Funded by the European Union’s

Asylum, Migration and Integration

Fund

STUDY 2019

Pathways to citizenship for third-country

nationals in France

EMN FRANCE

December 2019
 PRESENTATION OF EMN FRANCE

EMN France is the French National Contact Point of the European Migration Network (EMN) and falls within
the General Directorate for Foreign Nationals in France of the Ministry of the Interior.

• Contacts
- Jean-Baptiste Herbet: [email protected]
Head of the Department of Statistics, Studies and Documentation

- Stéphanie Lemerle: [email protected]

Deputy Head of Department

- Christelle Caporali-Petit: [email protected]

Coordinator of EMN France

- Anne-Cécile Jarasse: [email protected]

Policy Officer, EMN France

- Tamara Buschek-Chauvel: [email protected]

Policy Officer, EMN France

• Address
Point de contact français du Réseau européen des migrations
Département des Statistiques, des Études et de la Documentation
Direction générale des étrangers en France
Ministère de l’Intérieur
Place Beauvau
75800 Paris Cedex 08

• Websites
- Site of the EMN at European level:
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/european_migration_network/index_en.htm
- Site of the EMN France:
https://www.immigration.interieur.gouv.fr/Europe-et-International/Le-reseau-europeen-des-migrations-
REM3

Page 2 of 34
 PATHWAYS TO CITIZENSHIP FOR THIRD-COUNTRY NATIONALS IN
FRANCE

Study conducted by EMN France

December 2019

Disclaimer:
The information provided by EMN France is considered to be up to date and objective, and thus in
accordance with the context and aims of the study. However, this information may not be exhaustive and
representative of the overall official policy in France. EMN France shall not be held liable, under any
circumstances, for the use which may be made of the information contained in this study.

The European Migration Network was set up by Council Decision 2008/381/EC and is coordinated by the
European Commission.
EMN France is funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund and the
Directorate General for Foreign Nationals in France of the Ministry of the Interior.

Page 3 of 34
 List of Acronyms

- ARE: Return to employment benefit « Aide au Retour à l'Emploi »

- CAA : The Nantes Administrative Court of Appeal

- CE: Council of State (Conseil d’État)

- CERF: Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

- DGEF: General Directorate for Foreign Nationals in France

- DSED: Department of Statistics, Studies and Documentation

- OFII : French Office for Immigration and Integration

- OFPRA: French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons

- SDANF: Sub-Directorate of Access to French Citizenship (Sous-direction de l'accès à la

nationalité française)

Page 4 of 34
 Pathways to citizenship for third-country
nationals in France

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The European Convention on Nationality,1 signed in 1997, lays out the principles and rules governing the
acquisition and deprivation of citizenship, and the issue of multiple nationalities. To date, 20 Member
States have signed the Convention,2 and 13 have ratified it.3 Although granting citizenship is a
prerogative of Member States, national regulations have been implemented in accordance with European
law. This is particularly important since the establishment of European citizenship by the Maastricht
Treaty in 1992 granted different rights and duties to citizens of European Union (EU) Member States. It is
interesting to analyse the various regulations and rules in force because the right of free movement for
European citizens means that a country’s decision to accept or reject a citizen may also have an impact
on all Member States. The acquisition of citizenship has been a subject of debate in different Member
States in recent years, in relation to the need to integrate migrants.
This EMN study focuses in particular on the naturalisation process for new migrants4 in France and largely
excludes “specific” naturalisation processes.5 “Ordinary” naturalisation is defined as “any acquisition after
birth of a citizenship not previously held by the person concerned that requires an application to public
authorities and a decision by these.”6

