What private and family ties can invoke a foreigner to be admitted to stay in France?

Verified 21 October 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You can request a residence card “private and family life” if you are in certain situations provided for by the regulations, in particular husband or wife of French, parent of a French child, beneficiary of family reunification.

If you are not in one of the situations provided for by the regulations for the issuance of the card private and family life, you can apply for a residence permit with the prefecture, under certain conditions.

To submit your application, you must read the procedure indicated on the website of your prefecture.

The application for a residence card is made for your family ties in France. For example, you can be:

  • Partner of Civil partnerships of a Frenchman, a European or a foreigner in a legal situation
  • Parent of schoolchild
  • Spouse of a foreigner in a legal situation
  • Foreigner who entered France as a minor and became a major.

Warning  

The fact of being passed does not allow an automatic right to a residence card “private and family life”. The Civil partnerships, however, constitute an element of assessment with regard to personal ties in France.

To make this request, you must in particular meet the following 3 conditions:

You will need to justify all of the following conditions:

  • Reality, seniority, intensity and stability of your personal and family ties in France (seniority of your presence and your life as a couple in France, children born of this union, etc.)
  • Conditions of existence in France
  • Inclusion in the French business (especially taking into account your knowledge of the values of the Republic).

The nature of your relationship with the family in your country of origin is also examined.

Warning  

The prefecture may refuse to deliver you your residence card if you have not complied with an obligation to leave the country (OQTF) or if you have committed any of the following acts:

  • Forgery and use of forged documents
  • Offenses severe or crimes (drug trafficking, trafficking in human beings, procuring, undignified working or accommodation conditions, etc.)
  • Violence against elected officials, public officials or security agents.

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