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French Naturalization by Decree
Verified 06 June 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
You are a foreigner and you want to have French nationality? Naturalization by decree is a procedure for acquiring French nationality. We tell you the conditions to fulfill and the steps to make the request.
What applies to you ?
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You live in France
Step-by-step approach
One video explains the conditions to be fulfilled to obtain french nationality by naturalization:
Vidéo - French Naturalization - Conditions to be fulfilled
- Who is naturalization for?
You are concerned if you cannot have French nationality in another way.
For example, if you are married to a French man or woman, you can become French by declaration, subject to conditions.
If you are a father, mother, grandparent, brother or sister of a Frenchman, you can also make a declaration of French nationality, subject to conditions
- I have to live in France with my family to apply?
Yeah, for at least five years. Except in certain situations, for example if you are a refugee.
- What residence permit to have?
You must have a valid residence permit. If you're European, you don't need it.
- Do I have to speak French?
You must be able to speak and write in French. With an oral and written B1 level from the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERL).
- I have to prove my integration in France?
You must have knowledge of the great dates of the history of France, and know the rights and duties of the citizen *. We must also respect the values of the Republic: freedom, equality, fraternity.
- Will we check my behavior and my criminal record?
Yeah. Yeah. You must not have committed any act contrary to public order.
FYI
If you do not meet all the conditions, check if you can to become French by another procedure.
Age
You must be major.
You can submit your application from the age of 17. If your application is accepted, you will be granted naturalization from your 18th birthday.
Naturalization may be granted to a minor child who has remained a foreigner even though one of his parents has become a Frenchman. However, the child must have resided in France with that parent for 5 years before the application for naturalization was filed.
Place of residence
You must reside in France at the time of signature of the naturalization decree (decision).
This means that you must have in France the center of your material interests (including professionals) and your family ties.
If you reside in France but your spouse and/or children reside abroad, you may be denied French nationality.
Minimum period of residence in France
One minimum duration of 5 years residence in France is required.
However, there are exceptions.
No minimum length of residence in France is required if you are in one of the following situations:
- You have refugee status
- You're from a French-speaking country and you speak french, because it's your mother tongue
- You come from a francophone country and have been enrolled 5 years or more in a French-language teaching institution
- You have done your military service in the French army
- You joined the French army or an allied army in wartime
- You have rendered exceptional services to France
A minimum period of 2 years residence in France is required if you are in one of the following situations:
- You obtained a diploma from a French higher education institution after 2 years of study
- You can render (or have rendered) important services to France given your abilities and talents
- You have accomplished an exceptional integration path (activities or actions carried out in the civic, scientific, economic, cultural or sports fields...)
Regularity of stay in France
You must have a valid residence permit at the time of filing your application.
However, you don't need it if you are European (EEA) or Swiss.
You must not have been expulsion order or a prohibition of French territory still in force.
Assimilation to the French community
You must prove your assimilation to the French community, in particular as follows:
- You have to agree with the principles and core values of the Republic
- You must have knowledge about the story, the cultivation and the French business
The citizen's book indicates the knowledge required.
You can download this booklet or consult it at the reception of the prefectures.
Knowledge of French
You must show proof of a sufficient knowledge of the French language.
Professional Insertion
Employability is an essential condition for assimilation and integration in France.
Employability means that you must have stable and sufficient incomes to support yourself and your tax shelter.
Morality and lack of criminal convictions
You must be good people.
This means in particular that you must not have been the author of facts contrary to public order.
You should not be in any of the following situations:
- To have been sentenced in France to a sentence of at least 6 months' imprisonment without suspension
- Having been convicted of a criminal offense crime or a offense constituting an infringement of the fundamental interests of the Nation
- Having been convicted of a criminal offense act of terrorism
However, you are not concerned in case of rehabilitation or erasure of the conviction of Bulletin No. 2 of your criminal record.
General case
The process costs €55.
This tax is paid with a tax stamp.
However, if you file abroad, the payment is made to the consulate.
Warning
Private websites offer a paid service for the acquisition of French nationality. For example, to get an appointment in the prefecture. However, except for the tax stamp, know that the acquisition of the French nationality is a free process.
Documents to be provided
One video explains the documents to be provided:
Vidéo - French Naturalization - Documents to be provided
What documents do I need to provide, regardless of my situation?
· 1 official identity document. For example, your passport.
· 1 tax stamp of 55 €
· 1 double-sided copy of your valid residence permit (unless you are a national of a European State)
What are the other documents?
You must provide proof of:
· your marital status
· your nationality
· your home
· your stay in France
· your resources
You must also provide proof if you live or have lived as a couple, and if you have minor children.
