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Pathway

France Family Reunification Residence

France Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

France family reunification is for a spouse or minor child joining a non-French foreign resident who is already legally settled in France. It generally requires a qualifying sponsor, enough residence time in France, suitable housing, stable resources, and family records.

Type
Family residence
Sponsor
A qualifying non-EU/EEA/Swiss resident already established in France
Core requirements
Spouse or minor child, qualifying residence, resources, and suitable housing
What to know
The sponsor starts the standard process with the French immigration office
What it gives
If approved, family members abroad apply for the required long-stay visa and enter through the authorized family-reunification process.
Main limit
This is not a route for any relative and not simply a visa invitation.

Summary

France's standard family-reunification procedure (regroupement familial) allows a non-EU, non-EEA, or non-Swiss foreign resident already established in France to apply for a spouse and minor children to join them. The sponsor, not the family member abroad, starts the process with OFII.

In the general case, the sponsor must have lived lawfully in France for at least 18 months on a qualifying status and hold a residence document of at least one year's validity or another listed permit. The sponsor must also show stable and sufficient resources and suitable housing for the household.

Different rules apply to Algerian citizens under the Franco-Algerian agreement, to refugees and people with subsidiary protection or stateless status, to family of a French or EU citizen, and to Talent-card family members. Those cases should not be forced into standard family reunification.

Pathway fit check

Eligibility

The sponsor generally must:

Algerian sponsors generally use a 12-month residence period and other agreement-specific rules. Do not apply the general rule without checking nationality.

Family members

The standard procedure normally covers:

Age is normally assessed at the date of filing. PACS partners, unmarried partners, adult children, parents, and siblings do not fall within the standard categories. A polygamous sponsor cannot use the procedure to bring another spouse while already living in France with one spouse.

Resources and housing

Resources are usually assessed over the 12 months before filing. The required level depends on household size and is linked to the minimum wage: roughly one full-time SMIC for a household of two or three, 10% more for four or five, and 20% more for six or more. Certain family benefits and social allowances are excluded; disability and narrow long-residence exemptions can apply.

Housing must be available by the family's arrival, meet health and equipment standards, and satisfy a minimum surface that varies by French housing zone and family size. OFII and the local authority may inspect it.

What This Route Allows

If approved, family members abroad apply for the required long-stay visa and enter through the authorized family-reunification process. The adult spouse generally receives a private-and-family-life residence status that permits work. Minor children usually do not need an adult residence card but may need a travel document.

The prefect normally has six months from receipt of a complete OFII file to decide. Silence after the statutory period can amount to an implicit refusal, so keep the complete-file receipt and track deadlines.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a route for any relative and not simply a visa invitation. The sponsor must meet the residence, permit, resources, and housing tests before approval.

It is not the normal procedure for family of a French citizen, family of an EU free-movement citizen, an accompanying Talent family, or a family relationship that pre-dated a refugee's protection claim. Each has its own process.

The family should generally remain abroad while the case is processed. Reunification "on the spot" for family already in France exists only in limited circumstances and can require that the marriage was celebrated in France. Do not assume an overstay can be fixed through a standard application.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the sponsor's nationality, exact residence document, and lawful-residence start date.
  2. Confirm that each beneficiary is a qualifying spouse or child and calculate every child's age at filing.
  3. Use the official simulator to check whether a special agreement or separate family route applies.
  4. Calculate the household resource threshold for the current family size and collect 12 months of accepted income evidence.
  5. Confirm the proposed home meets the applicable zone, floor-area, safety, and equipment rules.
  6. Gather complete civil-status, marriage, custody, adoption, consent, identity, and residence records, with required legalization and translations.
  7. Submit the complete application to OFII online or through the current official channel and retain the receipt.
  8. After approval, each family member should follow the France-Visas instructions and complete arrival/residence formalities on time.
Compare your options

Other routes in France.

Sources