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Asylum in France: the OFPRA procedure
Asylum in France (OFPRA procedure)
In short
Asylum is claimed in France, at the border or after arrival, not at a French embassy; French missions can only receive requests for a visa for asylum purposes that lets you travel to France. After a pre-reception association (SPADA) and registration at a single desk, you have 21 days to send the form to OFPRA, which interviews you and decides. Refusals can be appealed to the National Court of Asylum (CNDA).
checked 23 October 2026
Key facts
- Validity
- Asylum certificate valid 10 months (normal procedure) or 6 months (accelerated), renewable during the procedure.
- Processing time
- Form to OFPRA within 21 days of the certificate; missing items within 8 days of OFPRA’s request. CNDA appeal: one month (10 days in the accelerated procedure).
- Where to apply
- In France: at the border police, or through a SPADA and the single desk (guichet unique) at the prefecture. A visa for asylum purposes can be requested from a French embassy or consulate.
Where to apply
OFPRA only examines claims made on French territory. A French embassy or consulate can receive a request for a visa for asylum purposes, decided by the minister in charge of asylum, which only allows travel to France.
At an airport or port you tell the border police; if admitted, you get an 8-day visa to reach a SPADA. Inside France you go to the SPADA of your département; in Île-de-France you first call OFII on 01 42 500 900.
Registration and the OFPRA form
The SPADA books your appointment at the single desk (guichet unique) of the prefecture, normally within three days. There prefecture and OFII officers record your route, take fingerprints, note your interview language and tell you whether the normal or accelerated procedure applies. If France is responsible, you receive an asylum certificate, valid 10 or 6 months and renewable, and the OFPRA form.
You send the completed form in French, signed, with copies of your documents, to OFPRA within 21 days; missing items can be added within 8 days. A late file is treated as withdrawn, which can be challenged at the administrative court of Melun within 10 days. The claim also covers your minor children in France.
- At the border, tell the border police; inside France, go to the SPADA of your département (in Île-de-France call OFII first).
- Attend the single-desk appointment and receive the asylum certificate and the OFPRA form.
- Send the completed form to OFPRA within 21 days, preferably by registered post.
- Attend the OFPRA interview and wait for the written decision.
- If refused, appeal to the CNDA within one month (ten days in the accelerated procedure).
Interview and decision
OFPRA posts the interview invitation in your secure online space. The interview is held in your chosen language with an interpreter, may be attended by a lawyer or an accredited association, and is audio-recorded. Service-Public gives a six-month target for the normal procedure and 15 days for the accelerated one. Refugee status leads to a 10-year resident card, subsidiary protection to a multi-year card.
If another EU state is responsible under the Dublin rules, no asylum certificate is issued and a transfer procedure applies. The EU Pact on Migration and Asylum has applied since 12 June 2026.
Rights during the procedure
The asylum certificate allows you to stay in France while your claim is examined. OFII opens your reception conditions at the single desk: help with accommodation and the asylum seeker allowance (ADA), which also covers the trip to the OFPRA interview.
Appeal to the CNDA
A rejection by OFPRA can be appealed to the CNDA in Montreuil within one month, or ten days in the accelerated procedure. The appeal is written in French, gives reasons and includes the OFPRA decision; the procedure is free. Legal aid can be requested within 15 days, which suspends the deadline, and in accelerated cases the appeal itself counts as a request. The court rules one to three weeks after the hearing; a further challenge to the Council of State is possible within two months.
Where to get help
SPADAs, OFII and host associations explain the procedure and reception. OFPRA in Fontenay-sous-Bois receives the public by appointment only and answers on 01 58 68 10 10; the CNDA lists associations that support appeals.
Documents
Required documents
Identity
- Any identity or travel documents (copies sent to OFPRA)
- Identity photos: four for the single desk, two for the OFPRA form
Other
- Completed OFPRA form in French, dated and signed, with a postal address
Supporting documents (where they apply)
Other
- Copies of documents supporting your account
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply for asylum at a French embassy abroad?
No. A French mission can only receive a request for a visa for asylum purposes, which lets you travel to France to apply.
How long do I have to send the OFPRA form?
21 days from the issue of the asylum certificate, plus 8 days if OFPRA asks for missing items.
What happens if another EU country is responsible?
Under the Dublin rules no French asylum certificate is issued and a transfer procedure applies.
Who decides on appeals, and is it free?
The National Court of Asylum (CNDA); the procedure is free and legal aid for a lawyer is available.
Official sources
- OFPRA – FAQ: I want to apply for asylum
- OFPRA – Applying for asylum
- Cour nationale du droit d'asile (CNDA)
- OFPRA – Step 1: the SPADA
- OFPRA – Step 2: the single desk or France Asile territorial office
- OFPRA – Step 3: OFPRA
- Service-Public.fr – Demande d’asile
- CNDA – Appeal in the normal procedure
- CNDA – Accelerated procedure and inadmissibility
- CNDA – Legal aid
- CNDA – Judgment of your appeal
- Ambassade de France en Turquie – Demandes de visa au titre de l’asile
Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.
Other visa types for France
Visits and short stays
- Tourist visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
- Family and friends visit visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
- Airport transit visa Maximum stay: International transit zone only, no entry into France.
- Medical treatment visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
Business and self-employment
- Business visa Maximum stay: Up to 90 days in any 180-day period
- Entrepreneur and start-up visa Validity: Up to four years.
- Investor visa Validity: Up to four years.
Study and training
- Student visa Validity: VLS-TS from four months to one year; then a one-year card, followed by a multi-year card for the rest of the degree.
- Researcher visa Validity: Length of the hosting agreement, up to four years.
- Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Company internship: six months initially; continuing training: 12 months, renewable once up to 18 months.
Work
- Work visa Validity: First year on the VLS-TS; then a four-year multi-year card for permanent employees still in the job, or a card matching the fixed-term contract.
- Skilled worker visa Validity: Length of the contract, up to four years.
- EU Blue Card Validity: Contracts of two years or more: length of the contract up to four years; shorter contracts: contract plus three months, up to two years.
- Intra-company transfer visa Validity: Length of the assignment, up to three years, minus time already spent on the visa; not renewable.
Family
- Family reunification visa Processing time: The mayor checks resources and housing within two months; the prefect decides within six months of the complete file reaching OFII (silence means refusal).
- Spouse and partner visa Validity: VLS-TS valid one year; then a multi-year card of two to four years.
Residence
- Retirement visa Validity: VLS-TS for the first year, then a renewable one-year card.
- Permanent residence Validity: 10 years, renewable. The EU card lapses after more than three consecutive years outside the EU or six years outside France; the ordinary resident card after more than three consecutive years outside France.