Do I have to prove my level in French?
Yes, the required level of knowledge in French is the oral and written B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERL).
Are there any particular situations?
Yes, for example, if you have lived in France for less than 10 years, you must also provide an original foreigners criminal record extract or equivalent document from all the countries in which you have resided.
Do I have to have the documents translated?
Yes, you must attach a French translation of any document written in another language.
The translation must be done by a certified translator. It is the translator who informs you of his deadlines and prices.
In addition, some foreigner documents may need to be legalized or apostilled. This is used to authenticate the document. Ask the embassy or consulate of your country of origin.
Do I need to provide originals or copies of documents?
To send your file online, documents are scanned or photographed.
However, keep the original civil status documents as you should be able to submit them when you are processing your application.
A civil status document must be provided in full and in original in the language of the country of origin.
A French civil status certificate must have been issued less than 3 months ago.
Can I have a summary of the documents to provide?
Yes, a simulator allows you to have a customized list of documents to provide.
The simulator is available on our website Service-Public.fr.
How do I forward my file?
The file is sent online via an online service available on Service-Public.fr
At each stage of the processing of your request, you will receive an email to the email address you have indicated.
Attention:
- If you are domiciled in Guyana, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia, your file is to be filed with the naturalization platform of your home. An interactive map is available on Service-Public.fr to know the contact details of your platform.
- If you live abroad, the file is to be filed with a French consulate.
What if I can't submit my application online?
You can be accompanied by the ANT Citizen Contact Center.
You can contact him by email using the contact form available on the website of the General Directorate of foreigners in France, or by telephone (Monday to Friday from 7:45 am to 7 pm, Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm):
· At 34 00 in Metropolitan France (no surtax)
· Or 09 70 83 07 07 from overseas and foreigner
You can also get help from a settled digital hotspot in every prefecture and most sub-prefectures.
Can I be asked for more documents after I submit my file?
Yes, depending on your situation, the training department may ask you for additional documents and set a deadline for providing them.
If you do not provide the requested documents within the deadline, your file may be closed without further action.
That means it's not being studied.
You can use a simulator to get the custom list of documents to be provided :
What documents are required for my naturalization file?
Prepare them subsequent documents to build your case (be careful, if the 2 members of a couple want to apply for naturalization, they must constitute 2 folders):
Online shipping
- Tax stamp of €55
- Duplex copy of your residence permit valid, unless you are a Swiss national or a national of European State (EU/EEA)
- Official document of identity (passport or residence permit)
- Proof of your civil status and nationality
- Proof of your domicile
- Proof of your resources and taxes
- Diploma or certificate justifying your level of knowledge of French
- Supporting documents if you live as a couple
- Supporting documents if you have already been married (divorce or widowhood)
- Supporting documents if you have minor children
- If you are veteran or legionnaire, status of services, decorations and quotations obtained
- If you have lived in France for less than 10 years, original extract of foreigner criminal record or equivalent document. It must be issued by a competent authority of the country or countries in which you have lived, or failing that, of the country of your nationality.
This document is not required, concerning your country of origin, if you are a refugee or stateless protected by the EUOfpra: titleContent. - If you are a national of a non-EU country European (EU) and that you went into the Schengen area from a State not included in this space for a period of less than 3 months during the 5 years preceding the filing of your application, provide your passport or any equivalent document (e.g. a Schengen visa), and those of your minor children who could become French by their majority
If you wish, you can complete your request online with information that you feel is of particular interest.
Sending by mail
- Form cerfa no. 12753 in 2 copies, completed, dated and signed
Please see the enclosed information leaflet before filling out the form. - Tax stamp of €55 (except in the case of an application made abroad)
- Duplex copy of your residence permit valid, unless you are a Swiss national or a national of European State (EU/EEA)
- 2 photos identity format 35 x 45 mm, bare head. Enter your name, first name and date of birth on the back
- Official document of identity (passport or residence permit)
- Proof of your civil status and nationality
- Proof of your domicile
- Proof of your resources and taxes
- Diploma or certificate justifying your level of knowledge of French
- Supporting documents if you live as a couple
- Supporting documents if you have already been married (divorce or widowhood)
- Supporting documents if you have minor children
- If you are veteran or legionnaire, status of services, decorations and quotations obtained
- If you have lived in France for less than 10 years, original extract of foreigner criminal record or equivalent document. It must be issued by a competent authority of the country or countries in which you have lived, or failing that, of the country of your nationality.