The first section of this study begins with a presentation of the legislative and political framework in
France. With regard to current policies and legislation on the acquisition of citizenship, this study is
representative of the current situation and recent developments in France, and therefore focuses on the
situation in 2019. With regard to political and legal developments and the statistics provided, the study
covers a five-year period, from 2014 to 2018.
Section 2 analyses the eligibility conditions and criteria for citizenship acquisition (period of legal
residence, knowledge of the language, economic situation, housing, etc.), and section 3 describes the
procedures for acquiring French citizenship and the application and decision-making process (list of
documents requested, deadline, decisions). Section 4 examines the conditions under which France
allows dual citizenship. Finally, Section 5 seeks to show how the acquisition of citizenship is linked to
integration policies, and the extent to which naturalisation is seen as the culmination of the integration
process.
The scope of the study therefore includes the acquisition of French citizenship by third-country
nationals who have immigrated to France as first generation immigrants (“new migrants”). The
study therefore excludes second and third generation migrants. The study does not cover European
citizens who have obtained the citizenship of another Member State. Acquisition of citizenship of an EU
Member State by a person residing in a third country is also outside the scope of this study.
In France, the study focuses on the acquisition of citizenship by decree. The automatic acquisition of
citizenship (by reason of filiation, birth and residence) or by declaration (by reason of birth and residence

1
European Convention on Nationality, https://www.unhcr.org/protection/statelessness/451790842/european-
convention-nationality.html
2
AT, BG, CZ, DE, DK, EL, FI, FR, HR, HU, IT, LU, LV, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SE.
3
AT, BG, CZ, DE, DK, FI, HU, LU, NL, PT, RO, SK, SE.
4
For the purposes of this study, the term “new migrants” refers to third-country nationals who do not have a pre-
existing historical tie with the Member State (ethnic, family, historical).
5
In other words, the methods of acquiring French citizenship automatically, by marriage, through a mechanism for
investors, or for political and/or discretionary reasons are excluded from the scope of this study.
6
R. Baubock and S. Wallace Goodman (2011), EUDO Citizenship Policy Brief n°2, Naturalisation, http://eudo-
citizenship.eu/docs/policy_brief_naturalisation.pdf

Page 5 of 34
in France or by reason of marriage, being an ascendant or sibling of a French national) is excluded from
the scope of this study, as is the acquisition of citizenship by declaration with regards to children
adopted, fostered or raised in France, for the purpose of reintegration or due to a presumption of status
(“possession d’état”).
Acquisition of citizenship by marriage to a French spouse is also not included in this study because the
EMN does not deal with issues relating to European citizens that fall under specific Directives.
Nevertheless, this is a significant means by which citizenship is acquired in France, accounting for 21,000
acquisitions or 19.1% (out of a total of 110,014 acquisitions) in 2018.

Page 6 of 34
Section 1: Legal and policy overview
Q1. With reference to international law, is your Member State a party to the:

a) 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness?

☒ Yes.

France signed the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness on 31 May 19627 but has
not ratified it.
b) 1997 European Convention on Nationality?

☒ Yes.

France signed the 1997 European Convention on Nationality on 4 July 2000 but has not ratified it.

Q2. Which are the main legal instruments covering the acquisition of citizenship for third-
country nationals in your Member State? For example, is the acquisition of citizenship
laid out in the constitution?
Please explain in the form of a short, succinct narrative, starting from general principles to
application rules. Please provide references to the main relevant laws and (name and date).
The rules for acquiring French citizenship are legislative in nature. French citizenship is essentially
governed by articles 17 to 33-2 of the Civil Code8 and by Decree No. 93-1362 of 30 December
19939, Law No. 98-170 of 16 March 199810, Law No. 2003-1119 of 26 November 200311, Law No.
2006-911 of 24 July 200612 and Law No. 2009-526 of 12 May 200913, Law No. 2011-672 of 16
June 201114, Law No. 2015-1776 of 28 December 201515 and the Law No. 2016-274 of 7 March
201616.

Q3. Have the laws and policies regarding third-country nationals’ acquisition of
citizenship in your country undergone any major changes in recent years which
significantly changed the procedures or requirements of the acquisition of
citizenship? If yes, what have been the main drivers for the change? (e.g. EU
/national case law, changes in other aspects of (national) migration law or policy
etc.) Kindly note that the response should refer to the target group of the study only.
☒ Yes.

