Family reunification - General case
Verified 01 juin 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
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 the renewal of one of those securities.
You must also have resided for at least 18 months in France. This 18-month stay must have been completed with one of the following titles:
- Residence permit 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 a period of less than 1 year
- Provisional residence permit
- Receipt of request of 1re issue or renewal of a residence document
- Certificate of asylum application.
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 justify stable and sufficient resources to ensure the reception of your family 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 of the monthly gross minimum growth wage (Smic), i.e €1,867.02, in the last 12 months preceding the application
- 4 or 5 people: on average €2,053.72 in the last 12 months preceding the application
- 6 or more people: on average €2,240.42 in the last 12 months preceding the application
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.
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 (SDA)
No resource requirements are required if you are a beneficiary of the AAH or the 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 at the time of your family's arrival) 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:
- Areas 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 on which you depend:
Condition of respect for the essential principles of family life in France
You must comply with 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 a 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
- Or parental authority exercised by either parent by virtue of a decision of a foreign court.
As a general rule, partial family reunification is not allowed, meaning that 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 reasoned letter at the time of filing your file. Motivations that can be accepted include the child's schooling, 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 fill out 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.
1Residence permit
- Photocopy of your residence permit (front/back) valid:
- Resident card
- Resident card with the words "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 apply for family reunification for your spouse residing in a country other than his or her country of origin: residence permit issued by the country of residence.
2Civil 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 act)
- Full copy of the birth certificate of your beneficiary spouse 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 awarding theparental authority (unless specified in the divorce judgment)
- 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)
- Adoption judgment
- Death certificate of your spouse, your 1er spouse or 1re spouse or other parent
- Judicial decision to withdraw parental authority from the other parent
- Declaration of abandonment of the child by the other parent, disappearance or absence of the other parent in 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.
3Letter of explanation of family reunification
If family reunification is not requested for the whole family, you must justify your request in the interests of the child(ren).
4Proof of resources (to be submitted for the last 12 months)
To be able to accommodate your family, you must justify sufficient and stable income (unless you are in one of the exceptional cases). The supporting documents to be provided vary according to your situation.
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You are an employee
- Last tax notice (or non-tax notice) or, if not, the tax notice of the previous year or last tax return covered by the tax services
- 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 more than one employer, produce the certificates of each)
- 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 and Public Works 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 notice (or non-tax notice) or, if not, the tax notice of the previous year or last tax return covered by the tax services
- 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're a craftsman
- Last tax notice (or non-tax notice) or, if not, the tax notice of the previous year or last tax return covered by the tax services
- 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 notice (or non-tax notice) or, if not, the tax notice of the previous year or last tax return covered by the tax services
- 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 notice (or non-tax notice) or, if not, the tax notice of the previous year or last tax return covered by the tax services
- Extract of less than 3 months of registration in the National Register of companies (RNE)
- Revenue book, purchase register and income certificate issued by the tax office.
You are a job seeker
- Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's or last tax return covered by the tax services
- Status report summarizing entitlements and compensation payments by France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi).
You are retired or disabled
- Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's or last tax return covered by the tax services
- 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 (SDA)
- Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's or last tax return covered by the tax services
- Decision on allocation of the allowance
- Last certificate of payment from the paying agency.
Other situations
- Last tax (or non-tax) notice or, if not, the previous year's or last tax return covered by the tax services
- 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 partner.
5Proofs of accommodation
You must have a healthy place to live and large enough to accommodate your family, whether you are a landlord, tenant or lodger.
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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 certificate of home insurance (if recent entry into the dwelling)
- 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 certificate of home insurance (if recent entry into the dwelling)
- Sublease Commitment
- Rationale that this subletting is authorized by a lease for you and your family.
You own it
- Proof of residence of less than 3 months (last electricity, gas, landline telephone, water bill) or certificate 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 certificate of home insurance (if recent entry into the dwelling)
- Lease or last payment of rent from the tenant or title to property in the name of the host
- Certificate of residence issued by the host granting you the accommodation, to you and your family to come, and specifying the duration of the authorized accommodation
- 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 certificate of home insurance (if recent entry into the dwelling)
- Promise to rent a home
- Proof of future acquisition of a home
- Certificate of provision of housing in the context of 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.
By post
You can send your file by post, 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.
Warning
You have to choose one or the other mode of transmission, you must 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 date of deposit. The Prefect of the Department of Residence shall be 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 examination 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 verify 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 in the light of the information provided in the 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 housing characteristics
The mayor can also check, at the request of the prefect, that you meet the conditions for 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 receiving your file or the request of the prefect. In the absence of a response 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 Ofii territorial delegation. 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 case 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 replied 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 a 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 the responsibility of your family.
Upon entry into France, your spouse must validate his/her long-stay visa by following the « validate his/her VLS/TS » approach 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.
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 site. Ofii will tell you.
The medical certificate issued by Ofii at the end of the visit is essential to obtain a residence permit.
Residence permit
Your spouse receives a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) for entering and settling in France.
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 19the birthday for your child turned adult. - If you have a 10-year resident card, 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 19the birthday for your child turned adult.
The validation of the VLS/TS and the application for a residence permit must be made on the Internet.
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 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 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 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:
Know the cost of your approach
For his application for a residence permit in the prefecture, your family will have to pay €150 .
If you entered without a long-stay visa, you must pay extra €300 of the right of regularization visa by fiscal stamps (of which €100 to be paid at the time of filing the application and non-refundable in case of refusal to issue the title).
You will need to provide proof of payment when handing over the card.
You can buy the tax stamp on the internet or at a tobacco shop.
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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 credit cards:
- Credit card (CB) and e-credit card
- Visa
- Mastercard.
However, payment by Paypal or American Express card is not accepted.
The electronic stamp can be issued on two 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.
Family integration
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.
Please note: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore 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