This document is not required, concerning your country of origin, if you are a refugee or stateless protected by the EUOfpra: titleContent. - If you are a national of a non-EU country European (EU) and that you went into the Schengen area from a State not included in this space for a period of less than 3 months during the 5 years preceding the filing of your application, provide your passport or any equivalent document (e.g. a Schengen visa), and those of your minor children who could become French by their majority
If you wish, you can complete your request with information that you feel is of particular interest. Provide this information on free paper. For example, your participation in associative life in France.
Please note
depending on your situation, other documents may be requested.
The instructor service may ask you to provide additional documentation or administrative formalities that are necessary for the examination of your application.
The instructor department will set you a deadline to complete these steps.
If you do not meet the deadline, your file may be closed.
That means it's not being studied.
The instructor service will notify the decision to close without further action.
The decision to take no further action shall indicate the remedies available and the time limits for bringing an action.
One receipt is issued to you when you have provided all the requested documents.
Francization of surname and/or first name
To facilitate your integration, you can request francization of your surname and/or first names when you apply for acquisition of French nationality.
Instructions on the documents to be provided
Even if you use the online service to send your folder, you must prepare the originals of documents. You'll need it when you're called in for an interview.
Civil status record
One civil status document must be supplied in full and in original in the language of the country of origin.
A French civil status certificate must have been issued less than 3 months ago.
A copy of a foreigner civil status document must be accompanied, if necessary, by a copy of the decision in execution of which it has been drawn up, rectified or amended.
Copy or original of a document
You can provide copies of the requested documents except for civil status records.
However, you should be able to present the originals of the documents if necessary.
A copy of a foreigner act shall be accompanied, if necessary, by a copy of the decision in implementation of which it has been drawn up, rectified or amended.
Translation
You must attach a translation of each document written in a foreign language.
You must provide the original translation.
The translation must be done by a translator on the list of experts approved by the courts of appeal.
However, translation is not required for a multilingual birth certificate extract one of whose languages is French.
In addition, to avoid having to translate some documents issued by a the European Union, one multilingual form can be attached. See the e-justice site for more information.
Legalization or Apostille
Certain documents established abroad must be legalized or apostilles to be accepted in France.
Inquire at the embassy or consulate of the country concerned.
Who shall I contact
General case
You can send your request online.
The online service is accessible with one of the following identifiers: your identifiers FranceConnect or your visa number for entering France, or your residence permit number, or your identifiers used to access the online service for applying for a residence permit.
At each stage of processing your request, you will receive an email to the email address you have provided.
Online application for French naturalization or reintegration into French nationality
In case of difficulties, you can benefit from support at the citizens' contact center of theANTS: titleContent.
Who shall I contact
Citizens Contact Center - French Nationality
You can get help with the online filing of your French naturalization application and have information on the follow-up of your file.
By telephone
0806,001,620 (no surtax number) in mainland France, from overseas and the foreigner.
Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
You can also get help from a digital home settled in every prefecture and most sub-prefectures.
Check with your local prefecture to find out how to make an appointment.
Who shall I contact
If you are unable to file your application via the online service, you can file your application by mail with the naturalization platform of your home.
However, you must provide either an email from the Citizens Contact Center of ANTS: titleContent , or a document from the prefecture or sub-prefecture stating that it is impossible to file your application online.
Add a stamped envelope to your file at your address and a blank 500 g "followed" letter.
Who shall I contact
You live in Guyana
You must file your file with the prefecture of Guyana if you are not currently legionnaires.
Click the interactive map to access the information of the Guyana naturalization platform (address of the public reception desk, postal address, opening hours, telephone numbers, email...).
Who shall I contact
FYI
Users resident in Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia may not use the online service.
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Sending folder online
If your situation changes after the receipt is issued, you must inform the administration via your personal online space.
For example, birth, marriage, moving, new employment contract.
Attach the supporting documents in photographic or digitized format.
Online application for French naturalization or reintegration into French nationality
A receipt for sending the documents will be notified by email on your personal space.
Sending folder by mail
If your situation changes after the receipt is issued, you must notify the department that received your request.
For example, if your family or work situation has changed, or if you have changed your address.
You must complete the change of situation declaration attached to the form cerfa no. 12753.
Attach the supporting documents.
Application for acquisition of French nationality by naturalization or reintegration
The declaration of change of situation is to be sent to the naturalization platform that received your application.
Who shall I contact
You will be issued a receipt for the deposit of the documents.
You're summoned to a maintenance to check your assimilation to the French community.
To prepare for this interview, you can download the citizen's book.
You must bring the originals the documents necessary for the examination of your application.
At the end of the interview, you must sign the charter of rights and duties of french citizens.
