Family reunification in France: conditions, income and housing

You live in France with a residence permit and your family is still back home? Family reunification lets you bring over your spouse and your minor children. It is a right, but subject to strict conditions on residence, income and housing. An incomplete file often costs months. A lawyer checks yours in 20 minutes on Avocat20min.fr.

Family reunification: who can apply?

The applicant must have lived lawfully in France for at least 18 months. They must also hold a permit valid for at least one year: temporary residence card, multi-year card, resident card, or a renewal receipt. Articles L434-1 and following of the CESEDA set this framework.

Some nationalities follow a specific agreement. For Algerians, the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement requires one year of residence and a residence certificate valid for at least one year. In Mayotte, on the other hand, the rules are tougher: three years of residence and a permit valid for at least five years.

Finally, the law of 26 January 2024 had planned a stricter family reunification regime. Among other things, it lengthened the residence period and added a health insurance requirement. The Constitutional Council struck those articles down as unrelated riders (decision no. 2023-863 DC of 25 January 2024). So 18 months remains the rule in October 2026.

Which family members are covered

Family reunification covers the nuclear family:

• Your spouse, aged at least 18 and married to you. Cohabitation and civil partnerships (PACS) do not open this procedure.
• Your minor children and those of the couple, including adopted children.
• Children from another relationship, if the other parent has died, lost parental rights, or a court has granted you custody.

Parents, brothers and sisters or adult children fall outside the scheme. Likewise, a second spouse in a polygamous marriage is excluded. A child born in France already lives here: their situation follows other rules, set out in our article on the child born in France.

In principle, the whole family comes at the same time. Partial reunification remains possible, but only for a reason linked to the children's interests, explained in a letter.

Family reunification and income: the minimum wage threshold

Your income must be stable and sufficient. The prefecture averages it over the 12 months before you file. The threshold starts from the minimum wage (SMIC) and rises with the size of the family.

Family size after arrival	Minimum monthly income
2 or 3 people	SMIC, i.e. €1,867.02 gross
4 or 5 people	SMIC + 10%, i.e. €2,053.72 gross
6 people or more	SMIC + 20%, i.e. €2,240.42 gross

These amounts come from service-public, checked in June 2026, and follow every SMIC increase. Family benefits, RSA, ASPA and the specific solidarity allowance do not count.

An exception protects people with disabilities. If you receive the disabled adult allowance (AAH) or the supplementary invalidity allowance, no income condition applies. An exemption also exists for some people over 65 who have lived in France for a long time.

Housing for family reunification

Your home must suit a comparable family living in the same region. It must also meet decency and health standards. The minimum living area depends on the geographical zone.

Zone	Area for 2 people
A bis and A (Paris, large cities)	22 m²
B1 and B2	24 m²
C	28 m²

You then add 10 m² per extra person, up to eight people, then 5 m² beyond that. For example, a couple with two children in Lyon needs at least 42 m². The home must be available on the family's arrival date, not necessarily when you file: a lease or a rental commitment is then enough.

The applicant must also comply with the essential principles of the Republic. Conduct contrary to them justifies a refusal.

The procedure: from OFII to the visa

The family reunification file is lodged with OFII, the French immigration and integration office, online or by registered post. Choose only one route. Enclose translated civil status records, your permit, and proof of income and housing.

OFII then checks that the file is complete and gives you a filing certificate. Next, the mayor of your town checks your income and housing, often through a visit. The mayor has two months to give an opinion, and silence counts as a favourable opinion.

The prefect decides within six months of filing. Be careful: silence at the end of that period means refusal. Once approval is granted, your family applies for a long-stay visa at the French consulate.

Arrival and residence permit

The spouse must enter France within three months of the visa being issued. They then validate the visa online within three months of arrival. OFII calls them for a medical check. The spouse and any children over 16 sign the republican integration contract.

The spouse receives a "private and family life" residence card, which allows them to work. The first permit costs €150, a reduced rate explained in our guide to residence permit fees. After three years of residence, they may apply for the ten-year resident card.

Family reunification refused: how to appeal

You can challenge a prefect's refusal in two ways. First, you can send a request for review to the prefect, or a hierarchical appeal to the Interior Minister. You can also go straight to the administrative court. In both cases, the deadline is two months from the refusal.

The judge mainly checks the income calculation and the size of the home. The judge also checks respect for your family life, protected by Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. For example, a refusal over a few euros of missing income often deserves close scrutiny.

A visa refusal, after the prefect's approval, follows another route. You must first go to the commission for appeals against visa refusals, within 30 days. This step is compulsory before the administrative court of Nantes.

Mistakes that delay the file

Many refusals come down to avoidable details. First, a birth or marriage certificate without a certified translation blocks the process. Next, a single month of low pay sometimes drags the average below the threshold.

Moreover, a family already in France without a visa cannot, in principle, benefit from family reunification. The procedure is carried out from abroad. Reunification from within France remains exceptional, mostly for a spouse already lawfully resident. Finally, moving house during the process means informing OFII, since the housing visit covers the new address.

After arrival: living together

During the first three years, separation can lead to a refusal to renew the permit, or even its withdrawal. However, a victim of violence keeps their rights: our article on the residence permit for domestic violence victims explains this protection.

Spouses of French nationals and refugees: other routes

Family reunification does not apply to the spouse of a French national. That spouse applies directly for a "spouse of a French national" visa, with no income or housing condition. What happens if the couple splits up is covered in our article on separation for the spouse of a French national.

Likewise, a refugee or a beneficiary of subsidiary protection uses family reunion instead. It requires no period of residence, no income and no housing. It covers the spouse and children, provided the family tie predates the asylum claim.

When to consult a lawyer

For family reunification, a lawyer helps you choose the right moment. For example, waiting two more months of salary is sometimes enough to cross the average threshold. A lawyer also prepares the response to an unfavourable housing check.

A lawyer specialising in immigration law also drafts your appeals against a refusal by the prefect or the consulate. The official list of conditions appears on the service-public page on family reunification.