There are essentially two ways to obtain French citizenship, both of which can appear daunting and lengthy processes. We explain who should use each method and what each requires.
People applying for French citizenship should remember that in most cases, it is faster and easier to obtain a residence permit – or to renew one – than it is to get citizenship, so you should avoid relying on this as your ‘residency’ strategy.
This is of course by design: obtaining French nationality is a life choice and the routes to applying it are restrictive. Most applicants are required to live and work in France, speak French well or have long standing family ties with French citizens.
However, as with visas and residency permits there are some faster pathways to French citizenship for students and businesspeople.
How to become a French citizen?
The two main routes to French citizenship require that you have either lived in France for more than five years or are married to a French citizen or parent to one.
These routes are known as naturalisation by decree or declaration of nationality.
There are several other ways, such as those for people in the French foreign legion or armed services or who work for the French state abroad. People in these situations can usually apply for French citizenship after five years of service.
Applying for French citizenship if you live in France
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If you have lived in France for more than five years you can apply for naturalisation by decree.
This lengthy process involves gathering and filing various documents, having them translated into French by a sworn translator (traducteur assermenté) if they are in another language (such as your birth certificate and parents’ birth certificates), paying a €55 fee, attending an interview, and awaiting the final decision.
The whole process can take anywhere from about a year and a half to five or six years, depending on where you live in France, staffing in prefectures and the number of other applicants officials are dealing with (for those who applied in recent years, the Covid crisis likely added to delays).
Since 2023, applications are made via the Administration des étrangers en France (ANEF) website here.
The requirement to have spent five years in France does not apply to:
Refugees
People from Francophone (French speaking) countries who speak French
People from Francophone (French speaking) countries who spent five years in a school that uses the French language
Veterans or members of the French military
People who have rendered “exceptional service to France”
Similarly, the requirement is reduced to two years for:
People who have graduated from a French higher education establishment after two years of study
You have unique skills and have (or could) render service to France
You have demonstrated an exceptional level of integration via activities in civil life, science, culture, sport or for the economy
What you need for French citizenship - naturalisation by decree:
You must have a valid residency card when you apply for naturalisation by decree, unless you are an EU citizen.
You will have to prove that you have integrated into French life, which essentially means:
Agreeing to abide by French republican values. These include freedom of expression and belief, freedom of political opinion, and laïcité (the secular state). It also includes equality of citizens with regard to characteristics such as gender, race and origins and sexual orientation.
You can find a list of other such ‘Principles of the Republic’ on the official Élysée Palace website here.
Being ready to respond to questions on French history and culture during the interview. These are usually drawn from the state’s Livret du citoyen, or citizen’s handbook (which you can find here) but can include some tricky questions such as ‘how many departments are there in France?’ along with easier ones such as the colours of the French flag.
Proving that you speak French to a B1 level (this is set to rise to B2 by 2026). According to the European language framework (which goes from A1 to C2), B1 is a lower intermediate level at which users can understand the essential points of a discussion or tell a story. To prove your language level, the most common method is taking the TCF (Teste du connaissance de Francais) test at a language centre, which you can find here.
Showing that you earn enough money to support yourself. This does not necessarily mean earning more than the French minimum wage (currently €1,398 net a month), rather that your income is stable, for example by showing a photocopy of a work contract and your last three avis d’imposition income tax statements.
The documents you need to apply for French naturalisation by decree:
Cerfa form 12753*03
€55 timbre fiscal
Copy of your carte de séjour
Two identity photos
Copy of your passport
Copies of your longform birth certificate
Copies of your marriage certificate, where applicable
Tax statements and proof of revenue
Proof of your language level
Copies of your children’s birth certificates, where applicable
Military service records, where applicable
Criminal record check
A complete list of the documents you need to complete an application for naturalisation by decree is available (in French) here and further information is also available at this link.
Note that documents that are not in French should be provided in the English version and with an original copy of a sworn translation of the document.
Applying for French citizenship through family ties
If you have been married to a French citizen for more than four years, or if you are married and have a child with a French citizen, you can apply for French nationality through naturalisation by declaration.
Over 65s who have French children or grandchildren and have lived in France continuously for more than 25 years can also apply for naturalisation by declaration.
Over 65s meeting these criteria do not have the requirement to speak French to a B1 level or answer questions on French culture, however people applying due through marriage ties (whatever their age) do need to meet the language requirement.
The process does include an interview, however for over 65s this only evaluates the applicant’s integration into French life.
The process is typically faster than naturalisation by decree, but can still take up to two years.
You can only apply for naturalisation by declaration at your departmental prefecture, rather than online. Some require it to be handed in, in person, and others require it to be posted.
In cases where you are married to a French citizen but living abroad, the application is made to the local French consulate.
What you need for French citizenship - naturalisation by declaration
The documents you need to apply for French naturalisation by declaration include:
Cerfa form 15561 (two examples completed and signed)
€55 timbre fiscal
Copy of your ID card or carte de séjour
Two identity photos format 35 x 45 mm (with dates and your name and date of birth on the back)
Copy of your passport
An original long-form birth certificate and a copy of this
Original and copy of your marriage certificate, where applicable, and if necessary proof of the French nationality of your spouse (birth certificate, or nationality certificate if he or she was not born French)
Your children’s birth certificates, where applicable
Proof that you have lived in France for 25 years (former addresses, bills, tax statements, etc), where applicable
Proof that you speak French to a B1 level, where applicable
Criminal record check
A complete list of the documents you need to complete an application for naturalisation by declaration is available (in French) here.
