The entire process was started at the beginning of March, and we've had a relocation agency helping us too, and we've just had our visas approved and passports returned to us. 3 months from start to finish.
To support the application process, we've had to provide the following documents, including translations into French where applicable:
- CVs
- Employment Contracts
- Birth Certificates
- Marriage Certificate
- University Diplomas
- Passports
- Additional passport photos
We then had to create an account for our visa application process so we could submit an online application form, which would then allow us to book an appointment - which verified our application and checked all the supporting documents.
The longest part of this process has been waiting for our appointment. We got the translated copies of the documents pretty quickly - by the end of March. We then booked our appointment, with the earliest available being the 26th of May. If you're thinking about applying for a French visa, please allow plenty of time as there was a two-month lead time for appointments when we applied.
We were advised by the relocation agency to request the Premium Longue (£50 per person) for the visa centre, as "they are not known for their welcome." Which is encouraging... On the day, it turned out that the Premium Longue was not available due to staff shortages. It was a lot of waiting around, 90 mins, before we were able to see someone at a counter. Once we were seen to, the service was absolutely fine and we were well looked after - including being fast-tracked through biometrics. All without paying an extra penny.
Costs
The appointment cost £29.95 per application (person). TLS Contact, the service which manages the visa application, calls this fee a service fee. You can't have an appointment without paying it. You then have to pay for the Visa application itself, which is €99 (£84.45) per application. We also paid for "express courier return" at £18 per passport. As our passports were returned by Royal Mail, I dispute this description - but it did mean we had them delivered, rather than needing to return to Wandsworth to pick them up. Paying for convenience.
In total, the visa process has cost us £132 per applicant.
Next Steps
Now that we've got our visas, we can find an apartment to rent - which will then allow us to find a nursery place, apply for residency permits, and start the process of integrating ourselves into France.
