Family reunification

Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You are a non-European national, you live in France with a residence permit and you want to bring your spouse and minor children to France? You can apply for family reunification under certain conditions. We present these conditions, as well as the steps of the process.

General case

Step-by-step approach

To determine your right to family reunification, you can use a simulator:

Check if you can benefit from family reunification

Regular stay

At the moment the filing of your application for family reunification, you must prove that you have one of the following residence documents:

  • Temporary residence card of at least 1 year (mention employee, private and family life, student, visitoretc.) or multi-annual residence card
  • Resident Card or card of long-term resident-EU (issued by France) of 10 years
  • Receipt application for renewal of one of those securities.

You must also have been living in France for at least 18 months. This 18-month stay must have been completed with one of the following titles:

  • Residence card of at least 1 year (mention employee, private and family life, student, visitoretc.) or multi-annual residence card
  • Resident Card or card of long-term resident-EU (issued by France) of 10 years
  • Long-stay visa, conferring on its holder the rights attached to a temporary residence card
  • Temporary residence card for less than 1 year
  • Provisional residence permit
  • Receipt for application for the first issue or renewal of a residence document
  • Asylum application certificate.

If you are a foreigner polygamous residing in France with a 1re wife, you cannot ask family reunification to bring your 2e wife.

Please note

If you have been staying in Mayotte for at least 3 years, with a residence permit of at least 5 years, you can apply for family reunification for your spouse who is at least 18 years old and your minor children.

Resource Conditions

You must have stable and sufficient resources to ensure that your family is welcomed in good conditions.

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General case

Your resources must reach a certain amount that varies depending on the size of your family:

  • 2 or 3 persons: average monthly gross minimum growth wage (SMIC), i.e. on average €1,823.03, in the last 12 months preceding the application
  • 4 or 5 people: on average €2,005.34 in the last 12 months preceding the application
  • 6 or more people: on average €2,187.64 in the last 12 months preceding the application

Your resources can come from income from paid or self-employed work, from the management of assets, retirement pensions, etc.

Your spouse's resources are also taken into account, as long as he or she receives income that will continue to be paid to him or her when he or she leaves his or her country.

The following couple resources are excluded:

  • Family benefits
  • Active Solidarity Income (SSA)
  • Solidarity Allowance for the Elderly (Aspa)
  • Temporary Waiting Allowance (Ata)
  • Specific Solidarity Allowance (SSA)
  • Retirement Equivalent Allowance (EAR)

Person receiving the Disability Adult Allowance (DAA) or the Supplementary Disability Allowance (DSA)

No resource requirements are required if you are a beneficiary of the AAH or Asi.

Person over 65 years old

There are no resource requirements if you meet the following 4 conditions:

  • Be over 65 years of age
  • Regularly residing in France for at least 25 years
  • Married for at least 10 years
  • Application for family reunification concerns your spouse

Housing conditions

You must have (or justify that you have on the date of arrival of your family) accommodation considered normal for a comparable family living in the same geographical area.

Housing must meet certain sanitary and equipment conditions.

Depending on the geographical area where the dwelling is located, it must have a total living area of at least:

  • Zones A bis and A: 22 m² for a couple without children or 2 people. You must add 10 m² per additional person up to 8 people in total and 5 m² per additional person beyond 8 people.
  • Areas B1 and B2: 24 m² for a couple without children or 2 people. You must add 10 m² per additional person up to 8 people in total and 5 m² per additional person beyond 8 people.
  • Area C: 28 m² for a couple without children or 2 people. You must add 10 m² per additional person up to 8 people in total and 5 m² per additional person beyond 8 people.

This simulator allows you to know the area you depend on:

Know the area of your municipality: A, Abis, B1, B2 or C

Condition of respect for the essential principles of family life in France

You must comply with the Essential principles governing family life in France.

Your family must reside abroad. However, your family already present in France can exceptionally benefit on-the-spot family reunification.

