French Naturalisation
Becoming French
Many people who have lived in France for some time are now at the point of wanting to become French - to apply for French citizenship. This page is a basic guide to the process for those thinking about it.
Who can apply & what conditions do I have to meet?
In order to apply for citizenship, you generally need to have lived permanently and continuously in France for 5 years (there are exceptions - see below) and fulfil certain conditions. There are two ways to apply for citizenship - by decree, or by declaration.
In order to apply for citizenship, you generally need to have lived permanently and continuously in France for 5 years (there are exceptions, see below) and fulfil certain conditions. There are two ways to apply for citizenship - by decree, or by declaration.
Note that you do not apply for dual nationality - you apply for French nationality and automatically keep your UK nationality as well. If you are a national of a country other than the UK then you will need to verify whether you can hold more than one nationality. As a dual national, you will always be treated as French while you are on French territory so you can't invoke your second nationality even if it would be more beneficial to you for a specific purpose!
Applying by Declaration
Applying by declaration means that you are claiming something to which you're legally entitled, providing you meet the conditions. There are four routes:
1. Through marriage to a French spouse for at least 4 years; your life as a couple must not have ceased.
2. If you are the parent or grandparent of French children, are over 65 and have lived in France for at least 25 years.
3. If you have lived in France since the age of 6, you've reached the age of majority and have a brother or sister who was (a) born in France to non-French parents, and (b) has acquired French nationality.
4. If you're between the ages of 13-18, you were born in France, you don't want to wait until you've reached the age of majority* (see below) and have lived in France for at least 5 years.
*Note that if you've reached the age of majority (18 years old), and you were born in France to non-French parents, and you've lived in France for at least 5 years since the age of 11 you can acquire French nationality automatically, on demand, under the 'droit de sol' (article 21-7 of the code civil).
APPLYING BY DECREE
If you do not meet any of the conditions for applying by declaration, you'll need to apply by decree. This means that you ask to become French.
This is referred to on official sites as naturalisation. It is called by decree (par décret) because it requires the passing of an official decree for you to become a naturalised French citizen - something not required if you're applying by declaration.
It is not an automatic right - it's described as an 'honour' - and it's entirely possible for citizenship to be refused even if the conditions are mostly met.
To apply, you must have lived in France for at least 5 years. If you're a UK national or other third-country national, you must hold a valid residence card; if you're an EU national you don't have to hold a residence card as it's not compulsory to do so (your 'titre de séjour' in this case is your passport). You must have 'sufficient and stable resources', show your integration into the French way of life (you will be tested on this), and prove that you can understand, speak and write French to B1 level. There are more details about what you need to apply below.
Naturalisation: Applying by Decree
You must be 18 years old. You can apply once you reach the age of 17, and if your application is successful, you will become a French citizen when you're 18 (although in most departments the process will take longer than a year).
If you have a child who is under eighteen, they can be naturalised alongside you if (a) they habitually live with you, and (b) you have requested that their name appears on the decree.
You must be resident in France now you apply for naturalisation and at the moment the decree is signed.
You must have lived in France for at least 5 years unless you meet the conditions for one of the following exceptions when the 5-year period is reduced to 2 years: (a) if you have obtained a diploma after 2 years of study in a higher education establishment in France; (b) you can render or have rendered important services to France because of your special abilities or talents; or (c) because of your exceptional scientific, sporting, cultural, economic or civic activities you are deemed to have integrated in an exceptional way.
You must have a titre de séjour which is valid at the time of your application. For UK nationals this will be either your WA residence permit or another relevant carte de séjour (for example, spouse of a French or an EU citizen). If you are a citizen of an EU country, no residence card is required - your passport acts as your titre de séjour.
You must demonstrate that you are integrated and assimilated into French society. Notably, you must (a) be in agreement with the essential values and principles of the French republic; and (b) be knowledgeable about French history, culture and society.
You must prove that you can understand, speak, and write French to B1 level (see below).
You must show that you have 'sufficient and stable resources' for yourself and your fiscal household. If you are working or self-employed, you will be expected to earn the majority of your money in France to show that you are professionally integrated.
You are expected to show 'good moral conduct' and to not have committed any acts that are contrary to public order. In particular: you must not have received a penal sentence in France of more than 6 months or have been convicted of a crime or offence that breaches or attacks the interests of the French state.
Your language skills
To apply for French citizenship everyone must demonstrate written and oral proficiency in French at a minimum of Level B1 (intermediate). This is the common level across Europe and is considered to be roughly equivalent to GCSE grade A or A*. This applies whatever your age - the exemption for those over sixty was removed in August 2020. If you are medically unable to take a diploma or a test you must provide a medical certificate to justify this; in this situation, you'll still need to demonstrate that you can speak French at B1 level at your assimilation interview.