7
Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, https://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/wp-content/uploads/1961-Convention-
on-the-reduction-of-Statelessness_ENG.pdf
8
Civil Code, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCode.do?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006070721 (in French).
9
Decree No. 93-1362 of 30 December 1993 on declarations of citizenship, decisions on naturalisation, reintegration,
loss, forfeiture and withdrawal of French citizenship,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000699753 (in French).
10
Law No. 98-170 of 16 March 1998 on nationality,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000754536&dateTexte=20200116 (in
French).
11
Law No.2003-1119 of 26 November 2003 on immigration control, residence of foreign nationals and nationality,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000795635&dateTexte=20200116 (in
French).
12
Law No. 2006-911 of 24 July 2006 on immigration and integration,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000266495&dateTexte=20190927 (in
French).
13
Law No. 2009-526 of 12 May 2009 on simplifying and clarifying the law and streamlining procedures,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000020604162 (in French).
14
Law No. 2011-672 of 16 June 2011 on immigration, integration and nationality,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000024191380&dateTexte=20200116 (in
French).
15
Law No. 2015-1776 of 28 December 2015 on adapting society to the ageing,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000031700731 (in French).
16
Law No. 2016-274 of 7 March 2016 on the rights of foreign nationals in France,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000032164264&dateTexte=20200116 (in
French).

Page 7 of 34
 In general, the law on citizenship has been fairly stable for several years. Nevertheless, some
changes have taken place in recent years.

Law No. 2006-911 of 24 July 2006 on immigration and integration introduced new
requirements for the acquisition of French citizenship (extending the length of time a couple has
to live together to four years before a declaration on the acquisition of French citizenship on the
grounds of marriage to a French spouse can be made; abolition of exemptions from the
probationary period for nationals of countries formerly under French sovereignty) and greater
solemnity in the procedure by which French citizenship is granted.

Law No. 2011-672 of 16 June 2011 on immigration, integration and nationality amended
the provisions regarding the requirement that the applicants have sufficient knowledge of the
French language depending on their situation. The level and procedures by which language level
is assessed are set by decree in the Council of State. This decree, dated 11 October 201117, made
the acquisition of French citizenship conditional upon a mandatory level of knowledge of the
French language corresponding to level B1 of the Council of Europe’s Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). This decree also modified the methods by which
the language level was assessed. Previously, the level was assessed in an individual interview and
the level required had to be “sufficient”. The decree determined that the persons in question must
justify their level with a diploma or certificate issued by a state-recognised body or an approved
service provider. A second decree dated 11 October 201118 created a “French as a language of
integration” label for language training organisations and specified the terms and conditions for
issuing the qualification, which was repealed by the decree of 9 July 2018.19
The law of 16 June 2011 also defined the rights and duties of French citizens. Since 1 February
2012, applicants for citizenship or reintegration must sign a charter of the rights and duties of
French citizens at the end of the assimilation check. This is placed on the applicant’s file and a
copy is given to the individual in the event of citizenship acquisition.
Finally, Laws 2015-1776 of 28 December 2015 on adapting society to the ageing
population and 2016-274 of 7 March 2016 on the rights of foreign nationals in France
created two new procedures for acquiring French citizenship by declaration (Decree 2016-872 of
29 June 201620):
- The declaration due to being an ascendant of a French citizen;
- The declaration due to being a sibling of a French citizen.

Q4. Have there been any major debates or national issues about third-country nationals
holding or acquiring the citizenship of your Member State in recent years? If so, have
these debates included the acquisition also of EU citizenship rights (such as right to
vote, right to free movement including labour mobility, consular protection and right
to protection, etc.)? Please specify in which framework these debates were held (e.g.
policy-makers, media, and general public).
☐ Yes.
☒ No.
The foundations of citizenship legislation are stable; they are part of the French tradition and, as
such, not controversial. The long-standing debate on the right of foreign nationals to vote in
municipal elections resurfaces periodically, but it is not really a debate about citizenship.