Please note
if you do not attend the interview for no legitimate reason, your request may be filed without further action.
An inquiry is made into your civic behavior (manifested for example by the payment of taxes).
The survey may be supplemented by consultation with consular and social bodies.
The administration also checks your possible judicial past in France and abroad.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Sending folder online
You can track progress of your demand on your personal online space and respond to any additional requests.
For example, lack of a document, non-conformity of civil status.
At each stage of the processing of your request, you receive an email notification on your personal space.
Online application for French naturalization or reintegration into French nationality
The administration has Maximum 18 months from the issuance of the receipt to respond to an application for naturalization or reintegration into French nationality.
This period shall be reduced to 12 months when you prove that you have been habitually resident in France for at least 10 years on the date of delivery of the receipt.
Response times may be extended once for a period of 3 months.
In this case, the administration must provide reasons for its decision, i.e. explain why it needs more time to respond.
Sending folder by mail
To find out more about the progress of your application or to submit additional documents, you need to address by email to the department responsible for examining applications for acquisition of French nationality.
Who shall I contact
Sub-Directorate for Access to French Nationality
- To find out about the progress of your application for acquisition of french nationality or provide additional documents (mail-only filing).
- To know which documents to attach to a francization request of surname / first name
By email
sdanf-accueil@interieur.gouv.fr
By User Assistance Form
You can also use a dynamic form which guides you according to your request
FYI
When the instructor department registers your request, you receive a mail notifying you of the allocation of a ministerial number. You also receive a mail to the end of the procedure to inform you of the date of naturalization decree and the date of publication of the decree in OJ: titleContent.
The administration has Maximum 18 months from the issuance of the receipt to respond to an application for naturalization or reintegration into French nationality.
This period shall be reduced to 12 months when you prove that you have been habitually resident in France for at least 10 years on the date of delivery of the receipt.
Response times may be extended once for a period of 3 months.
In this case, the administration must provide reasons for its decision, i.e. explain why it needs more time to respond.
You're informed by email of your registration in the naturalization decree after its publication in the Official Journal (or by mail if you did not send an email when you created your file).
You must download your naturalization decree on the website Légifrance.
The Naturalization Decree shall take effect on the date of its signature.
Your children unmarried minors who usually reside with you also become French if their name is mentioned in the naturalization decree.
The minority of the child shall be assessed at the date of signature of the decree.
The naturalization decree may be withdrawn within two years of its publication in the OJ: titleContent, on the assent of the Council of State, if the administration finds that you do not fulfill the conditions.
The naturalization decree may also be withdrawn in the event of fraud, within two years from the discovery of the fraud.
Once you have become a Frenchman, you can ask for a national identity card and/or a passport.
If your children have become French at the same time as you, you can ask for a national identity card and a passport for each of them.
FYI
A young man turned French between 16 and 25 years, must to be registered in the month following the acquisition of French nationality.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Transcription error in the Official Journal
The approach varies depending on you have sent your file online or by mail.
Sending folder online
When your name appears in a naturalization decree, you receive a mail.
You are invited to consult the naturalization decree from the personal area created during your online application for access to French nationality.
If you notice an error, an oversight... in the French naturalization decree, you can to request a correction if the decree contains one or more errors, or an amendment if the decree does not take into account an event that occurred before it was signed.
One online service allows you to do the process online:
Request online an amendment or rectification of a French naturalization decree
Sending paper folder
If you notice an error in the transcription of your civil status in the decree of naturalization published in the Official Journal, report it by mail or by email to the Ministry of the Interior.
Who shall I contact
Ministry of the Interior - Naturalization
By mail
Ministry of the Interior
Directorate-General for foreigners in France
Directorate for Integration and Access to Nationality
Sub-Directorate for Access to French Nationality
12 Francis-le-Carval Street
44404 REZÉ CEDEX
By email
sdanf-accueil@interieur.gouv.fr
Error on a civil registration certificate
If you find an error in a civil registration (birth and/or marriage), you must send a letter to the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Who shall I contact
Central Civil Registry Service (Scec)
Attention: the Central Civil Registry Service does not welcome any public.
Civil status (birth, marriage or death) of a Frenchman abroad
Only by mail to:
Central Civil Registry Service
11 White House Street
44941 Nantes Cedex 09
You can apply for a civil status certificate through a online service.
For more information, you can:
- Go to diplomatie.gouv.fr
- Call the+33 1 41 86 42 47 Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to 4 pm
Free access to video interpretation or instant speech transcription for the deaf or hard of hearing - Email courrier.scec@diplomatie.gouv.fr
The administration can make a decision unfavorable if your request is inadmissible or untimely.
