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Important information

Target audience

AudienceStatutory refugees, Beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, Stateless people, Beneficiaries of temporary protection

Requirements

Be in possession of the birth certificate issued by OFPRA
Be in possession of a residence permit or a receipt

Where is it?

The family reunification process

Updated on il y a 23 jours

What is it?

Do you wish to bring your family to France so that they can settle down and live with you? Have you obtained asylum in France (are you a statutory refugee, a beneficiary of subsidiary protection or a stateless person)? 

If you are in one of these cases, you can then ask for "family reunification", a right granted to refugees to be joined by their immediate family who have stayed in another country, in order to guarantee their right to private and family life

Good to know: this procedure is quite complicated to carry out, we advise you to get help from a social worker. 

How to do it?

Conditions to be met:

  • You have refugee or stateless status or you have obtained subsidiary protection in France.
  • You have a receipt for recognition of international protection or a residence permit .
  • Your family ties (marriage, PACS, common-law union, etc.) existed before your asylum application .
  • You declared your family members to Ofpra at the time of your asylum application.
If you married after submitting your asylum application, you cannot request family reunification but you can follow the family reunification procedure intended for all non-European foreigners.

Which member of your family can join you?

  • Your husband , your wife , your PACS partner or the person with whom you are in a common-law relationship .
  • Unmarried children of your couple aged 19 or less .
  • Your children under the age of 18 born from previous unions who are entrusted to you by a foreign judicial decision.
  • Children under the age of 18 of your current husband or wife, PACS partner or the person with whom you are in a common-law relationship who are entrusted to them by a foreign judicial decision.
If you are a minor (under the age of 18), you can request family reunification for your father, mother and their unmarried minor children who are dependent on them.

After checking that you can carry out this process, prepare a long-stay visa application file to be submitted by your family members to the French Consulate closest to their home in their country.

Each member of your family must attach the following supporting documents to their long-stay visa application.

Documents concerning your family member:

  • One long-stay visa application form per person.
  • A passport or pass for cases that justify it.
  • 2 identity photographs conforming to the European format.
  • The full copy of the birth certificate from the country of origin.
  • Copy of the marriage certificate from the country of origin
  • Or any document that can prove the family link.
  • The equivalent of €99 per person in local currency.

Documents concerning you:

  • A copy of the OFPRA's positive decision for your protection.
  • The copy of your birth and/or marriage certificate given by OFPRA.

Start your Visa application on France-Visas.gouv.fr. You will be able to build your file more easily then print it to submit it to the Consulate.

Good to know : Not all countries accept the online application yet. Check the correct procedure by choosing your country of origin on this page.

Your family members must submit their complete application to the French consulate closest to their home in their country of origin.

Find the consulate for your country

Warning! Under no circumstances should your family contact the authorities of the country of origin.

You will receive an information form from the refugee families office to complete and return by post.

The processing time is long and depends on the country. It takes at least two months. The period may be extended if civil status records need to be verified (between 4 and 8 months).

What happens next?

Before your family arrives in France

If the visa is granted to your family members, then a visa sticker is stuck on their passport.

When the passport is given to your family, ask them to verify that the information on the visa is correct.

You need to check :

  • Civil status information and passport number .
  • The visa validity date .
  • The signature and stamp of the embassy .

Wrong or missing information will prevent your family from traveling. Your family will then need to apply for a new visa.

Attention ! Your family is only authorized to travel to France during the validity of their visa which is 3 months.

When your family arrives in France

You must quickly do:

  • An application for a “Refugee Family Member” residence permit from the prefecture where you live.

Or if your family needs protection:

  • An asylum request to a first reception structure for asylum seekers (SPADA) .

The consulate can refuse the visa application for several reasons:

  • if you or your family do not meet the conditions for family reunification,
  • if the family link could not be proven,
  • if the arrival of your family constitutes a danger to public order,
  • if you do not respect the essential principles of family life in France.

If the visa is refused, you can appeal within 2 months of notification .

Send your appeal to this address:

Appeals Committee against decisions to refuse entry visas to France

BP 83.609 - 44036 Nantes Cedex 1

To help you make your appeal, you can get help from a specialised association or a legal advisor.
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