Family reunification - Algerian family
Verified 01 janvier 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
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:
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.
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.
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:
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.
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.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
For information about your residence permit
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.
- 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
- Service free
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)
Issuance and withdrawal of the residence permit
Family reunification scheme
Specific provisions for Mayotte
Conditions of residence permit, resources, accommodation of the applicant, age of the beneficiaries of the reunification
Application for family reunification
List of documents to be supplied: item 65
Instruction of the application: role of Ofii
Verifying Resource Conditions
Verification of housing conditions
Issuance of residence permit
Online service
Online service
FAQ
Service Public
Ministry of Housing