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ProceduresAdminApply for the RSA

Important information

Target audience

AudienceStateless people, Asylum seekers, French citizens, Statutory refugees, Beneficiaries of temporary protection, Beneficiaries of subsidiary protection

Price

Free of charge

Requirements

Be in possession of a residence permit or a receipt
Have a bank account

Where is it?

Apply for the RSA

Updated on il y a un mois

The RSA (Active Solidarity Income) is financial assistance for people who are unemployed, without unemployment benefits or with low resources.

To receive this financial aid sent by the CAF (Family Allowance Fund), you must be over 25 years old and live in France.

The amount varies from person to person and depends on:

  • the household situation (a single person, a couple, etc.),
  • the number of children,
  • other financial assistance received (family allowances, housing assistance, etc.),
  • and resources (salaries of household members, unemployment benefits, etc.).
A household is one or more people who live together (a single person, a couple, one or two parents with children, etc.).
The money sent by the CAF is called "benefit" or "aid" or even "allowance".
A person who receives assistance from the CAF is called a ‘beneficiary’.

In addition to financial assistance, there is also professional support. Before receiving RSA, you sign a reciprocal commitment contract: this means that in exchange for this financial assistance, you commit to looking for work.

Each person who receives RSA (and the person who shares the household) is automatically registered with France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi) since January 1, 2025.
Read: the Réfugiés.info fact sheet "Being automatically registered with France Travail"
You can register with the CAF and apply for RSA as soon as you apply for asylum. When you receive a positive response from the OFPRA or the CNDA regarding your international protection (refugee, subsidiary protection, stateless person), send the document to the CAF, which will calculate your RSA from the moment you applied. This is called retroactivity of rights .”
Do not hesitate to contact an advisor by telephone at 3230 or send an email to the CAF in your department.

How to do it?

To apply for RSA, you must:

  • prove that your household resources are low and do not exceed the "ceilings" (the limits which entitle you to this aid)
  • live in France at least 9 months a year and have an address (even a registered office ).
  • have international protection (refugee status, stateless person, or beneficiary of subsidiary or temporary protection), or a 10-year residence permit, or a residence permit with authorization to work for at least 5 years
  • have already applied for other available financial assistance, such as unemployment benefits from France Travail or retirement pension if you are entitled to it
  • be over 25 years old.

But there are 2 exceptions:

  • if you are between 18 and 25 years old, have no children, and have worked full-time for at least 2 years in the last 3 years
  • if you are a single parent with one or more children or if you are pregnant.

Before making a request, to check if you are entitled to receive RSA, you must first do a simulation on the CAF website .

  • If the simulator indicates that you are entitled to receive RSA, it indicates an approximate amount. To be sure of receiving it and to know exactly how much, you must register with the CAF and officially submit a "benefit request" (step 3).
  • If the simulator indicates that you are not entitled to receive RSA, an explanation is given.
  • If you made a mistake while answering the questions, you can start again.
- The family composition of your household is your situation in France: if you are married but your wife or husband does not live with you, you must tick “alone”.
- You must answer YES to the question “You have resided in France for more than 5 years, with a residence permit authorizing you to work”.

List of all documents necessary for the RSA application (for each person in the household):

  • A birth certificate from OFPRA or provisional family certificate from OFII (see “Good to know” below)
  • Your Vitale card (or a certificate of rights)
  • Your health insurance card if you have one
  • A RIB (bank identity statement) for your current account or your savings account
  • A residence card or certificate of submission of application for a residence permit
  • Letter with the OFPRA decision granting you international protection (refugee status, stateless person or beneficiary of subsidiary protection) or letter with the CNDA decision (you can hide your personal history in the document sent to the CAF)
  • Proof of all your household income for the last 3 months (pay slips, Pôle emploi payment certificates, Health Insurance benefits, disability or alimony pensions, retirement, etc.)

Optional documents, depending on your situation:

  • certificate of end of payment of the ADA from OFII
  • declaration of pregnancy made by the doctor if you are pregnant
  • divorce judgment if you are divorced
  • marriage certificate if you are married
  • sworn certificate of separation if you are separated
  • family record book and birth certificate if you have children
If you have not yet received your birth certificate from OFPRA, the easiest way is to contact OFII to obtain a “provisional family certificate” . You can also ask them for a certificate of the last payments of the asylum seeker allowance (ADA), to prove that you no longer receive this financial assistance (but this document is not required to request the RSA).
To obtain these certificates, you can write an email to the OFII in charge of your file or go directly to the OFII counter where you live.

You must now choose whether you make the request online (step 3), by making an appointment on site (step 4) or by sending it by mail (step 5).

The first step is to have all your documents in digital format.
> Read: the Réfugiés.info “Scan a document” sheet

Then, if you are already registered with the CAF, log in to your personal space by clicking here.

