From today, asylum seekers in France will keep their original passports, birth certificates and other civil documents throughout the protection process, after the Office français de protection des réfugiés et apatrides (OFPRA) implemented a long-announced procedural reform. Under the new rules, applicants submit only certified copies with their initial file and present the originals later during their protection interview, where officers verify and immediately return them. (observalgerie.com)
Previously, OFPRA retained originals—sometimes for years—causing anxiety among applicants who feared losing irreplaceable documents and faced difficulties proving identity when dealing with banks, landlords or employers. The change, which also applies in France’s overseas departments, aims to reduce administrative bottlenecks, lower storage costs and improve the institution’s relationship with applicants.
For employers and relocation providers, the reform removes a practical barrier that often slowed onboarding of beneficiaries of international protection (BPI). New hires will now be able to present originals during hiring formalities without requesting temporary releases from OFPRA, shortening lead times for right-to-work verification. Mobility managers should, however, remind refugees that travelling on their national passport to the country of origin remains prohibited and could jeopardise their status.
![OFPRA streamlines asylum procedure: originals no longer collected from 1 March 2026]()
If you or your organisation need help navigating French immigration paperwork or securing visas for accompanying family members, VisaHQ provides streamlined online assistance and end-to-end document processing for France and more than 200 other destinations. Their platform (https://www.visahq.com/france/) offers clear checklists, real-time status updates and expert guidance that can save valuable time during complex relocations.
Digital-workflow specialists note that OFPRA’s simultaneous launch of an online portal for document uploads is another step towards a paper-less asylum file. The agency says it processed 131,000 protection requests in 2025 and expects the new procedure to shave at least two weeks off the average decision timeline.
Integration NGOs have welcomed the move, but caution that prefectures must align residence-permit procedures to avoid applicants shuttling between incompatible document requirements. In the medium term, the reform is expected to ease pressure on appeal courts and detention centres by clarifying evidentiary standards early in the process.
Previously, OFPRA retained originals—sometimes for years—causing anxiety among applicants who feared losing irreplaceable documents and faced difficulties proving identity when dealing with banks, landlords or employers. The change, which also applies in France’s overseas departments, aims to reduce administrative bottlenecks, lower storage costs and improve the institution’s relationship with applicants.
For employers and relocation providers, the reform removes a practical barrier that often slowed onboarding of beneficiaries of international protection (BPI). New hires will now be able to present originals during hiring formalities without requesting temporary releases from OFPRA, shortening lead times for right-to-work verification. Mobility managers should, however, remind refugees that travelling on their national passport to the country of origin remains prohibited and could jeopardise their status.
If you or your organisation need help navigating French immigration paperwork or securing visas for accompanying family members, VisaHQ provides streamlined online assistance and end-to-end document processing for France and more than 200 other destinations. Their platform (https://www.visahq.com/france/) offers clear checklists, real-time status updates and expert guidance that can save valuable time during complex relocations.
Digital-workflow specialists note that OFPRA’s simultaneous launch of an online portal for document uploads is another step towards a paper-less asylum file. The agency says it processed 131,000 protection requests in 2025 and expects the new procedure to shave at least two weeks off the average decision timeline.
Integration NGOs have welcomed the move, but caution that prefectures must align residence-permit procedures to avoid applicants shuttling between incompatible document requirements. In the medium term, the reform is expected to ease pressure on appeal courts and detention centres by clarifying evidentiary standards early in the process.