Your spouse or children may be excluded from family reunification if their presence in France constitutes threat to public order.

The family reunification procedure collectively concerns:

  • Your spouse or adult spouse (at least 18 years old) and legally married to you
  • Your minor children (under 18)

Your children can be:

  • From your couple, provided you have a legally established filiation or are adopted by a court decision
  • From your previous union or from a previous union of your spouse in the following cases:
    • Other deceased or deprived parent of parental rights
    • Or parental authority exercised by either parent pursuant to a decision of a foreign court

As a general rule, partial family reunification is not allowed, i.e. all members of your family must arrive together in France. However, a request for partial family reunification may be exceptionally permitted in the interests of children.

You must submit such a request by a letter with reasons at the time of filing your file. Motivations that can be accepted include the child's education, health or housing too small to accommodate all members of your family.

The family reunification procedure does not apply to your ascendants. They may eventually come to live in France under the visitor status whether they are adequately resourced.

The age of your spouse and children is assessed on the date you file your application for family reunification.

To see the list of documents for your family reunification file, you can use a simulator:

Know the list of documents for a family reunification file

You must complete a cerfa form:

Application for family reunification

Warning  

You must attach to your application a copy of the supporting documents corresponding to your situation.

The documents to be attached are as follows.

1 - Residence permit

  • Photocopy of your residence permit (front/back) valid:
    • Resident Card
    • Resident card marked "long-term resident - EU" issued in France
    • Multi-year residence card
    • Temporary residence card of 1 year or more
  • Certificate of application for renewal of residence permit
  • If you apply for family reunification for the benefit of your spouse who resides in France: residence permit of your spouse
  • If you are applying for family reunification for your spouse residing in a country other than his/her country of origin: residence permit of your spouse issued by the country of residence

2 - Civil status documents

  • Full copy of the marriage certificate with marginal mentions (with prosecutorial judgment if mentioned in the act)
  • Full copy of your birth certificate with marginal mentions (+ supplementary judgment if mentioned in the birth certificate)
  • Full copy of your beneficiary spouse's birth certificate with marginal mentions (+ supplementary judgment if mentioned in the certificate)
  • Full copy of the birth certificate of each of your children and/or spouse with marginal mentions. This also applies to your children already residing in the accommodation in France (+ supplementary judgment if mentioned in the act).

If you are a national of a country whose legislation allows polygamy:

  • Divorce judgment(s) concerning you and/or your spouse (irrevocable or final judgment if divorced abroad)
  • Declaration on honor certifying that family reunification will not create a situation of polygamy on French territory

If family reunification is requested for the benefit of one or more children, depending on your situation:

  • Divorce judgment(s) concerning you and/or your spouse (irrevocable or final judgment if divorced abroad)
  • Judgment conferring parental authority (unless the divorce judgment so specifies)
  • Judgment granting custody of children (unless the divorce judgment so specifies)
  • Letter from the other parent authorizing the child to come to France (whose signature is authenticated in the forms provided for by the legislation of the country of residence or by the competent French consulate)
  • Judgment of adoption
  • Death certificate of your spouse, your 1er(re) spouse or other parent
  • Judicial decision to withdraw the parental authority of the other parent
  • Declaration of abandonment of the child by the other parent, disappearance or absence of the other parent before the court
  • Family booklet
  • Certificate from your spouse authorizing the beneficiary child's residence at home
  • Movement document for a minor foreigner (DCEM) and/or school certificate for children present in France

Warning  

Documents must be accompanied by a translation into French by a certified translator or certified by a French consular or diplomatic authority.

3 - Letter of Explanation for Family Reunification 

If family reunification is not requested for the whole family, you must justify your request in the interests of the child(ren).

4 - Proof of Resources (to be submitted for the last 12 months)

To be able to accommodate your family, you must have sufficient and stable income (unless you are in one of the exceptional cases).