The decision of the administration should be reasoned.
Your request is inadmissible if the conditions laid down by law are not fulfilled. If the grounds for inadmissibility disappear, you can make a new application.
Your request is untimely if the acquisition of french nationality is not, or not yet, possible: your application may be rejected (rejected) or postponed (postponed)). In the event of a postponement, a deadline is imposed, for example to allow you to improve your integration into the labor market. Once this time has passed, you can make a new application.
A request filed without further action means that it is not not studied.
If your application has been declared unsuitable and rejected (rejected)), a new application made less than 5 years after the notification of refusal, may be dismissed without further action, after examination of any new circumstances indicated.
If your application has been declared unsuitable and postponed (postponed), a new application submitted before the end of the prescribed period may be closed without further action.
The appeal against an unfavorable decision varies depending on you have sent your file online or by mail.
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Sending folder online
The unfavorable decision is yours notified online on your personal space (section My Notifications).
You have a deadline of 2 months from notification of the unfavorable decision to file an administrative appeal (hierarchical appeal) to the minister responsible for naturalization.
You must use the form available on your personal space (section My Notifications).
If you receive a negative response, or in the absence of a reply within 4 months from the date of receipt of your appeal, you have a period of 2 months to make a litigation before the administrative court of Nantes.
The time limit runs from the notification of the negative decision (if no reply is received, see theAR: titleContent of your administrative appeal to know how and when to appeal).
Who shall I contact
Warning
The administrative appeal must be made before a litigation.
Sending paper folder
The unfavorable decision is yours notified by registered mail with AR: titleContent or during a summons to the prefecture.
You have a deadline of 2 months from notification of the unfavorable decision to file an administrative appeal (hierarchical appeal) to the minister responsible for naturalization.
Who shall I contact
Ministry of the Interior - Naturalization
By mail
Ministry of the Interior
Directorate-General for foreigners in France
Directorate for Integration and Access to Nationality
Sub-Directorate for Access to French Nationality
12 Francis-le-Carval Street
44404 REZÉ CEDEX
By email
sdanf-accueil@interieur.gouv.fr
If you receive a negative response, or in the absence of a reply within 4 months from the date of receipt of your appeal, you have a period of 2 months to make a litigation before the administrative court of Nantes.
The time limit runs from the notification of the negative decision (if no reply is received, see theAR: titleContent of your administrative appeal to know how and when to appeal).
Who shall I contact
.
Warning
The administrative appeal must be made before a litigation.
You live abroad
Step-by-step approach
One video explains the conditions to be fulfilled to obtain french nationality by naturalization:
Vidéo - French Naturalization - Conditions to be fulfilled
- Who is naturalization for?
You are concerned if you cannot have French nationality in another way.
For example, if you are married to a French man or woman, you can become French by declaration, subject to conditions.
If you are a father, mother, grandparent, brother or sister of a Frenchman, you can also make a declaration of French nationality, subject to conditions
- I have to live in France with my family to apply?
Yeah, for at least five years. Except in certain situations, for example if you are a refugee.
- What residence permit to have?
You must have a valid residence permit. If you're European, you don't need it.
- Do I have to speak French?
You must be able to speak and write in French. With an oral and written B1 level from the European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERL).
- I have to prove my integration in France?
You must have knowledge of the great dates of the history of France, and know the rights and duties of the citizen *. We must also respect the values of the Republic: freedom, equality, fraternity.
- Will we check my behavior and my criminal record?
Yeah. Yeah. You must not have committed any act contrary to public order.
FYI
if you do not meet all the conditions, check if you can to become French by another procedure.
Age
You must be major.
You can submit your application from the age of 17. If your application is accepted, you will be naturalized from the age of 18.
Naturalization may be granted to a minor child who has remained a foreigner even though one of his parents has become a Frenchman. However, the child must have resided in France with that parent for 5 years before the application for naturalization was filed.
Place of residence
You can be naturalized by decree provided you fulfill one of them the following conditions:
- You carry out a public or private professional activity on behalf of the French State or an organization whose activity is of particular interest to the French economy or culture
- You live in Monaco
- You are doing your national service or are engaged in regular training of the French army
- You're a national service volunteer
If you meet any of these conditions, your spouse and your minor children who live with you must also meet them.
Regularity of stay
You must have a valid residence permit at the time of filing your application.
However, you don't need it if you are European (EEA) or Swiss.
You must not have been expulsion order or a prohibition of French territory still in force.
Assimilation to the French community
You must prove your assimilation to the French community, in particular as follows:
- You have to agree with the principles and core values of the Republic
- You must have knowledge about the story, the cultivation and the French business
The citizen's book indicates the knowledge required.