You'll need to provide proof of your spoken and written language level in the form of a recognised diploma from a course of studies at a Francophone educational institute, a DELF diploma or a recognised test.
Recognised diploma from a course of studies at a Francophone educational institute if you hold one of the qualifications on the accepted list you don't need to take an additional diploma or test. You will need to include your diploma in your dossier.
DELF B1 diploma
The DELF B1 diploma can be taken at a number of centres around France. You can find the current list of centres here: www.france-education-international.fr/centres-d-examen/liste?pays=73&type-centre=delf_dalf.
The DELF exam measures the four language skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.
Each section is scored out of twenty-five, for a total of 100 marks. In order to pass, a minimum of 5/25 must be achieved in each section and a minimum of 50/100 overall. The exam has a very precise format and to prepare you'll need to do some practice, even if your French is comfortably at or above B1 level.
There is a series of audio and written test exercises here: www.france-education-international.fr/diplome/delf-tout-public/niveau-b1/entrainement?langue=fr
What is B1 Level?
B1 is the third level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. It is considered to be roughly GCSE A/A* level, and that is required at the age of 16 for French students.
This is what the CEFR says:
Can understand the main points of clear standard speech on familiar subjects in work, school, leisure activities, etc.
Can manage in most situations that come up when travelling in a region where the language is spoken.
Can produce a simple and cohesive text on familiar subjects or subjects of personal interest.
Can narrate an event, an experience or a dream; describe a desire or goal, and outline reasons or explanations behind a project or idea.
What happens then?
You'll be required to attend an 'assimilation interview' by appointment at your regional platform, where you'll be asked about your personal (and possibly your financial) situation, why you want to become French, how often you have returned to the UK, how you have integrated into French society since you've been here, and about your knowledge of French culture, history and citizenship rights and responsibilities. The interview will be conducted in French and you cannot take an interpreter. At the end of the interview, you will sign a charter of rights and duties of French citizens.
You will need to spend a considerable amount of time preparing for the interview, which may last up to 90 minutes (although usually considerably less). See the paragraph below for some resources to help.
You may, at some point, be visited by your local gendarmes or police, either by appointment or not.
Once you've had your assimilation interview (and in many cases a visit from the gendarmes/police) the préfecture will class your application either as 'recevable' (acceptable) or 'irrecevable' (non-acceptable). An application may be deemed non-acceptable if you do not fully meet all the conditions and your application may be refused, or it may be adjourned. If you believe this decision to be incorrect you have the right to appeal.
If your application is accepted it is passed to the SDANF (Sous-direction de l’accès à la nationalité française du ministère de l’intérieur) at Nantes, whose formal decision it is. The SDANF can, in its turn, pronounce your application to be non-acceptable, or can request more documents - or in most cases, it will approve your naturalisation and will include your name in a naturalisation decree which will be published in the Journal Officiel. So once your interviews are over, then you wait ... the waiting stage can take up to 18 months, or even longer - regional differences are huge, with Paris currently the fastest. Eventually, you will find your name in the JO, at which point you are officially French and can start your application for a French birth certificate and identity card.
Later on, you'll be invited to a ceremony along with other local new citizens.
Preparing for your citizenship application
Apart from making sure your language is up to scratch and putting your dossier together, the most important thing you can do is to make sure that you know everything contained in the Livret du Citoyen, and preferably a bit more.
If you don't do so already, you should also start to read French newspapers, listen to French radio (Inter is a good starting point), read French novels and watch French TV. You will be expected to know what's going on in French current affairs, who the main players in French politics are (names of ministers etc) and you'll probably be asked who the maire of your commune is. You will be asked questions about French history and geography, French authors, musicians and sportspeople.
You will almost certainly be asked about your entourage, whether you have family in the UK (or your home country), and how often you return to your home country. Expect too to be asked about associations you belong to, as la vie associative is an especially important aspect of life here in France. If you're not an 'associative' type you might think about joining a nationwide association that covers an area you're interested in (for example, the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux) so at least you can talk about that - although be aware that your interviewer is really looking for associations that you're involved in, not those to which you merely donate money, so be ready to show at least some level of involvement. Otherwise, think about how else you can show that you are integrated in life and in France and turn the conversation to that.
If you want to take your knowledge base further, you could follow the Education Civique lessons that all French school students follow at primaire and collège levels. This site will give you a starting point: http://www.maxicours.com/se/fiche/civ/
Some resources to prepare for your interview
Livret du Citoyen
200 Questions d’entretien de Naturalisation Française 2022
120 questions pour l'entretien de naturalisation
99 questions pour bien préparer son entretien de naturalisation
The 100 essential questions of the interview for French naturalization (video 20 minutes)
Contact us for more information about the application process; we take the stress of this process away by handling the entire process with you from A - Z.