Family allowances
Date of update
France’s family allowance funds (caisses d’allocations familiales – CAF) pay family allowances to employees in all professions who have one or more dependent children under the age of 20 living in France. These include:
- General living allowances (family allowances, supplementary allowances, etc.)
- Childcare allowances (birth allowance, etc.)
- Special allowances (back-to-school allowance, etc.).
| Helpful tip: Coverage is identical in mainland France and in the overseas departments. With the shift in the social security system Mayotte, as part of its transformation into a department, the social security system was adapted to the common system. Nonetheless, some specific features remain. They are listed in our distinct fact sheet. |
Conditions
To be able to claim family allowances, a foreign employee must be able to prove that they:
- Live in France on a long-term basis, i.e. have their main place of residence in the country.
- Have at least one dependent child in France, i.e. aged under 18.
- Hold a residence permit or a valid long-stay visa equating to a residence permit.
Seconded employees may not claim family allowance.
They must also attest that their child is residing in France lawfully, by producing one of the following documents:
- A short-form copy of their French birth certificate.
- A medical certificate for the child issued by the French Immigration and Citizenship Office (OFII) subsequent to the completion of a residence application or approval procedure conducted within the scope of family reunification.
- Their residence permit, if they are aged 16 to 18 and in employment, or if they are an adult and dependent on their parent(s). If the child is a minor but in employment, their salary must not exceed 55% of the minimum wage (€923.29 as of April 1, 2019).
- A certificate issued by the State Prefect, which must specify that, at the very latest, the child came to France at the same time as a parent who holds a residence permit featuring the inscription “vie privée et familiale” (“private and family life”) due to their family ties.
Family allowances will not be awarded unless the required documents are produced.
Who to contact? The family allowance fund (CAF) of the insuree’s place of residence.