Hi,
I’m with my son British citizens, wife Polish and we are considering moving to France (looking for work/start our own business) Plan is not clear yet but we will go down the easiest way available, ie I might move there first then my family will follow.
I know I’d need a VLS-TS visa but wondering what is the path or the straightforward procedure to get that visa without having at the moment a work contract in France.
Kind regards
No, you don’t need a VLS-TS if you are the spouse of an EU citizen. You basically share her EU rights. Same with your son if he is a minor.
That’s if we all move together but I’m widening my options and wondering what path to take if I move first by myself 
Welcome to SF Ben!
If you do that then you will be coming in as a non-EU citizen so will need to either have a job to go to in France (in which case your employer would help with the visa) or else move as a self-employed person if you set up your own business.
More about that here:
https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/self-employed-person-or-liberal-activity
The main requirements for that would be having a solid business plan showing how you would earn at least the French minimum wage, and also showing that you have the means to support yourself until you achieve that.
Note also that some jobs in France require French qualifications, even if self-employed.
You are making it harder!
So better move there with my wife avoiding therefore applying for any visa and apply for carte de sejour while in France. I figured that we need to have an accommodation, proof of relationship but I’m lost about our employment situation, according to the rules I’m not required as spouse of EU citizen to provide any details in regards of work or financial situation but does my wife needs to have an employment when I apply for la carte de sejour ? Please bear my ignorance
Here are the basic EU rules
The main requirements are that you have health cover and sufficient finances (generally you need to have SMIC income for the whole family).
Why are thinking of France?
In addition to the helpful comments already posted, some small additional points…
Your wife does not need to have an employment in France when you apply for a Carte de Séjour (CdS). She doesn’t in practice need to even apply for a CdS herself (I suspect few EU citizens actually do, and then purely voluntarily) whereas you will have to apply.I am in this exact position, as an EU family member. My own CdS contains the description “toutes activités professionnelles” ie I can apply for any work, (in theory, I’m actually retired) subject of course to any job specific requirements/conditions.
You too will obtain the permanent right to live in France if you live legally in France (with her!) for 5 years. You can then apply for a permanent CdS that is automatically renewable every 10 years.
You will both need comprehensive medical coverage throughout the first 5 years (ie more than simply travel insurance). You do not need to own property but do need an address (including rental property, whether short or long term).
There are a lot of useful CdS threads about EU citizens and their families on this forum, which you can find using the magnifying glass icon at the top of the page.
True,but she herself will need to meet the conditions for residency, which basically are having comprehensive medical insurance and income or savings so as not to be a burden on the state. This is verified by the state during the process of requesting a CdS for the non-citizen. She’ll have to meet the requirements outlined in this, then follow the procedure I posted upthread for a spousal CdS for the non-citizen.
Or join French health service
Made me feel so relieved reading your answer, knowing that you’ve been there is reassuring 
My understanding is I should tick all boxes by having a “certificat d’hébergement” as proof of accommodation ,health insurance, proof of savings(any minimums) my wife presence at prefecture interview with all relevant documents (which I need to figure out yet)..maybe booking in appointment with prefecture before moving to France so to possibly avoid the 90 days stay limit.
Please Enlighten me @George1
This forum does contain a number of people who are happy to share their up to date knowledge of EU CdS, so you should hopefully be in good hands, on Survive France!
I will attach below the documents you’ll need to provide. Don’t worry that the file itself is 10 pages long - it is catering for every possible permutation of those applying (including even for Imams on secondment to France!). The file shows clearly what is needed from your landlord if you’re renting, in the form of an ‘attestation’ or certificate.
Liste_Justificatifs_MembreFamilleCitoyenUE (1).pdf (1.3 MB)
Neither you nor your wife are required to attend any prefecture initial interview. It’s now all done online. I attach the screenshots showing what you will see when you go through the process, via a platform called ANEF. The file below shows how to open an account with ANEF, which (fortunately) is not a difficult process.
1è demande membre de famille UE sans numéro étranger (1).pdf (2.5 MB)
You will need to demonstrate that your wife has access to income at least equal to the French equivalent of the dole, which - from the monthly figure on the table below, is about €14k a year for a couple with 1 child. She herself does not need to earn the income, but must have access to it, eg via a joint account.
As mentioned above, you won’t need to worry about booking a meeting at the Prefecture. You won’t in practice be able to complete your application until you’ve found a place to rent, and obtained the appropriate attestation from your landlord etc. Once you’ve filed the application for a CdS online with ANEF, my assumption is that they issue you with some form of attestation confirming you’ve made the application for a CdS, which should help to regularise things immigration wise, pending the issuing of the CdS. Obviously if you travel outside France you will need to show the evidence of having filed an application. I applied in the good old days of a Prefecture interview, at the end of which they provided an attestation that permitted me to travel outside France and return, overriding the 90 day limits.I’d hope something similar happens on filing the online application.
You presumably still do eventually attend a meeting at the Prefecture to pick up your CdS, once it’s been physically printed. They contact you to alert you to this step.
I can’t pretend that my words will lead to Enlightenment but hope they’ve been of some use!
Good luck and don’t hesitate to ask any more questions - this group of people will I’m sure be happy to help..
@George1, funds wise, do we need (she) to provide saving proof of €14k x 5 years or just for the initial year hence we are moving together and she won’t be working at first.
You will need to demonstrate sufficient resources at two distinct points in time:-
Firstly at the point of the initial application for an EU family member CdS;
and secondly if/when you apply for a renewal after 5 years of legal residence.
For both events, you will only be showing current income levels at the time of the applications. For the renewal, you will not be required to show income throughout the previous 5 year period (the EU acknowledges that income levels can fluctuate +/- over time). This position is in contrast to the separate requirements to demonstrate the possession of comprehensive medical insurance over the entire 5 year period (at renewal).
For completeness, possession of sufficient (capital) assets/savings which evidence that a family will not be a burden on state resources at the initial and 5 year time points can also be taken into account, eg if there is insufficient income to meet the thresholds mentioned in my longer post above.
I do understand so far the financial requirements for renewal but not first application yet. If I need to demonstrate that my wife has access to €14k a year and I’m applying for 5 years permit does it imply that savings needs to cover the period of 5 years hence 14x5 =€70k or just initial year ?
I hope @George1 I’m not abusing your patience
Basically just the initial year. The prefet will adjust the length of the CdS according to his/her consideration of your financial situation. The initial 5 years is not a given- it’s a max. If your spouse (or you) have a job or gig at the time your CdS is processed, all the better. If you only get a one year CdS, you will just have to reapply a year in. My wife got one for 4.3 years for some reason (that expires on my birthday).
Last but not least, does my private health insurance needs to cover the 5 years maximum expected CDs length or just the first year. Thank you in advance
Just the first year. You will likely join the French system eventually, will you not?
Agreed..Only if/when you come to renew your CdS at the 5 year point, will you then need to evidence continuous coverage - retrospectively - throughout the entire previous 5 year period..That coverage can comprise both private cover and the French health system (or via S1 forms for those in receipt of a UK state pension).