17
Decree No. 2011-1265 of 11 October 2011 on the level of knowledge of the French language required of applicants
for French citizenship under articles 21-2 and 21-24 of the Civil Code and its assessment procedures,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000024659084ategorieLien=id
18
Decree No. 2011-1266 of 11 October 2011 on the creation of a quality label entitled “French as a language of
integration” https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000024659119ategorieLien=id (in
French).
19
Decree No. 2018-593 of 9 July 2018 repealing Decree No. 2011-1266 of 11 October 2011 on a label for learning
the French language,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000037171545ategorieLien=id (in French).
20
Decree No. 2016-872 of 29 June 2016 on the procedures for receiving and examining declarations of citizenship
signed pursuant to Articles 21-2, 21-13-1 or 21-13-2 of the Civil Code,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000032796529ategorieLien=id (in French).

Page 8 of 34
 Q5. From a legal perspective, is there a distinction between nationality and citizenship in
your Member State? If so, what are the differences?
☒ Yes.
☐ No.

In France, there is a very strong link between nationality and citizenship, but the two terms are
not synonymous.
Nationality is the legal relationship between an individual to a particular State that grants them
rights. There are domestic effects but also effects in international law (e.g. legislation on
diplomatic protection). Nationality also creates duties towards that State, for example, to defend
it in times of war.
Citizenship refers to participation in the exercise of political power. Citizenship grants the right
to vote. A minor, for example, may be a French national, but only becomes a French citizen from
the age of 18.

Q6. Is the acquisition of citizenship in your Member State based on the ius sanguinis or
the ius soli principle, on a mixture of these principles, or on other principles? Please
check the appropriate box and explain.

☒ Ius sanguinis.
French citizenship may result from an attribution by filiation (ius sanguinis). Article 18 of the
Civil Code provides that children born to at least one French parent are French in origin.
☒ Ius soli.
☐ Unconditional ius soli.

☒ Conditional ius soli.21

☒ Automatic double ius soli. 22
The simple ius soli is based on citizenship acquisition by birth in France and a prolonged stay in
the country. A child born in France to foreign parents can become French at the age of 18 on the
condition that the child has been resident in France for five years since the age of 11 (automatic
acquisition on reaching adulthood, article 21-7 of the Civil Code). This acquisition can already be
requested by the parents when the child turns 13 or on request of the child itself at the age of 16
in the case of continuous residency since the age of 11 (early acquisition by declaration, article
21-11 of the Civil Code).
French citizenship may also result from the birth in France to parents born in France (double ius
soli). Article 19-3 of the Civil Code provides that “a child born in France with at least one parent
born there” is French23.
☐ Conditional double ius soli.24
☐ Mixed ius soli and sanguinis.

☐ Other.

Q7. In which modes can third-country nationals acquire the citizenship of your Member
State? Please check all boxes that apply and briefly describe the main modalities). Kindly note
that the response should refer to the target group of the study only. This question links to
Statistical Annex 1.2.

21
This means that certain conditions have to be fulfilled, e.g. minimum period of residence in the country of the
parents.
22
This means that children born in the country to foreign nationals can automatically acquire citizenship at birth if at
least one of their parents was also born in the country.
23
In this case it is not an acquisition but an attribution of citizenship.
24
This means that children born in the country to foreign nationals can acquire citizenship at birth if at least one of
their parents was also born in the country under certain conditions, e.g. minimum period of residence for parents.

Page 9 of 34
 Citizenship acquisition from birth is not the only way to access citizenship. Three different modes
of acquisition should be distinguished:
- Automatic acquisition;
- Acquisition by declaration;
- Acquisition by naturalisation decree.

This study concerns the group covered by naturalisation decree.

☒ By naturalisation decree
Citizenship granted by decree is governed by the articles 21-15 to 21-27-1 of the Civil Code and
by Decree No. 93-1362 of 30 December 1993 (amended). Any adult foreign national holding a
residence permit may apply for French citizenship by decree.
☒ By declaration
The acquisition of citizenship by declaration on the grounds of marriage is governed by the
articles 21-1 to 21-6 of the Civil Code (conditions), as well as by the articles 26 et seq. (form and
procedure). A foreign national may obtain French citizenship after marriage to a French spouse by
declaration after a period of four years from the date of marriage, with evidence of a shared
emotional and material life, and sufficient command of the French language.