If you are not registered, you must apply for a service online and then create your account.
> Read: the Réfugiés.info fact sheet "Register and request assistance from the CAF"

You also have the option to connect with your France Connect account.
> Read: the Réfugiés.info fact sheet “ Using FranceConnect to connect to a website

Click on:

  • Help and procedures
  • My Procedures section
  • Access my procedures
  • Apply for benefits online
  • Professional life
  • (RSA) Active Solidarity Income
  • Make the request.

Answer the questions, the same as for the simulation (step 1) and send your documents.

Don't hesitate to ask a social worker for help to make sure you complete everything correctly. You can ask your shelter, an association, or your town hall which service can help you apply for RSA online.
> Read: the Réfugiés.info fact sheet "Make an appointment with a social worker"

Please note: RSA payments are sent from the date you submit your application (even if it is incomplete). If you are having a long wait to contact a social worker, don't wait and go directly to a CAF agency (step 4).

If you applied for RSA online, go directly to step 5.

If you want to make an appointment to apply for RSA with an advisor at a CAF agency, go to the website and specify your postal code at the top right in “My CAF”.

You can then make an appointment:

  • on the Internet: Contact us at the bottom of the page, Request an appointment
  • by phone: call 32 30.
  • directly on site, in the CAF agency near you, which you can find by clicking on Find a reception point.
Remember to bring all paper documents (originals + photocopies) for the appointment.

If you have an address in Paris, you can also visit a Parisian integration center. A professional can help you apply for RSA after making an appointment:

  • on the Internet: click here, on the number of your district, on “Book an appointment online for an RSA application” and look for a date that suits you.
  • by telephone or directly on site: the contact details of Parisian spaces for integration are available here.

The CAF will respond to you directly in your My Account area, My Procedures section or on the Caf-My Account mobile application.

  • If you applied online, you already have your login details.
  • If you applied at a CAF agency, you will receive a beneficiary number (6 digits and a letter) and a password to log in to your personal space.
When your application is accepted, the first RSA transfer normally arrives the following month.

What happens next?

Every 3 months, you must declare your resources to the CAF.

This is the “quarterly declaration of resources”. You must complete a table, for each month requested, with the money received (salary, unemployment benefits, etc.).

This allows CAF to calculate the aid that will be sent for the following 3 months.

> To read: the Réfugiés.info sheet “Make the quarterly declaration to the CAF”

Do not forget to inform the CAF of any change in professional or family situation in your personal space, “declare a change of situation” section.

This contract sets out the rights and obligations of RSA beneficiaries and public structures.

The reciprocal commitment contract is not mandatory; it depends on the region. But if you have signed it, you have to respect it.

Public structures (France Travail, the city or department, the CAF) are required to set up personalized support by a professional, to help you:

  • build your professional project
  • find a job or start your own business
  • find a childcare solution
  • resolve difficulties and answer your questions individually.

Beneficiaries are entitled to receive financial assistance every month.

In exchange, you must:

  • look for work or training (write a CV, send applications, etc.)
  • update yourself on the France Travail website
  • come to the appointments
  • declare your resources every 3 months.
  • If your personal situation changes (new person in the household, moving, separation), you must inform the CAF.
  • If your professional situation changes (new job for you or your spouse, start of your business, end of employment contract, start of internship, etc.), you must also report this.
Don't forget to send your new bank details if you change your bank account.

In your personal space, click on "Report a change" or on the "My profile" section.

Each change in your situation results in a new calculation of your financial aid: if your salary or rent decreases or increases, the CAF sends you more or less money.

The CAF receives information from other public services, such as the tax authorities or France Travail. If you report different information or if you have made a mistake, you must also report this to the CAF.
If the CAF sends you too much money in relation to your situation (an overpayment), it has the possibility of asking you to reimburse it.
If you fail to report an error and receive money, it is considered "fraud." You may be penalized.

RSA recipients are also entitled to:

If your RSA application has been refused, you can contact the CAF (by mail, telephone, or email) to request an explanation.

If the answer does not suit you, send a letter to the President of the Departmental Council of your region.

You have 2 months after the refusal to request a review of your application.

In this letter, you must explain:

  • who you are (first name, last name, address, beneficiary number, etc.)
  • why you do not agree with the refusal of RSA
  • why you are requesting a review of your file.

You must add any documents that can help support your application, such as:

  • a copy of your identity document and the people in your household
  • the RSA refusal letter
  • your pay slips
  • your turnover declarations
  • your tax notice ...

Send this letter by registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt and wait for the Departmental Council's response.

If you do not agree with the decision of the Departmental Council, you have the possibility of asking the Defender of Rights for help .

If after these actions no solution is found, you can appeal to the Administrative Court .

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