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You are an employee

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Employment contract or certificate of employment of the employer of less than 3 months signed and stamped with the company (for temporary assignments, provide only the certificate of employment of the employer)
  • Work certificate (if several employers, produce the certificates of each of them)
  • Pay slips (for acting assignments, provide only the employer's work certificate)
  • If you are an employee BTP: titleContent : proof of payment of leave with pay by the Construction Fund
  • Proof of payment of daily social security allowances in the event of sick leave, maternity leave, parental leave or an accident at work

You are a trader

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Extract of less than 3 months of registration in the National Register of companies (RNE)
  • Last balance sheet of accounting activity and income statement for the year or income statement drawn up by the tax department

You are a craftsman

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Extract of less than 3 months of registration in the National Register of companies (RNE)
  • Last balance sheet of accounting activity and income statement for the year or income statement drawn up by the tax department

You are a professional

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Extract of less than 3 months of registration in the National Register of companies (RNE)
  • Last balance sheet of accounting activity and income statement for the year or income statement drawn up by the tax department

You are self-employed

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Extract of less than 3 months of registration in the National Register of companies (RNE)
  • Revenue ledger, purchase register and income certificate issued by the tax office

You are a jobseeker

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Status report summarizing entitlements and payment of allowances by France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi)

You are a pensioner or disabled person

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Decision on the award of an old-age or invalidity pension drawn up by the paying agency and supplementary pensions
  • Notice of payment by the paying agency or certificate of payment (specifying the title of each pension)

You receive the Disabled Adult Allowance (DAA) or the Supplementary Disability Allowance (DAA)

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Decision to award the allocation
  • Last payment certificate of the paying agency

Other situations

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Bank certificate and account statements justifying the origin of the income and its periodicity
  • Maintenance paid or received pursuant to a court decision
  • If you live as a couple: proof of resources from your spouse, partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent or partner

5 - Proof of Accommodation

You must have a healthy living space large enough to accommodate your family, whether you are a landlord, tenant or a guest.

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If you are a tenant

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, water or landline telephone bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the home)
  • Lease
  • Last rent receipt

You are a subtenant

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, water or landline telephone bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the home)
  • Sublease Commitment
  • Rationale that this subletting is authorized by a lease for you and your family

You own

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, landline, water bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the dwelling)
  • Deed of ownership or notarial certificate

You are hosted for free

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, water or landline telephone bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the home)
  • Lease or last receipt of rent from the tenant or title deed in the name of the host
  • Certificate of residence issued by the host granting you and your family the accommodation to come, and specifying the duration of the accommodation authorized
  • If the accommodation is made available by the company: certificate from the employer, granting accommodation to you and your future family, and specifying the length of accommodation permitted
  • Proof of identity of the host (copy on both sides of the valid residence permit or French national identity card)

Other

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, water or landline telephone bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the home)
  • Promise to rent a home
  • Proof of future acquisition of a home
  • Certificate of provision of housing as part of a family reunification (cerfa n°11437), if you do not yet benefit from the housing provided for your family's accommodation

Certificate of provision of housing in the context of family reunification

Transmission of the file

The transmission of your file can be done on the internet or by mail:

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On the internet

You can submit your application for family reunification on the internet. You will find information during the composition of your file and you will be able to follow up on your request.

Application for family reunification

By post

You can send your file by mail, especially if you have difficulties with digital technology.

In this case, you must send with your complete file (completed form and attachments) by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt to theOfii: titleContent.

Who shall I contact

Warning  

You have to choose one or the other mode of transmissionHowever, you should not send your application digitally or by post.

Checking your family reunification file

Ofii is checking your file.

If the file is complete, you will receive a certificate of deposit specifying the filing date. The prefect of the home department is informed by Ofii.

If the file is incomplete, it is returned to you by Ofii to complete it.

Review of your family reunification file

Ofii confides, in a 1er In the meantime, the investigation of your file to the mayor of the commune of your home (or to the mayor of the commune where you plan to settle).

The mayor checks whether the conditions of resources and housing are met. Specially authorized agents can visit your accommodation to check that it meets the minimum requirements for comfort and habitability.