You can download this booklet or consult it at the reception of the prefectures.
Knowledge of French
You must show proof of a sufficient knowledge of the French language.
Professional Insertion
Employability is an essential condition for assimilation and integration in France.
Employability means that you must have stable and sufficient incomes to support yourself and your tax shelter.
Morality and lack of criminal convictions
You must be good people.
This includes that you must not have committed any acts contrary to public order.
You should not be in any of the following situations:
- To have been sentenced in France to a sentence of at least 6 months' imprisonment without suspension
- Having been convicted of a criminal offense crime or a offense constituting an infringement of the fundamental interests of the Nation
- Having been convicted of a criminal offense act of terrorism
However, you are not concerned in case of rehabilitation or erasure of the conviction of Bulletin No. 2 of your criminal record.
The application for naturalization costs €55.
Payment is made at the consulate.
Who shall I contact
Documents to be provided
One video explains the documents to be provided:
Vidéo - French Naturalization - Documents to be provided
What documents do I need to provide, regardless of my situation?
· 1 official identity document. For example, your passport.
· 1 tax stamp of 55 €
· 1 double-sided copy of your valid residence permit (unless you are a national of a European State)
What are the other documents?
You must provide proof of:
· your marital status
· your nationality
· your home
· your stay in France
· your resources
You must also provide proof if you live or have lived as a couple, and if you have minor children.
Do I have to prove my level in French?
Yes, the required level of knowledge in French is the oral and written B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERL).
Are there any particular situations?
Yes, for example, if you have lived in France for less than 10 years, you must also provide an original foreigners criminal record extract or equivalent document from all the countries in which you have resided.
Do I have to have the documents translated?
Yes, you must attach a French translation of any document written in another language.
The translation must be done by a certified translator. It is the translator who informs you of his deadlines and prices.
In addition, some foreigner documents may need to be legalized or apostilled. This is used to authenticate the document. Ask the embassy or consulate of your country of origin.
Do I need to provide originals or copies of documents?
To send your file online, documents are scanned or photographed.
However, keep the original civil status documents as you should be able to submit them when you are processing your application.
A civil status document must be provided in full and in original in the language of the country of origin.
A French civil status certificate must have been issued less than 3 months ago.
Can I have a summary of the documents to provide?
Yes, a simulator allows you to have a customized list of documents to provide.
The simulator is available on our website Service-Public.fr.
How do I forward my file?
The file is sent online via an online service available on Service-Public.fr
At each stage of the processing of your request, you will receive an email to the email address you have indicated.
Attention:
- If you are domiciled in Guyana, Saint-Barthélemy, Saint-Martin, Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, Wallis and Futuna Islands, French Polynesia and New Caledonia, your file is to be filed with the naturalization platform of your home. An interactive map is available on Service-Public.fr to know the contact details of your platform.
- If you live abroad, the file is to be filed with a French consulate.
What if I can't submit my application online?
You can be accompanied by the ANT Citizen Contact Center.
You can contact him by email using the contact form available on the website of the General Directorate of foreigners in France, or by telephone (Monday to Friday from 7:45 am to 7 pm, Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm):
· At 34 00 in Metropolitan France (no surtax)
· Or 09 70 83 07 07 from overseas and foreigner
You can also get help from a settled digital hotspot in every prefecture and most sub-prefectures.
Can I be asked for more documents after I submit my file?
Yes, depending on your situation, the training department may ask you for additional documents and set a deadline for providing them.
If you do not provide the requested documents within the deadline, your file may be closed without further action.
That means it's not being studied.
You can use a simulator to get the custom list of documents to be provided :
What documents are required for my naturalization file?
Prepare them subsequent documents to build your case (be careful, if the 2 members of a couple want to apply for naturalization, they must constitute 2 folders):
- Form cerfa no. 12753 in 2 copies, completed, dated and signed
Please see the enclosed information leaflet before filling out the form. - Tax stamp of €55 (except in the case of an application made abroad)
- Duplex copy of your residence permit valid, unless you are a Swiss national or a national of European State (EU/EEA)
- 2 photos identity format 35 x 45 mm, bare head. Enter your name, first name and date of birth on the back
- Official document of identity (passport or residence permit)
- Proof of your civil status and nationality
- Proof of your domicile
- Proof of your resources and taxes
- Diploma or certificate justifying your level of knowledge of French
- Supporting documents if you live as a couple
- Supporting documents if you have already been married (divorce or widowhood)
- Supporting documents if you have minor children
- If you are veteran or legionnaire, status of services, decorations and quotations obtained
- If you have lived in France for less than 10 years, original extract of foreigner criminal record or equivalent document. It must be issued by a competent authority of the country or countries in which you have lived, or failing that, of the country of your nationality.
