Section actions
Duration: Complete procedure — 6 to 24 months (prefecture + consulate + entry + title)
Cost: Tax ~269 € for the title of each member; procedures OFII/visa — fees
Possible online
Who this guide is for
Section actions
- You if you are a legal resident in France and want to bring your family
- You if you are a spouse/parent of a foreigner in France and wish to join him/her
- You if you want to understand the conditions before filing
To be prepared in advance
Section actions
- Resource rationale (~SMIC for the family, stable — contracts, tax notices)
- Housing rationale (compliance with surface standards per person)
- Legal residence permit, valid ≥ 18 months at deposit
Step-by-step procedure
Section actions
- 1Check conditions: legal residence permit ≥ 18 months, stable income ≥ SMIC (family), standard accommodation (~9–16 m²/person depending on composition), absence of certain convictions.
- 2Apply in prefecture (cerfa forms + coins: title, contracts, tax notice, lease, property statement, family photos). The prefecture issues a receipt.
- 3The prefecture investigates the case (up to 6 months). In the event of a favourable opinion — the file goes to OFII and the French consulate in the country of residence of the family.
- 4The family, in the country of origin, submits an application for a reunification visa to the Consulate of France (after notification). Medical examination OFII before issuing the visa.
- 5The family enters with the visa, the valid one and asks for the title "privacy and family life" within 2 months via ANEF.
- 6Once the title is obtained, family members are entitled to work, to social rights, to the APL, to school for children.
- 7Refusal: possible recourse to the administrative court. Time limits set out in the decision.
- 8Fast track: EU citizens do not go through grouping (free movement); some titles (Passport Talent) give the family a simplified procedure.
Common mistakes
Section actions
- File with income below SMIC or unstable — refusal.
- Housing not complying with surface standards — refusal.
- Do not wait for the prefecture's decision and file with the consulate — refusal.
- Believing rapid regrouping. It's months to years.
- Do not update the exhibits during the procedure — expired file.
Official sources
Section actions
Show sources in this section
Important remark
Conditions for regrouping (income, housing, deadlines) are changing. This information is indicative — for your situation, check in prefecture and OFII.
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