apologies if this has been asked and answered elsewhere… I am just preparing my VLS-TS visa form… We are a retired couple hopefully moving to France to live permanently… If anybody knows their way around this form I would be grateful for a bit of help… On the first page, at the very bottom it asks under ‘Your Plans’ to select a criteria… None of them applies to somebody wanting to retire there… I have tried Visitor, Family and private Settlement but it then leads on to other criteria that does not apply… Can anybody help please… Many thanks.
If you do not plan to work then you will be an inactive visitor. There isn’t a retired category. And you need to go for the VLS-TS with a stay of over 12 months.
What subsequent criteria cause you concern?
Thanks for replying… In the drop down box all I have to pick from is… Business; Family or Private Settlement; Other; Professional Work Placement; Return Visa; Study; Taking Up Official Duties; Talent Passport; Visitor… I initially selected visitor but the problem with selecting that is when I try to add my husband on within a later page, it is asking me what ‘refugee’ status he has !!! Which is what led me to think maybe I shouldn’t have selected ‘Visitor’… thank you again for helping…
Surely you each apply separately for your own visa?
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You each have to do your own application.
I’d have thought so as well.
I know nothing of such things so may be jumped on immediately, but logically isn’t the above closest to your situation?
It seems the problem arises when the OP tries to “add” another person to their application. It sounds as if this is potentlally possible where the other person is a refugee and thus can’t apply for a visa in their own right. But normally, each person has to make their own visa application.
Sadly not. This is for people joining family members in France as dependents or spouses.
thanks to all for your advice… I shall do as suggested and do individual applications… I just assumed it would be better for interview/fingerprint purposes to do a joint one… I have a million more questions but I shall try to limit myself to one per day!! Todays question is… I appreciate you need a certain amount of regular income to satisfy your application… is this for the visa application or the residency application? and… in addition to your regular income do you have to have a lump sum in your bank account? I have read conflicting reports on this, some say ‘no’, just regular monthly income and some say ‘yes’ at least 18k per person… Sorry, I know this is a further question but do you need a Criminal Records Check also for the visa application… It doesn’t say anywhere on the site you do need one, but the USA guidance is that you do…? thank you…
Thought that might be the case Jane, sounded just too obvious and easy. 
I have a million more questions but I shall try to limit myself to one per day!
Just hope there’s at least one of us left around to answer the last one in 4761 then. 
Best of luck in the meantime though. 
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There should be a notes section somewhere where you can each make reference to the other’s application.
You need €1302 a month but can be income from savings as well. An amount in the bank adding up to a year’s income (approx €16k) is helpful, but I don’t think mandatory for visitors. Quite frankly if you don’t have that you will have a miserable existence here!
And the police check (which would be the ACPO £55 one, not the £18 DBS) is I think only for people wanting working visas. Not 100% sure, so double check that. But you should have a list of “documents à fournir”?
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For a couple, each on UK full new state pension of £179.60 and assuming an exchange rate of 1.12€ to the £ you will have an income of 1743€ a month so the income requirement is not too onerous.
In practice you’ll probably need a bit more than that to be comfortable.
Don’t plan on trying to retire to France if you are on your own and only in receipt of a UK pension though.
Or, for that matter if you are only on basic state pension - technically you would have enough income if this were your sole source of funds but it works out as 1376€ a month so a) you wouldn’t really have enough to live on and b) you’d be watching the exchange rate like a hawk because if it drops below 1.05€ to the £ you’ll be below 1302€ a month.
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