This document is not required, concerning your country of origin, if you are a refugee or stateless protected by the EUOfpra: titleContent. - If you are a national of a non-EU country European (EU) and that you went into the Schengen area from a State not included in this space for a period of less than 3 months during the 5 years preceding the filing of your application, provide your passport or any equivalent document (e.g. a Schengen visa), and those of your minor children who could become French by their majority
If you wish, you can complete your request with information that you feel is of particular interest. Provide this information on free paper. For example, your participation in associative life in France.
Please note
depending on your situation, other documents may be requested.
The instructor service may ask you to provide additional documentation or administrative formalities that are necessary for the examination of your application.
The instructor department will set you a deadline to complete these steps.
If you do not meet the deadline, your file may be closed.
That means it's not being studied.
The instructor service will notify the decision to close without further action.
The decision to take no further action shall indicate the remedies available and the time limits for bringing an action.
One receipt is issued to you when you have provided all the requested documents.
Francization of surname and/or first name
To facilitate your integration, you can request francization of your surname and/or first names when you apply for acquisition of French nationality.
Instructions on the documents to be provided
Civil status record
One civil status document must be supplied in full and in original in the language of the country of origin.
A French civil status certificate must have been issued less than 3 months ago.
A copy of a foreigner civil status document must be accompanied, if necessary, by a copy of the decision in execution of which it has been drawn up, rectified or amended.
Copy or original of a document
You can provide copies of the requested documents except for civil status records.
However, you should be able to present the originals of the documents if necessary.
A copy of a foreigner act shall be accompanied, if necessary, by a copy of the decision in implementation of which it has been drawn up, rectified or amended.
Translation
You must attach a translation of each document written in a foreign language.
You must provide the original translation.
The translation must be done by a translator on the list of experts approved by the courts of appeal.
However, translation is not required for a multilingual birth certificate extract one of whose languages is French.
In addition, to avoid having to translate some documents issued by a the European Union, one multilingual form can be attached. See the e-justice site for more information.
Legalization or Apostille
Certain documents established abroad must be legalized or apostilles to be accepted in France.
Inquire at the embassy or consulate of the country concerned.
Who shall I contact
You must file your application for naturalization with a French consulate.
Who shall I contact
If your situation changes after the receipt is issued, you must notify the department that received your request.
For example, if your family or work situation has changed, or if you have changed your address.
You must complete the change of situation declaration attached to the form cerfa no. 12753.
Attach the supporting documents.
Application for acquisition of French nationality by naturalization or reintegration
The declaration of change of situation is to be sent to the naturalization platform that received your application.
Who shall I contact
You will be issued a receipt for the deposit of the documents.
You're summoned to a maintenance to check your assimilation to the French community.
To prepare for this interview, you can download the citizen's book.
You must bring the originals the documents necessary for the examination of your application.
At the end of the interview, you must sign the charter of rights and duties of french citizens.
Please note
if you do not attend the interview for no legitimate reason, your request may be filed without further action.
An inquiry is made into your civic behavior (manifested for example by the payment of taxes).
The survey may be supplemented by consultation with consular and social bodies.
The administration also checks your possible judicial past in France and abroad.
To find out more about the progress of your application or to submit additional documents, you need to address by email to the department responsible for examining applications for acquisition of French nationality.
Who shall I contact
Sub-Directorate for Access to French Nationality
- To find out about the progress of your application for acquisition of french nationality or provide additional documents (mail-only filing).
- To know which documents to attach to a francization request of surname / first name
By email
sdanf-accueil@interieur.gouv.fr
By User Assistance Form
You can also use a dynamic form which guides you according to your request
FYI
When the instructor department registers your request, you receive a mail notifying you of the allocation of a ministerial number. You also receive a mail to the end of the procedure to inform you of the date of naturalization decree and the date of publication of the decree in OJ: titleContent.
The administration has Maximum 18 months from the issuance of the receipt to respond to an application for naturalization or reintegration into French nationality.
This period shall be reduced to 12 months when you prove that you have been habitually resident in France for at least 10 years on the date of delivery of the receipt.
Response times may be extended once for a period of 3 months.
In this case, the administration must provide reasons for its decision, i.e. explain why it needs more time to respond.
You receive a mail to inform you of your registration in the naturalization decree, after its publication in the Official Journal.
The Naturalization Decree shall take effect on the date of its signature.
