To apply for family reunification, the applicant must have resided legally in France for at least 18 months and hold a valid residence permit of at least one year or a renewal receipt. They must respect the essential principles of family life, including the absence of polygamy and respect for the physical and moral integrity of children, have stable and sufficient resources, and suitable housing for their family. If the family lives abroad, the spouse must be of legal age and the children must be minors on the date the application is submitted. When the family already resides in France, family reunification may be granted in exceptional circumstances (serious illness, best interests of the child, etc.). Note : there are specific income thresholds that specify the exact amount of resources and the size of the housing according to the household composition (the number of people being accommodated).

The family reunification procedure applies to the married spouse and the couple's minor children. For other family members, other procedures may be considered.

To complete the application, you must provide a copy of the applicant's residence permit, a full copy of the marriage certificate, and the birth certificates of all family members. You must also include a letter explaining the reasons for the family reunification request, as well as proof of income and housing. Depending on the circumstances, additional documents may be required (adoption decree, family record book, etc.). Please note: civil status documents in a foreign language must be translated by a certified translator.

Applications must be submitted to the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII), either electronically or by mail, depending on the circumstances. In theory, a decision from the prefect should be notified within six months of the OFII receiving a complete application. In practice, processing applications can take up to two years. Important : six months after receiving confirmation that the application has been sent to the prefecture, an implicit refusal is considered to have occurred. It is advisable to request the reasons for this refusal and then appeal to the administrative court. Your lawyer remains your best ally!

In the event of a refusal, once the refusal has been notified, you must:
1. File a mandatory prior administrative appeal (RAPO).
This appeal must be submitted to the Prefect within one month from the date the refusal is notified.

The Prefect must rule on your request within two months of receiving the appeal. If no response is given within this period, the appeal is deemed to have been rejected.

2. If the RAPO does not result in a favorable outcome, you may then bring the matter before the competent administrative court.
This step must be taken within two months following the Prefect’s decision or the absence of a response to your appeal.

It is strongly recommended to seek assistance from a lawyer specializing in immigration law at this stage, in order to properly prepare and substantiate your appeal.

Please note : if your family reunification application has been subject to an “implicit refusal” (i.e., no response from the Prefect for six months), you must first request disclosure of the reasons for the decision.
Once this request has been received by the Prefecture services, you must wait one month before initiating the procedure described above.
In case of doubt regarding the procedure to follow or the applicable deadlines, contact your lawyer.