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