If you do not yet benefit from the accommodation at the time of your request, the verification is carried out on the basis of the information provided in form cerfa n°11437:

Certificate of provision of housing in the context of family reunification

You and the owner or seller of the property must provide the following information:

  • Availability Date
  • Area
  • Set of characteristics of the housing

The mayor can also check, at the request of the prefect, that you meet the conditions of regular stay and respect for the essential principles of family life in France.

The mayor must give his opinion on all these conditions, within 2 months of receipt of your file or the request of the prefect. In the absence of a reply within this period, the Mayor's opinion is considered favorable.

The mayor then forwards your file with his justified opinion on the conditions of resources and housing to the relevant territorial delegation of Ofii. The latter completes, if necessary, the investigation and sends the file to the prefect for decision.

Decision of the Prefect

It is the prefect of the department of your residence (in Paris, the police prefect) who accepts or refuses your request for family reunification.

His decision must be yours notified within 6 months of the submission of your complete file to Ofii. In the event of refusal, the decision must be reasoned.

The decision is then communicated to Ofii, which must transmit it without delay to the mayor and the French consulate of your family's residence abroad.

If the prefect has not responded within 6 months, your request is refused (implicit refusal).

You can challenge the decision by forming a administrative appeal before the prefect and/or the minister of the interior.

You can also file, within certain deadlines, a contentious remedies before the administrative court with territorial jurisdiction.

Application for visa

From the issuance of the certificate of deposit, you must send this document and the civil status documents to your family abroad.

Your spouse must then apply for long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS), to the French consular authority without delay.

Warning  

Your family must enter France within 3 months of the issuance of visas. Travel expenses are borne by your family.

Upon entry into France, your spouse must validate his/her long-stay visa by following the “validate his/her VLS/TS” process on the internet.

Payment of the corresponding fee is mandatory.

The validated visa allows your family to stay in France without having to apply for a residence permit in the prefecture 1re year of stay.

Apply online for a residence permit, a change of situation, a travel document, an application for ANEF naturalization

Medical examination

Your family will undergo a medical examination once they arrive in France.

If Ofii has a representation in the country of origin, it is possible that the medical examination will be carried out on the spot. Ofii will tell you that.

The medical certificate issued by Ofii at the end of the visit is essential to obtain a residence permit.

Residence permit

For entry and installation in France, your spouse receives a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS).

This visa must be validated on the internet within 3 months of arrival in France.

It allows him to enter and reside in France without having to apply for a residence permit in prefecture 1re year of stay.

Minor children enter with a family reunification visa.

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Morocco and Tunisia

Your spouse receives a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS), which allows him to enter France without having to apply for a residence permit in prefecture 1re year of stay.

The visa must be validated on the internet within 3 months of arrival in France.

Your minor children enter with a visa mention family reunification.

Your family members can obtain the same residence permit as you:

  • If you have a temporary residence card valid for 1 year, your spouse and children who have reached the age of majority (or from the age of 16 if they wish to work) must apply for a temporary residence card private and family life (valid for 1 year and renewable).
    This card must be requested within 2 months of arrival in France for your spouse or before the 19th birthday for your child who has become an adult.
  • If you have a resident card valid for 10 years, your spouse and children who have reached the age of majority (or from the age of 16 if they wish to work) must apply for a resident card (valid for 10 years and renewable).
    This card must be requested within 2 months of arrival in France for your spouse or before the 19th birthday for your child who has become an adult.
    The validation of the VLS/TS and the application for a residence permit must be made on the internet.

Apply online for a residence permit, a change of situation, a travel document, an application for ANEF naturalization

Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal, Togo

Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Senegal and Togo have signed agreements with France on the movement and residence of persons.

These agreements allow your family members who have entered for family reunification and are nationals of these States Parties to obtain the same residence permit as you.

Other country

Your spouse receives a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) to enter and stay in France without having to apply for a residence permit in prefecture la 1re year.