☐ By ordinary naturalisation.

☐ By special naturalisation (e.g. based on considerations such as historical / ethno-cultural

considerations, for political or other discretionary reasons, investment scheme). Please explain,
briefly outlining the different types of special naturalisation available in your Member State:
☐ By declaration/notification.

☒ Other (e.g. reinstatement of former citizenship). Please explain, briefly outlining any other
modes of naturalisation not covered above:
Under certain conditions, reintegration into French citizenship is provided for by the Civil
Code25 (this group is excluded from the scope of this study). Article 24-2 of the Civil Code refers
to persons who have lost their French citizenship as the result of marrying a foreign national or
by acquiring a foreign citizenship by individual measure. The person concerned must have
maintained or acquired clear links with France, particularly of a cultural, professional, economic or
family nature.

Q8. What is the most common / frequent way from those mentioned above for third-
country nationals to acquire citizenship in your Member State? This question links to
Statistical Annex 2.

In 2018, 55,830 naturalisations out of a total of 110,000 total naturalisations were acquired by a
naturalisation decree.

In 2018, the annual number of acquisitions of French citizenship fell by 3.7%, which was the
result of a decrease in citizenship acquisitions by decree (-15%) and an increase in citizenship
acquisitions by declaration (+12.2%).

See Table 2.2 in the Annex.

25
Article 17-3 and 24-2 of the Civil Code.

Page 10 of 34
Section 2: Conditions and requirements for the acquisition of citizenship after
birth through ordinary naturalisation
In cases where citizenship is not acquired at birth, what are the requirements and conditions
that third-country nationals have to fulfil to obtain citizenship of your Member State? Please
provide a brief overview of the conditions and requirements. Further details are to be provided in the
subsequent questions.
Please note that the questions below only refer to cases when the primary ground of acquisition of
citizenship is through ordinary naturalisation (i.e. the legal process whereby a third-country national who
is legally present on the territory of a Member State may acquire citizenship of an EU Member State. A
new migrant is described as a third country national who does not have a pre-existing historical tie with
the Member State (ethnic, family, historical).’ The conditions and requirements in place for second- or
third-generation migrants and those migrants with special (e.g. ethnical or linguistic) ties to the country
are not covered.

2.1 Eligibility

Period of residence
Q9. After how many years or months of (interrupted/continuous) residence in your
country can a third-country national acquire the citizenship of your Member State?

Article 21-17 of the Civil Code provides that naturalisation by decree may only be granted to
foreign nationals who can prove that they have habitually resided in France during the five
years prior to filing their application. This is called the probationary condition (“condition de
stage”). In addition, article 21-16 of the Civil Code requires that the applicant be resident in
France at the time of signing the naturalisation decree.
However, some exceptions enabling this probationary period to be reduced from five to two years
are provided for in article 21-18 of the Civil Code:
• A foreign national who has successfully completed two years of higher education in
order to acquire a diploma issued by a French university or higher education
institution;
• A foreign national who has provided or who has the capacities and talents to provide
important services to France;
• A foreign national who has an exceptional record of integration, assessed in the light of
activities or actions carried out in the civic, scientific, economic, cultural or sporting
fields.

Under article 21-19 of the Civil Code, following foreign nationals may be naturalised without
completing the probationary period:
• A foreign national who has actually performed military service in a unit of the French
army or who, in time of war, has made a voluntary commitment in the French or
allied armies;
• A foreign national who has rendered exceptional services to France or whose
naturalisation is of exceptional interest to France. In this case, the naturalisation
decree may only be granted after the Council of State has given its opinion on a
substantiated report from the competent minister.
• A foreign national who has been granted refugee status pursuant to Law No. 52-893
of 25 July 1952 establishing a French Office for the Protection of Refugees and
Stateless Persons (OFPRA).

