France Updates Asylum Document Rules

France Updates Asylum Document Rules

France’s office for the protection of refugees (OFPRA) has streamlined its application process by allowing applicants to submit photocopies of identity and civil status documents. Previously, applicants were required to mail original passports and birth certificates, which OFPRA often held for years. This change aims to reduce administrative delays by approximately two weeks while lowering storage costs for the agency.

Under the updated workflow, applicants send copies of their ID cards, family records, or marriage certificates via registered mail along with their asylum form. Original documents are now only required for physical verification during the protection interview, after which they are returned to the applicant immediately. This shift is part of a broader push toward digital record-keeping, supported by a new online document upload portal.

While this update is significant for the 145,210 people who applied for protection in France last year, it does not directly impact tourists, expats, or those on digital nomad visas. The policy is strictly for those seeking refugee status or subsidiary protection. However, it indirectly helps approved refugees access employment and housing more quickly, as they no longer need to wait for OFPRA to release their original identity papers for nomad news or banking purposes.

If you are applying for protection in mainland France or its overseas departments, follow these steps:

• Submit your asylum form alongside clear, ideally certified, photocopies of all civil documents.
• Keep a full copy of your entire file for your personal records before mailing.
• Bring all original documents to your scheduled interview for verification and instant return.

Those granted refugee status should remember that using an original passport to travel to their country of origin can still result in the loss of their protected status. For more details on living and working in the country, read our full France guide.