The visa must be validated on the internet within 3 months of arrival in France.

After 1 year of stay, your spouse must apply a temporary residence card for private and family life (valid for 1 year).

Your minor children enter with a visa mention family reunification. They do not need a residence permit. Once they have reached the age of majority (or from the age of 16 if they wish to work), they must apply a temporary residence card for private and family life (valid for 1 year).

The validation of the VLS/TS and the application for a residence permit are carried out on the internet:

Apply online for a residence permit, a change of situation, a travel document, an application for ANEF naturalization

Know the cost of your approach

For his application for a residence permit in the prefecture, your family will have to pay €75 .

If you apply for family reunification on site €225 (stamp duty of €25 and tax €200) by tax stamps.

If you entered without a long-stay visa, you must pay extra €200 of the right of regularization visa by fiscal stamps (of which €50 to be paid at the time of application and non-refundable in case of refusal to issue the title).

You will need to provide proof of payment when you hand over the card.

You can buy the tax stamp on the internet or in a tobacco office.

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On the internet

You can buy your tax stamp using the tax website:

Purchase on the internet of the tax stamp - Title for foreigner

Payment is possible with the following bank cards:

  • Carte bleue (CB) and e-carte bleue
  • Visa
  • Mastercard.

However, payment by Paypal or American Express card is not accepted.

The electronic stamp can be issued on 2 supports:

  • PDF document with a 2D code that can also be scanned directly from a phone or tablet by the service responsible for receiving your request
  • SMS containing the 16-digit identifier of the stamp that will be accepted by the agent responsible for processing your file.

Request a refund of a tax stamp

In a tobacco shop

You can buy a tax stamp from a tobacco office, if the business is equipped to be able to edit them.

Warning  

Do not buy a fine stamp by mistake.

Family integration

Your spouse and children over the age of 16 who are beneficiaries of family reunification must sign a republican integration contract.

Algerian family

Step-by-step approach

To determine your right to family reunification, you can use a simulator:

Check if you can benefit from family reunification

Regular stay

To apply for family reunification, you must have a certificate of residence of a period of validity of at least 1 year and reside in France for at least 1 year.

If you have a 1 year certificate of residence mention "scientist", your family can join you without going through the family reunification procedure if you entered France with a visa.

If you are a foreigner polygamous residing in France with a 1re wife, you can't apply for family reunification to bring your 2e wife.

Resource Conditions

You must demonstrate stable and sufficient resources equal to or greater than Smic: titleContent.

Your resources can come from income from paid or self-employed work, from wealth management, retirement pensions, etc.

Your spouse's resources are also taken into account, as long as he or she receives income that will continue to be paid to him or her when he or she leaves his or her country.

Family benefits are excluded from your couple's resources (family or housing allowances, family supplement, back-to-school allowance for example).

Housing conditions

You must benefit (or justify that you benefit on the date of arrival of your family in France) from accommodation considered normal for a comparable family living in the same geographical region.

Housing must meet certain sanitary and equipment conditions.

Depending on the geographical area where the dwelling is located, it must have a total living area of at least:

  • Zones A bis and A: 22 m² for a couple without children or 2 people. You must add 10 m² per additional person up to 8 people in total and 5 m² per additional person beyond 8 people.
  • Areas B1 and B2: 24 m² for a couple without children or 2 people. You must add 10 m² per additional person up to 8 people in total and 5 m² per additional person beyond 8 people.
  • Area C: 28 m² for a couple without children or 2 people. You must add 10 m² per additional person up to 8 people in total and 5 m² per additional person beyond 8 people.

A simulator allows you to know the area you depend on:

Know the area of your municipality: A, Abis, B1, B2 or C

Condition of respect for the essential principles of family life in France

You must comply with the Essential principles governing family life in France.

Your family must reside abroad. However, your family already present in France can exceptionally benefit of an on-site grouping.

Your spouse or children may be excluded from family reunification if their presence in France constitutes a threat to public order.