Article 21-20 of the Civil Code foresees a naturalisation without completion of the probationary
period for:
• Persons who belong to the French cultural and linguistic entity, when they are
nationals of the territories or states whose official language or one of the official
languages is French, either when their mother tongue is French or when they have

Page 11 of 34
 proven that they have completed at least five years of schooling in a French-language
educational institution.

Q9a: Is this period of residence based on legal residence (i.e. registration at the city hall or
in a population registry) or is habitual residence (e.g. proved by house rental, school
attendance, tax reports) in the Member State also counted?
☒ Legal residence required.
Residence must be personal, habitual, legal and effective.
Concerning the duration of five years, only regular residence is taken into consideration
(article 21-27 of the Civil Code26). The public authority assesses the overall situation in relation to
material and family ties. The applicant’s resources must be French in origin and derive from a
stable profession in France.27 Concerning family ties, the close family unit must be established in
France. The spouse or children, if the applicant is married and has minor children, cannot reside
abroad as this would demonstrate a centre of family ties outside France.28 However, the Council
of State takes the entire situation into account.29
However, the mere fact that a spouse is habitually resident abroad does not exempt the minister
from examining whether or not the applicant meets the residency requirement, taking into
consideration certain particular circumstances that he or she may be able to demonstrate (CE,
13/10/2006, M. Saidouni, No 282099). The authority in charge of deciding on an application must
carry out an overall examination and take into account the particular circumstances of the
applicant's situation.
Furthermore, the residence has to be effective.

The Council of State has defined the concept of residence according to which the foreign
national must have “the centre of their interests fixed stably in France”30 For this purpose, the
administration may rely on the “length of residence on French territory, the family situation, the
place where any minor children live, and the sufficiency and sustainability of the resources that
enable the person to remain in France”.
☐ Presence in the country sufficient
☐ No residence / presence in the Member State is required and citizenship is granted upon
entry (e.g. investor schemes).
☐ Other.
Q9b: Is this period of residence based on effective residence (i.e. physical presence for
a regular and extended period in the territory) or is holding a residence permit for
the required timeframe sufficient?

☒ Yes, physical presence necessary – see Q.9a.

Q9c: What proof (e.g. documentary evidence) is required to demonstrate that the
minimum period of residence has been met?
Documents to be provided are a double-sided photocopy of a valid residence permit, proof
of residence and resources, and tax situation.
Documents to be produced with regard to accommodation:
- Tenant: a rental contract, the last three rent receipts and the last telephone or electricity
bill;
- Owner: deeds of ownership;
- Lodger: a certificate of accommodation and proof of the identity of the person with whom the
foreign national is lodging.

26
This article refers to the irregular stay on the date of the decree and not to the entire duration of residence.
27
CE, 25 April 1990, No. 89678 (resources from the father working abroad: no residence in France).
28
CE, 26 February 1988, No. 70584 (wife in France, but children abroad: no residence in France).
29
CE, 2 November 1992, No. 117862 (residence abroad of children born of previous relationships, but presence in
France of the current spouse and children born of this marriage: recognition of residence in France).
30
CE, 28 February 1986.

Page 12 of 34
 Q9d: Can the period of residence be interrupted? If yes, how long can this interruption
last?
☒ No
No, the period of residence cannot be interrupted.31
As was pointed out above, article 21-17 of the Civil Code provides that naturalisation by
decree may only be granted to foreign nationals who can prove that they have habitually
resided in France during the five years prior to filing their application.
The “habitual residence” can be understood as the centre of material and family ties of the
applicant.
This prolonged residence is a solid proof of assimilation and the Council of State interprets it in
a very strict way (see to that effect: CE, 25 July 1985, Benedetti, n°54865, published in the
Lebon Report).
So when the stay outside France or the irregular one on the territory is equal or longer than
one year, it interrupts the continuity of the probationary condition and the clock has to be
reset.
However, when a residence outside France or the irregular one on the territory is less than one
year, this interruption may not be held against the application.
The interruption of the probationary condition is not anymore held against students whose
stay abroad is part of a requested programme and certified by the educational institution.

