This visa is available to family members of residents of France. The application requirements differ according to factors such as whether the applicant is an EU/EEA national, a French native, or a foreigner in France. There is additional information available online.
If you wish to join a family member in France, the supporting documents and type of visa you must apply for will depend on your nationality, the assessment of your family relationship, the duration and purpose of your stay, and the reason for your visit.
The following rules apply if your country of origin is a member of the European Union (other than France), the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland:
If you are the spouse, a direct descendant or dependent under 21 years old, an elderly dependent relative, or the spouse’s directly dependent ageing relative or descendant, you must apply for a short-stay visa. This will allow you to apply for a residence permit from the prefecture of your place of residence and settle in France immediately upon arrival.
If you do not need a visa for a stay of fewer than three months, you may enter and stay in France for three months and apply for a residence permit at the prefecture of your intended place of residence to live there.
If you are married to a citizen of France.
You must provide evidence of your marital status and your spouse’s French nationality and apply for a short-stay visa.
If you desire to stay in France for more than 90 days or intend to settle there, you must apply for a visa for lengthy stays.
You will need to apply for a long-stay visa akin to a residence permit following your arrival in France, subject to approval procedures.
If your parent is a French citizen.
You will need a Visa for a short stay if you are a foreign child under the age of 21 who is dependent on a French parent, a child with a legally recognized tie to a French national, or a child who has been adopted by a French national in either the primary or whole form.
If you desire to stay in France for more than 90 days or intend to settle there, you must apply for a visa for lengthy stays.
You must submit proof of your relationship, the nationality of both parents, your age, and your French parent’s current or intended residency in France.
- If you are a minor with shared parental authority, you need the other parent’s consent to settle in France.
- If you are older than 21 and financially dependent on a French parent, you are exempt.
You must submit an application for a three-month visa for long-term visitors, followed by the issuance of a residence permit from the prefecture of the department where you wish to live.
If you are a dependent elderly relative of a French national or their foreign spouse
If you are their older relative, the spouse’s older relative, or if you are the French national’s or spouse’s parents or grandparents, you must provide evidence of your relationship to your ancestor, French nationality, or marriage, as well as adequate funds to meet your claims. Additionally, you must demonstrate that you have accommodations and international health insurance for the duration of your trip.
Maximum stays of 90 days need the application of a visa for short stays. If you intend to prolong your stay beyond 90 days, you must apply for a long-stay visa and provide evidence of sufficient funds to support yourself.
Parent of a French minor living abroad
If you have contributed to the maintenance and education of your child (in line with Article 371-2 of the French Civil Code) since birth or for at least two years, you must demonstrate your relationship with your child, their French nationality, age, residency in France, and your actual contribution to their upkeep and education.
The issuance of a residence permit, which you must obtain from the prefecture of the department where you wish to reside, will follow the issuance of a three-month long-stay visa.
Individual who has spent at least 18 months in France
The “family reunion” procedure must be followed by your spouse or parent (if you are under 18) and filed with the Direction Territoriale de l’Office Français immigration et d’Intégration (OFII) at your place of residence. You must demonstrate adequate and consistent financial resources to support your family and provide suitable housing. The local Préfecture (residence) will determine if these standards have been met.
Once your application has been approved, consular services will contact you to offer your three-month long-stay visa. Then, a residence permit will be provided, which must be requested at the police station in your department of residence.
Refugee status, subsidiary protection, and protection for statelessness
If the refugee is older than 18 and getting subsidiary or stateless protection, you may apply for a “family reunion” long-stay visa if you meet the following requirements:
- Their spouse/partner (joined by a civil union), aged 18 or older, provided the marriage or civil union happened before filing the asylum application.
- A child of a couple who was younger than 19 at the time when they filed the asylum application.
- Their minor child or the minor child of their spouse whose direct line of descent has been proven primarily about the spouse; the other parent is deceased or deprived of parental rights.
- Their minor child or their spouse’s minor child entrusted to one or the other by a foreign court’s decision.
If the refugee, beneficiary of subsidiary protection, or stateless person is an unmarried minor, their parents (direct first-degree ascendant) may apply for long-stay family reunion visas, accompanied by their unmarried, minor, dependent children, if appropriate.