The family reunification procedure collectively concerns:

  • Your spouse or adult spouse (at least 18 years old) legally married to you
  • Your minor children (under 18)

Children can be:

  • From your couple, provided you have a legally established filiation or are adopted by a court decision
  • From your previous union or from a previous union of your spouse in the following cases:
    • Other parent is deceased or deprived of parental rights
    • Parental authority exercised by either parent by virtue of a decision of a foreign court

The age of your spouse and children is considered on the date you file your application for family reunification.

As a general rule, partial family reunification is not allowed, i.e. all members of your family must arrive together in France. However, a request for partial family reunification may be exceptionally permitted in the interests of children.

You must submit such a request by a letter with reasons at the time of filing your file. Motivations that can be accepted include the child's education, health or housing too small to accommodate all members of your family.

A child taken in by kafala legal system in Algeria may benefit from family reunification in the best interests of the child.

The family reunification procedure does not apply to your ascendants. They may eventually come to live in France under the visitor status whether they are adequately resourced.

The age of your spouse and children is considered on the date you file your application for family reunification.

To see the list of documents for your family reunification file, you can use a simulator:

Know the list of documents for a family reunification file

Warning  

You must attach to your application a copy of the supporting documents corresponding to your situation.

The documents to be attached are as follows:

Application for family reunification

Residence permit

  • Photocopy of your residence permit (front/back) valid:
    • 1 year or 10 year certificate of residence

    • Certificate of application for renewal of residence permit
  • If you are applying for family reunification for the benefit of your spouse who resides in France: your spouse's residence permit
  • If you are applying for family reunification for your spouse residing in a country other than his/her country of origin: residence permit of your spouse issued by the country of residence

Civil status documents

  • Full copy of the marriage certificate with marginal mentions (with prosecutorial judgment if mentioned in the act)
  • Full copy of your birth certificate with marginal mentions (+ supplementary judgment if mentioned in the birth certificate)
  • Full copy of your beneficiary spouse's birth certificate with marginal mentions (+ supplementary judgment if mentioned in the certificate)
  • Full copy of the birth certificate of each of your children and/or spouse with marginal mentions. This also applies to children already residing in housing in France (+ supplementary judgment if mentioned in the act).

If you are a national of a country whose legislation allows polygamy:

  • Divorce judgment(s) concerning you and/or your spouse (irrevocable or final judgment if divorced abroad)
  • Declaration on honor certifying that family reunification will not create a situation of polygamy on French territory

If family reunification is requested for the benefit of one or more children, depending on your situation:

  • Divorce judgment(s) concerning you and/or your spouse (irrevocable or final judgment if divorced abroad)
  • Judgment conferring parental authority (unless the divorce judgment so specifies)
  • Judgment granting custody of children (unless the divorce judgment so specifies)
  • Letter from the other parent authorizing the child to come to France (whose signature is authenticated in the forms provided for by the legislation of the country of residence or by the competent French consulate)
  • Judgment of adoption
  • Kafala Algerian judiciary
  • Death certificate of your spouse, first spouse or other relative
  • Judicial decision to withdraw the parental authority of the other parent
  • Declaration of abandonment of the child by the other parent, disappearance or absence of the other parent before the court
  • Family booklet
  • Certificate from your spouse authorizing the beneficiary child's residence at home
  • Movement document for a minor foreigner (DCEM) and/or school certificate for children present in France

Warning  

Documents must be accompanied by a translation into French by a certified translator or certified by a French consular or diplomatic authority.

Letter of explanation of family reunification 

If family reunification is not requested for your entire family, you must justify your request in the best interests of the child(ren).