Pre-existing legal residence status

Q10. What pre-existing legal residence status of the citizenship applicant is accepted?
Please also indicate for how long each of the given legal statuses has to be held in order for the
third-country national to be able to acquire the citizenship of your country. For temporary
permits, please indicate to what extent the number of years the third-country national possesses
such a permit count towards being granted access to citizenship.
☒ Permanent residence permit. Number of years to get this permanent status and number of
years necessary to hold it for citizenship acquisition:
☒ Refugee status. Number of years:

☒ Temporary residence permit. Number of years:

☒ Other protection statuses. Number of years:
☐ Other status:
A minimum of five years of regular residence in France is required. A valid residence permit is
required at the time of application. All residence permits are admissible.

2.2 Conditions

Language
Q11. Is knowledge of the national language(s) required for all naturalisation grounds,
and if so, what is the required level?
☒ Yes.

31
CE, 25 July 1985: gas. Pal. 1986. 1. Somm.157 (Inadmissibility of the application submitted by a foreign national
who has resided in France for more than 12 years and who has interrupted this residence for three years to pursue
studies in their country of origin).

Page 13 of 34
 The condition of assimilation into the French community is provided for in article 21-24 of the
Civil Code. Foreign nationals must prove their assimilation through a sufficient knowledge of
French language, history, culture and society and the rights and duties granted by French
citizenship as well as by adherence to the essential principles and values of the French Republic.
The decree of 11 October 2011 introduced the language requirement “oral” level B1 of the
CEFR. This corresponds to the level of students at the end of compulsory schooling who is able
to listen, take part in a conversation and express themselves continually in speech.
The decree of 30 December 2019 raised the required level to B1 “oral” and “written”. This level
will be required for all applications lodged as of 1 April 2020.

Q11a. If yes, how is this proven or evaluated? What evidence is required, and which
authority is responsible for assessment (e.g. ministry officials, language experts,
private language institutions contracted by state, etc.)?

The following diplomas and certificates are acceptable means of proving the CEFR’s written and
oral level B1 as adopted by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in its
Recommendation CM/Rec (2008)7 of 2 July 2008:
• A diploma awarded by a French authority, in France or abroad, attesting a level at least
equal to level 3 in the national education classification of training levels indexed in a list
defined by a decree of the Minister of the Interior which includes as well the national
school leaving certificate or a diploma attesting a level of French at least equal to level B1
of the CEFR;
• A "statement of comparability" provided by the ENIC-NARIC France center (the French
information centre for the academic and professional recognition of qualifications) in case
of a certificate issued by a francophone country, Algeria, Morocco or Tunisia. This
certification has to mention that the classes were held in French and attest a level at least
equal to level 3 in the national education classification of training levels.

A certificate that is not older than two years for a language test: Test of French language
knowledge (TCF) delivered by the France Education International (FEI ex CIEP); Test
d'évaluation du Français (TEF) from the Chamber of Commerce of Paris (CCIP). This test
has to contain four indivisible tasks which evaluate the level of comprehension and oral
and written expression and indicates if the applicant has a level superior or equal to B1.

Q11b. If your Member State uses a language test, has this test ever been evaluated,
e.g. has the test led to better knowledge of the national language(s)?
☒ No, the language tests have never been evaluated.

Citizenship tests and commitments

Q12. Are citizenship applicants required to pass a citizenship or integration test for all
naturalisation grounds? Please note that this could also include oral interviews.
☒ Yes.
Sufficient knowledge of French history, culture and society and the rights and duties granted by
French citizenship are verified during an assimilation interview with a prefectural official. This
interview takes the form of a discussion.
In order to adapt the methods of assessing this knowledge to the abilities of adults, Decree No.
2013-794 of 30 August 201332 deleted the reference to the level of completion of primary
education and the use of a multiple-choice questionnaire to assess this knowledge. During the
assimilation interview, the evaluation of the candidate's knowledge is now integrated into the
natural course of the conversation.

