OFII procedure
IMPORTANT : Visa applications for family reunification (OFII procedure) are handled by a dedicated department at the Embassy. Therefore, NO APPOINTMENT CAN BE MADE ONLINE. The Embassy will give you an appointment by email.
Visa application for family reunificaition through the OFII procedure follows four main steps :
- 1- Applying for family reunification at the OFII
- 2- Application process by the OFII and family information by the Embassy
- 3- Applying for visa a the Embassy, visa process and decision
- 4- Decision regarding the visa application(s)
1- Applying for family reunification at the OFII :
The family member living in France has to apply for family reunification at the competent OFII according to his/her city of residence. Application form and OFII addresses are available at : http://www.ofii.fr/formulaires-de-demande-de-regroupement-familial
2- Application process by the OFII and family information by the Embassy :
The competent OFII registers the application and notifies the French Embassy in the country where the family lives.
Family information :
After being notified, the Embassy in Dhaka will email the family and provide the list of required documents (originals plus one photocopy to be provided) and an application form.
You can also find the list of required documents here:
- OFPRA / OFII - Required documents
- (PDF - 434 kb)
In order to ease the communication with the family in Bangladesh, the applicant in France must fill out CAREFULLY the OFII application form, especially regarding to the family contact details in Bangladesh. Regularly the Embassy is unable to contact the families due to incomplete contact information.
3- Applying for visa at the Embassy, visa process and decision :
The embassy collects and processes each family member’s visa application.
- 3.1- Placing your visa application :
One appointment only is given per family. Therefore all the family members have to apply at the same time.
Due to the increasing number of families applying for family reunificaition visas through the OFII procedure, priority is given to families whose application has been approved in France. In order to maintain equality among them, appointments are given as per the approval date by the Prefecture from the oldest to the most recent. Nevertheless a long delay must be endured.
As soon as possible, the Embassy will email you an appointment date and time, depending on the processing department availabilities. One appointment only is given for the spouse and the children (if applicable). All applicants have to attend.
Reminder : Appointments booked through the embassy website wizard WILL NOT allow any family to place OFII visa application(s). OFII procedure visa applications are received and processed by another department of the Embassy.]
- 3.2- Application processing :
The visa application(s) processing will take up to eight months after submitting a complete file in order for the Embassy to carry out all the nessary verifications.
The decision will be taken at the latest eight months after the visa application(s) was (were) placed. Both the Embassy verifications and the Prefecture decision take part in the final decision regarding the visa application(s). Without the Prefecture decision, no final decision can be made regarding the visa application(s).
If the Precture has not made any decision regarding your application, you should take the attachment of the services of the OFII and the prefecture.
4- Decision regarding the visa application :
The Embassy will contact you as soon as both the Embassy AND the Prefecture decisions have been made allowing a final decision regarding the visa application(s).