Proof of resources (to be produced for the last 12 months)

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You are an employee

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Employment contract or certificate of employment of the employer of less than 3 months duly signed and stamped with the company (for temporary assignments: provide only the certificate of employment of the employer)
  • Work certificate (if several employers: produce the certificates of each of them)
  • Salary slips (for acting assignments: provide only the employer's work certificate)
  • If you are a construction employee: proof of payment of leave with pay by the Construction Fund
  • Proof of payment of daily social security allowances in the event of sick leave, maternity leave, parental leave or an accident at work

You are a trader

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Extract of less than 3 months of registration in the National Register of companies (RNE)
  • Last balance sheet of accounting activity and income statement for the year or income statement drawn up by the tax department

You are a craftsman

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Extract of less than 3 months of registration in the National Register of companies (RNE)
  • Last balance sheet of accounting activity and income statement for the year or income statement drawn up by the tax department

You are a professional

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Extract of less than 3 months of registration in the National Register of companies (RNE)
  • Last balance sheet of accounting activity and income statement for the year or income statement drawn up by the tax department

You are self-employed

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Extract of less than 3 months of registration in the National Register of companies (RNE)
  • Revenue ledger, purchase register and income certificate issued by the tax office

You are a jobseeker

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Status report summarizing entitlements and payment of allowances by France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi)

You are a pensioner or disabled person

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Decision on the award of an old-age or invalidity pension drawn up by the paying agency and supplementary pensions
  • Notice of payment by the paying agency or certificate of payment (specifying the title of each pension)

You receive the Disabled Adult Allowance (DAA) or the Supplementary Disability Allowance (DAA)

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Decision to award the allocation
  • Last payment certificate of the paying agency

Other situations

  • Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's tax or last tax return for which tax services are required
  • Bank certificate and account statements justifying the origin of the income and its periodicity
  • Maintenance paid or received pursuant to a court decision
  • If you live as a couple: proof of resources from your spouse, partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent or cohabiting or cohabiting

Proof of Accommodation

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You are a tenant

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, water or landline telephone bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the home)
  • Lease
  • Last rent receipt

You are a subtenant

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, water or landline telephone bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the home)
  • Sublease Commitment
  • Rationale that this subletting is authorized by a lease for you and your family

You own

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, landline, water bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the dwelling)
  • Deed of ownership or notarial certificate

You are hosted for free

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, water or landline telephone bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the home)
  • Title to property in the name of the host
  • Certificate of residence issued by the host granting you and your family the accommodation to come, and specifying the duration of the accommodation authorized
  • If the accommodation is made available by the company: certificate from the employer granting the accommodation to you and your future family, and specifying the length of the accommodation permitted
  • Proof of identity of the host (copy on both sides of the valid residence permit or French national identity card)

Other

  • Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, water or landline telephone bill) or proof of home insurance (if recent entry into the home)
  • Promise to rent a home
  • Proof of future acquisition of a home
  • Certificate of provision of accommodation in the context of family reunification (cerfa 11437), if you do not yet benefit from the accommodation provided for your family accommodation

Certificate of provision of housing in the context of family reunification

Transmission of the file

The transmission of your file can be done on the internet or by mail

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On the internet

You can submit your application for family reunification on the internet. You will find information during the composition of your file and you will be able to follow up on your request.

Application for family reunification

By post

You can send your file by post, especially if you have difficulties with digital technology.

In this case, you must send your complete file (completed form and attachments) by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt to theOfii: titleContent.

Who shall I contact

Warning  

You have to choose one or the other mode of transmissionHowever, you should not send your application digitally or by post.

Checking your family reunification file

Ofii is checking your file.

If the file is complete, you will receive a certificate of deposit specifying the filing date. The prefect of the home department is informed by Ofii.

If the file is incomplete, it is returned to you by Ofii to complete it.

Review of your family reunification file

Ofii confides, in a 1er In the meantime, the investigation of your file to the mayor of the commune of your home (or to the mayor of the commune where you plan to settle).

The mayor checks whether the conditions of resources and housing are met. Specially authorized agents can visit your accommodation to check that it meets the minimum requirements for comfort and habitability.

