Confusion over rules for non-EU husband joining French wife

I am French and my husband, who is not French, has just arrived in France with a six-month visa called VLS-TS vie privée et familiale.

I understand he will need to apply for his residence permit between two and four months before this expires but we are also told we need to have lived together in France six months minimum for him to have the residence permit. How can we say we have lived in France together for six months if he needs to apply for the residence permit before then?

It is correct that among the supporting documents for the vie privée et familiale card that your husband is entitled to is evidence of your having lived together in France for six months or more. However, it is unusual that you say his VLS-TS was issued only six months, as usually in this case they are issued for 12 months.

The visa should be ‘validated’ in the first three months and then, yes, he should normally apply for a residency card two to four months before the visa expires. It is possible there has been a mistake and suggest you contact your préfecture about this.