Can I become French if my job income is from abroad?

I am a British person living in France who works across the border in Belgium. I want to apply for French nationality but have heard that if your main income comes from outside France it can be a problem. Is this true? S.W.

A French Interior Ministry official said that it is true that part of the notion of “residence” in France, for purposes of requesting a change of nationality, is that you should have your “centre of material interest” in France, which includes financial autonomy and having French-source income.

Having income from abroad may indicate a “context of dependency on and/or allegiance to the other state”, she said. Having income from abroad does not in itself bar you if you are not dependent on it for your basic needs. In other words, at least part of your income should come from France.

But the official added: “The case of frontier workers is always complex and is looked at as a whole.

“There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The fact that someone works abroad is a negative point but if it is not in the country of origin, then the “dependency/allegiance” issue is reduced. We also look at family links, whether the person owns property here, whether they pay their taxes in France, etc.”

My older son was not born in France but his younger brother was and will be eligible for French nationality when he reaches 13. I understand my older son will then be able to apply, due to being the sibling of a French person. The rules say this applies if he has lived in France since the age of six but does that mean he has to have had his sixth birthday here or is it all right if he moved here when he was already six, as is our case? I have also heard that a parent of a French person has the right to French nationality if they have lived in France for 25 years – is that correct and is it only if the child was born in France? D.A.

The first rule applies as long as the person came before their seventh birthday, an Interior Ministry spokesman said. Other conditions apply too, such as residency in France, being aged over 18 and having been to school in France.

As for the 25-year rule, this is correct and it applies to parents of French people regardless of how they gained French nationality. The only difficulty may be in proving the 25-year residency if you are from another EU state. This is because EU nationals generally have not had cartes de séjour, so you will need paperwork demonstrating that you have been living here all that time (owning property is not enough).