If you do not yet benefit from the accommodation at the time of your request, the verification is carried out on the basis of the information provided in form cerfa n°11437:

Certificate of provision of housing in the context of family reunification

You and the owner or seller of the property must provide the following information:

  • Availability Date
  • Area
  • Set of characteristics of the housing

The mayor can also check, at the request of the prefect, that you meet the conditions of regular stay and respect for the essential principles of family life in France.

The mayor must give his opinion on all these conditions, within 2 months of receipt of your file or the request of the prefect. In the absence of a reply within this period, the Mayor's opinion is considered favorable.

The mayor then forwards your file with his justified opinion on the conditions of resources and housing to the relevant territorial delegation of Ofii. The latter completes, if necessary, the investigation and sends the file to the prefect for decision.

Decision of the Prefect

It is the prefect of the department of your residence (in Paris, the police prefect) who accepts or refuses your request for family reunification.

His decision must be yours notified within 6 months of the submission of your complete file to Ofii. In the event of refusal, the decision must be reasoned.

The decision is then communicated to the OFii, which must transmit it without delay to the mayor and the French consulate of your family's residence abroad.

If the prefect has not responded within 6 months, your request is refused (implicit refusal).

You can challenge the decision by forming a administrative appeal before the prefect and/or the minister of the interior.

You can also file, within certain deadlines, a contentious remedies before the administrative court with territorial jurisdiction.

Application for visa

From the issuance of the certificate of deposit, you must send this document and the civil status documents to your family abroad.

Your spouse must then apply for long-stay visa at the Consulate of France in Algeria.

Warning  

Your family must enter France within 3 months of the issuance of the visas (travel expenses are borne by your family).

Medical examination

Your family will undergo a medical examination once they arrive in France.

The medical certificate issued by Ofii at the end of the visit is essential to obtain a residence permit.

Residence permit

Your family members who settle in France are given a certificate of residence. It has the same validity period as yours and is marked "private and family life".

The application for a residence certificate must be made on the internet:

Apply online for a residence permit, a change of situation, a travel document, an application for ANEF naturalization

Inquire about the tax stamp

The 1re Issuance of an Algerian Residence Certificate (CRA) of 1 year or 10 years is free.

For a 1-year CRA renewal, or for a duplicate application, you must pay €225 (stamp duty of €25 and tax €200) by tax stamps.

Renewal of a 10-year CRA is free. For a duplicate request, you must pay €25

If you entered without a long-stay visa, you must pay extra €200 of the right of regularization visa by fiscal stamps (of which €50 to be paid at the time of application and non-refundable in case of refusal to issue the title).

You will need to provide proof of payment when you hand over the card.

You can buy the tax stamp on the internet or in a tobacco office.

On the internet

You can purchase your tax stamp using an online service:

Purchase on the internet of the tax stamp - Title for foreigner

Payment is possible with the following bank cards:

  • Carte bleue (CB) and e-carte bleue
  • Visa
  • Mastercard.

However, payment by Paypal or American Express card is not accepted.

The electronic stamp can be issued on 2 supports:

  • PDF document with a 2D code that can also be scanned directly from a phone or tablet by the service responsible for receiving your request
  • SMS containing the 16-digit identifier of the stamp that will be accepted by the agent responsible for processing your file.

Request a refund of a tax stamp

In a tobacco shop

You can buy a tax stamp from a tobacco office, if the business is equipped to be able to edit them.

Warning  

Do not buy a fine stamp by mistake.

Integration of your family

Your spouse and children over the age of 16 who are beneficiaries of family reunification must sign a republican integration contract.

Check if you can benefit from family reunification

Know the list of documents for a family reunification file

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • For information about your residence permit 

    • accès

      For more information on this subject, you can contact Allô Service Public.

      Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and therefore cannot provide information on their progress.

    • horaires
      • Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
      • Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
      • Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
      • Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15

    • Request a call

      coût Service free
    • service

      The informants who answer you belong to the Ministry of the Interior.

  • For information on family reunification

    Office français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (Ofii)

FAQ