Your children unmarried minors who usually reside with you also become French if their name is mentioned in the naturalization decree.
The minority of the child shall be assessed at the date of signature of the decree.
The naturalization decree may be withdrawn within two years of its publication in the OJ: titleContent, on the assent of the Council of State, if the administration finds that you do not fulfill the conditions.
The naturalization decree may also be withdrawn in the event of fraud, within two years from the discovery of the fraud.
Once you have become a Frenchman, you can ask for a national identity card and/or a passport.
If your children have become French at the same time as you, you can ask for a national identity card and a passport for each of them.
FYI
A young man turned French between 16 and 25 years, must to be registered in the month following the acquisition of French nationality.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
Transcription error in the Official Journal
If you notice an error in the transcription of your civil status in the decree of naturalization published in the Official Journal, report it by mail or by email to the Ministry of the Interior.
Who shall I contact
Ministry of the Interior - Naturalization
By mail
Ministry of the Interior
Directorate-General for foreigners in France
Directorate for Integration and Access to Nationality
Sub-Directorate for Access to French Nationality
12 Francis-le-Carval Street
44404 REZÉ CEDEX
By email
sdanf-accueil@interieur.gouv.fr
Error on a civil registration certificate
If you find an error in a civil registration (birth and/or marriage), you must send a letter to the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs.
Who shall I contact
Central Civil Registry Service (Scec)
Attention: the Central Civil Registry Service does not welcome any public.
Civil status (birth, marriage or death) of a Frenchman abroad
Only by mail to:
Central Civil Registry Service
11 White House Street
44941 Nantes Cedex 09
You can apply for a civil status certificate through a online service.
For more information, you can:
- Go to diplomatie.gouv.fr
- Call the+33 1 41 86 42 47 Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to 4 pm
Free access to video interpretation or instant speech transcription for the deaf or hard of hearing - Email courrier.scec@diplomatie.gouv.fr
The administration can make a decision unfavorable if your request is inadmissible or untimely.
The decision of the administration should be reasoned.
Your request is inadmissible if the conditions laid down by law are not fulfilled. If the grounds for inadmissibility disappear, you can make a new application.
Your request is untimely if the acquisition of french nationality is not, or not yet, possible: your application may be rejected (rejected) or postponed (postponed). In the event of a postponement, a deadline is imposed, for example to allow you to improve your integration into the labor market. Once this time has passed, you can make a new application.
A request filed without further action means that it is not not studied.
If your application has been declared unsuitable and rejected (rejected)), a new application made less than 5 years after the notification of refusal, may be dismissed without further action, after examination of any new circumstances indicated.
If your application has been declared unsuitable and postponed (postponed), a new application submitted before the end of the prescribed period may be closed without further action.
The unfavorable decision is yours notified by registered mail with AR: titleContent or during a summons to the consulate.
You have a deadline of 2 months from notification of the unfavorable decision to file an administrative appeal (hierarchical appeal) to the minister responsible for naturalization.
Who shall I contact
Ministry of the Interior - Naturalization
By mail
Ministry of the Interior
Directorate-General for foreigners in France
Directorate for Integration and Access to Nationality
Sub-Directorate for Access to French Nationality
12 Francis-le-Carval Street
44404 REZÉ CEDEX
By email
sdanf-accueil@interieur.gouv.fr
If you receive a negative response, or in the absence of a reply within 4 months from the date of receipt of your appeal, you have a period of 2 months to make a litigation before the administrative court of Nantes.
The time limit runs from the notification of the negative decision (if no reply is received, see theAR: titleContent of your administrative appeal to know how and when to appeal).
Who shall I contact
.
Warning
The administrative appeal must be made before making a decision litigation.
Online application for French naturalization or reintegration into French nationality
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
- Naturalization Platforms
Telephone administrative information - Allo Public Service
For more information on this topic, you can contact Allô Service Public.
Attention: the service does not have access to users' personal files and cannot therefore provide information on their status.
- Lundi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Mardi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Mercredi : de 08h30 à 12h15
- Jeudi : de 08h30 à 17h30
- Vendredi : de 13h00 à 16h15
- Service free
The informants who answer you belong to the Ministry of the Interior.
Citizens Contact Center - French Nationality
You can get help with the online filing of your French naturalization application and have information on the follow-up of your file.
By telephone
0806,001,620 (no surtax number) in mainland France, from overseas and the foreigner.
Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm.
Acquisition of French nationality by decision of the public authority
Provisions common to certain types of acquisition of French nationality
Welcome ceremony in French citizenship
Effects of acquisition of French nationality
Administrative decisions
FAQ
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