How to get visa to travel to France?

I'm a British citizen, but I don't live in the UK. I have a house in France which I spend about 6 months per year, the rest of the time I travel. I've met a Taiwanese citizen who I would like to marry at some point. Is there any way she can get a visa to live in France with me?

• Answer:

  As a British citizen you actually enjoy more rights in this respect under EU law in France, than you do in the UK, where the current government has been imposing very restrictive rules on residence for foreign spouses.* As long as you register yourself at the local town hall as resident at your house in France, or plan to do this after arrival, and you marry or plan to marry, this should be easy. You'll need to go with your partner to the French "office" (quasi-embassy) in Taipei (or elsewhere, but the one in Taipei will be most familiar with the sort of personal documents people have), and either give duly notarised and legalised proof that you're married, or state that you plan to marry after arrival in France. Apply not for an ordinary Schengen visa (which Taiwan citizens don't need for tourism, anyway) but for a "D" visa, valid in theory for France only. Then travel to France, (register a civil marriage if you haven't done that) and have your partner apply for a residence permit as the spouse of an EEA citizen. The French authorities may or may not have extra requirements (language tests, CAI contracts) for non-EEA citizens who marry French citizens, but they aren't allowed to impose these on non-EEA citizens who marry non-French EU citizens such as yourself. This isn't Schengen law, this is basic freedom of movement stuff, so you don't have to worry about the UK having certain opt-outs. They are also not allowed to charge your partner for the visa application, if you're already married: http://www.france-taipei.org/Tarif-des-frais-de-dossier-de If you're already married, you use the short-stay visa form but make it clear on the form that this is a spouse of a non-French EU citizen who plans to take up residency in France. After arrival in France, apply for a residence permit (same documentation) within 2 months. For the specific requirements, see here: http://www.france-taipei.org/Votre-conjoint-est-ressortissant-3792 If you're planning to get married on arrival in France, talk to the French office in Taipei. In the unlikely event that they refuse to issue a D visa for that, your partner can still marry you either in Taiwan, or (eg) in the European Union during a short trip that she doesn't need a visa for. Then travel back to Taipei and apply for the visa "conjoint de ressortissant communautaire", see links above. Hope that helps! * The Cameron government's requirement that a UK citizen proves their income is above £20,000 or so in order for their non-EEA spouse to get residence with them in Britain is not yet fully legally tested. In particular, if/when it is applied to a couple, one of whom is a UK citizen and the other is a non-EEA citizen, who are moving "back" to the UK after living in another EU country, it's highly likely that this breaches European law on freedom of movement. European law, including the judgments of the European Court of Justice, is directly enforceable in UK courts, as any EU law textbook will tell you.