Bringing Your Family to France: Family Reunification

This guide is for non-EU nationals living in France with a residence permit who want their spouse and children to join them. After reading it, you will understand who can apply for regroupement familial (family reunification), the conditions on residence, income and housing, and how the application is put together.

• Who can apply
• Which family members can join you
• Income conditions
• Housing conditions
• Documents and the application
• FAQ

Who can apply

According to Service-Public.fr, family reunification is open to non-EU foreign nationals who live in France with a titre de séjour (residence permit). Algerian nationals follow separate rules, set out in their own section of that page and not covered here.

When you file the application, you must hold one of the following:

• a carte de séjour temporaire (temporary residence card) valid for at least one year, for example marked salarié, vie privée et familiale, étudiant or visiteur, or a carte de séjour pluriannuelle (multi-year residence card);
• a 10-year carte de résident or carte de résident de longue durée-UE issued by France;
• a récépissé (official receipt) for the renewal of one of these permits.

You must also have lived in France for at least 18 months. This period counts if it was spent with one of the permits above, or with a long-stay visa carrying the rights of a temporary residence card, a temporary card of less than one year, an autorisation provisoire de séjour (temporary residence authorisation), a receipt for a first or renewed permit, or an asylum application certificate.

A polygamous foreign national living in France with a first wife cannot use the procedure to bring a second wife. Mayotte has its own rule: at least 3 years of residence there with a permit valid for at least 5 years.

Which family members can join you

The procedure covers, as a group, your spouse, who must be at least 18 and legally married to you, and your minor children (under 18). Ages are assessed on the date the application is filed.

Children of your couple qualify if parentage is legally established or they were adopted by court decision. Children from a previous relationship of yours or your spouse’s qualify if the other parent has died or lost parental rights, or if a foreign court has granted parental authority to one parent.

Your family must normally live abroad. Family members already in France can benefit from reunification sur place (in France) only in exceptional cases. A spouse or child may be excluded if their presence is a threat to public order.

As a rule, partial reunification is not allowed: the whole family must arrive together. An exception may be granted in the children’s interest, through a reasoned letter submitted with the application. Accepted reasons include a child’s schooling or health, or housing too small for everyone. Parents and grandparents are not covered. They may be able to come as visitors if they have sufficient resources.

Income conditions

You must show stable and sufficient resources to support your family. The required amount is an average over the 12 months before the application and depends on family size:

• 2 or 3 people: the average gross monthly Smic (statutory minimum wage), that is €1,867.02;
• 4 or 5 people: €2,053.72;
• 6 people or more: €2,240.42.

Income from employment or self-employment, from managing assets and from retirement pensions counts. Your spouse’s income is included if it will continue to be paid after they leave their country. Family benefits, the RSA, Aspa, Ata, ASS and AER are excluded.

There is no income condition if you receive the AAH or the Asi. The same applies if you meet all four of these conditions: you are over 65, you have lived legally in France for at least 25 years, you have been married for at least 10 years, and the application concerns your spouse.

Housing conditions

You must have, or show that you will have by the date your family arrives, housing considered normal for a comparable family in the same area. It must meet standards of salubrité (health and safety) and equipment. The minimum living space depends on the housing zone:

• zones A bis and A: 22 m² for a couple without children or two people;
• zones B1 and B2: 24 m²;
• zone C: 28 m².

In every zone, add 10 m² per additional person up to 8 people in total, then 5 m² per person beyond 8. A simulator on the official page shows which zone your town is in. You must also respect the essential principles that govern family life in France.

Documents and the application

The application is made on the cerfa form Demande de regroupement familial, with copies of the supporting documents for your situation. A simulator on the official page lists the documents that apply to you. The core documents include:

• a front-and-back copy of your valid residence permit;
• a copie intégrale (full copy) of your marriage certificate with marginal notes, plus any jugement supplétif (substitute court judgment) it mentions;
• full copies of the birth certificates of you, your spouse and each child, including children already living in the home in France;
• proof of income, starting with your latest avis d’imposition (tax notice) or notice of non-taxation.

Other documents depend on your situation. Nationals of countries whose law allows polygamy must provide any divorce judgments and a sworn statement that reunification will not create a polygamous situation in France. For children, the list can include judgments on parental authority or custody, a letter from the other parent with an authenticated signature, an adoption judgment or death certificates.

Every document must come with a French translation by a traducteur agréé (approved translator) or certified by a French consular or diplomatic authority. The part of the official page used for this guide does not state where to submit the file, any fee or processing times. For these points, or any question about your own residence status, contact your prefecture or a migration advice service.

FAQ

How long must I have lived in France before applying?

At least 18 months, with one of the permits or documents listed on the official page. These include a long-stay visa, a temporary residence authorisation and an asylum application certificate.

Can my parents join me through family reunification?

No. The procedure does not apply to parents or grandparents. They may be able to come to France as visitors if they have sufficient resources.

Can my children come before my spouse?

As a rule, all family members must arrive together. Partial reunification can be authorised in exceptional cases in the children’s interest, through a reasoned letter filed with the application, for example on grounds of schooling, health or housing that is too small.

Do social benefits count towards the income threshold?

No. Family benefits, the RSA, Aspa, Ata, ASS and AER are excluded. However, there is no income condition at all for people who receive the AAH or the Asi.

Sources: service-public.fr

Last verified: 26 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the responsible authority always has the final word.

This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the prefecture of your département, a recognised migration advice service or a lawyer (avocat).