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Request financial assistance to return to your home country
If you want to leave France and return to your home country, you can, under certain conditions, apply for financial assistance called “aide au retour volontaire”, or voluntary return assistance.
Verified by Women for Women France on 13/11/2023
What is involved?
The French national service responsible for organising the reception of immigrants in known as the French office for immigration and integration or “Office français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration (OFII)”, offers financial and administrative assistance to support people who wish to return to their country of origin and settle there.
The support, called “aide au retour volontaire”, or voluntary return assistance, consists of:
- payment of travel expenses: flights, transfers, etc.
- financial assistance
- administrative assistance in preparing for the journey.
You can return to the region of your choice in your home country.
Conditions
To receive “aide au retour volontaire”, or voluntary return assistance, you must be in one of these situations:
- you do not have residency rights, which the administrative authorities refer to as being in a “situation irrégulière”
- you have received a document telling you that you have to leave France called an “Obligation de quitter le territoire français (OQTF)”
- your application for asylum has been rejected or you do not want to continue with the process.
You must also meet the following conditions:
- you must not have already received “aide au retour volontaire”
- you can prove that you have lived in France for at least six months. However, in reality, you may be able to request an exemption from this condition.
How to proceed
The request is made straight to the “OFII”. You can find contact details for their office near you on this website.
More information about voluntary return can be found at http://www.retourvolontaire.fr/. Available languages: French, English, Arabic, Portuguese, Albanian, Armenian, Dari, Spanish, Georgian, Mandarin, Urdu, Pashto, Russian, Serbian, Bengali, Tamil, Romanian, Haitian Creole.
In some cases, and for some countries, you may also receive support to settle back into your home country, known as “aide à la réinsertion” (or reintegration support); for example, to help you set up home, look for a job or start a business. You can contact the OFII to receive more information about this.
Find support
In France, there are many services that can support you, give you advice, and assist you with procedures and paperwork. Most of them are free of charge.
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“La Cimade” is an organisation that specialises in supporting all immigrant and migrant people, and refugees in France, particularly people facing violence.
- This service is free of charge.
- They will be able to inform you and support you in your administrative procedures related to the right of residence in France, and direct you to other services depending on your personal situation.
- Languages available: French, English and Spanish.
- Contact :
- without an appointment at a centre near you
- by telephone on 01 40 08 05 34 or 06 77 82 79 09 on Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
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“Gisti” is an organisation specialising in legal advice to immigrants and refugees in France.
- This service is free of charge.
- They will be able to inform you about your rights relating to your residency rights and explain how to obtain them.
- Language available: mainly French.
- Contact:
- By phone on +331 84 60 90 26 from Monday to Friday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and also from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Wednesday and Friday. The line is sometimes saturated, do not be discouraged. It is sometimes easier to reach them towards the end of the day.
- By post to “Gisti, 3 villa Marcès 75011 Paris, France”. Print and complete this form and include in your letter with a photocopy of any administrative documents that could be relevant. Be sure to specify your question as clearly as possible, including all elements that could help the “Gisti” advisor to understand your situation.
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“Associations” are organisations that offer various services. Some are specialised in immigration.
- These services are free of charge.
- They can inform you about your rights in France, and sometimes support you with immigration procedures.
- Language available: mainly French.
- Contact: you can search by region and department in this directory.
While the utmost care has gone into providing you with the most accurate and up to date information, this page is not intended to replace legal or professional advice. Laws and procedures change regularly so it is important to consult qualified professionals.
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