32
Decree No. 2013-794 of 30 August 2013 amending Decree No. 93-1362 of 30 December 1993 on declarations of
nationality, decisions on naturalisation, reintegration, loss, forfeiture and withdrawal of French nationality,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000027914456ategorieLien=id

Page 14 of 34
 This decree also defines the level of knowledge of French history, culture and society as
corresponding to the fundamental elements relating to the major landmarks of French history,
the principles, symbols and institutions of the Republic, the exercise of French citizenship and
France's place in Europe and in the world.
The citizen’s booklet illustrates the areas and level of knowledge expected. This is a guide for
applicants rather than an exhaustive document.
The questions vary depending on how citizenship is acquired.

Q12a. If yes, has the citizenship test ever been evaluated?

☒ Yes.
In 2017 the General Inspectorate of Administration (IGA) evaluated the entire naturalisation
process, including the assimilation interview. This (confidential) report was not made public.

Q13. Is the applicant required to legally or symbolically commit to certain values or

norms (such as human rights, democracy, quality and the rule of law) for all
naturalisation grounds and if so, which ones?
☒ Yes.

Applicants must comply with all laws and regulations and must adhere to the principles and
values of the French Republic (freedom, equality, fraternity, secularism that organises in France
the political and religious domains etc.).
The application is inadmissible if the applicant is found guilty of an offence sentenced to an
unsuspended sentence of imprisonment of more than or equal to six months. Convictions of a
shorter period can, given their seriousness, recentness or repeatability, also have the effect that
the applicant does not comply with the appropriate character references.
The assimilation interview is the essential moment in the assessment of the applicants’
assimilation and of their adherence to the principles and values of the French Republic.
At the end of the assimilation interview, the applicant signs the Charter of Rights and Duties
of the French Citizen. The content of the Charter was defined by Decree No. 2012-127 of 30
January 2012.33
The citizen’s booklet recalls the main characteristics of the current organisation of the French
Republic and democracy and the principles and values that are attached to them, which
constitute the daily framework for the exercise of citizenship. It also includes some important
historical dates to position France’s origins and its evolution to date and highlights the
contribution that a number of naturalised people have made to France.

Q14. Are applicants required to pledge formally allegiance to your Member State (e.g.
oath of allegiance?) If yes, does this apply to all naturalisation grounds? Please
explain the differences.
☒ No.
A ceremony to welcome French citizens is organised by the departmental prefect (in Paris,
by the police prefect), a mayor or the competent French consular authority. French citizenship
welcoming ceremonies are governed by the articles 21-28 and 21-29 of the Civil Code. All
persons acquiring French nationality, with the exception of those who have made a declaration
on the basis of article 21-13 of the Civil Code (persons with French status), must therefore be
invited to a ceremony to welcome them into French citizenship by the State representative in
the department or by the mayor, in their capacity as civil registrar, if the prefect responds
favourably to their request for authorisation to organise the ceremony (articles 21-28 and 21-29
of the Civil Code).
During the ceremony, the Charter of Rights and Duties of the French Citizen is presented.

33
Decree No. 2012-127 of 30 January 2012 approving the Charter of the Rights and Duties of French Citizens provided
for in article 21-24 of the Civil Code,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000025241393ategorieLien=id

Page 15 of 34
 The legislator thus wanted to ensure that the acquisition of French citizenship was a solemn
process, rather than a purely administrative one. However, participation in the ceremony is not
mandatory and candidates are not obliged to take an oath during the ceremony. Adherence to
the values of the Republic is verified during the assimilation interview.

Good conduct

Q15. Is the third-country national expected to fulfil any requirements regarding good
conduct (e.g. clean criminal record, fulfilment of civic requirements such as payment
of taxes), public order, public health and if so, which ones?
☒ Yes.
Article 21-23 of the Civil Code prohibits the naturalisation of foreign nationals who are not of
good character or who have been convicted under article 21-27 of the Civil Code.
While article 21‐27 of the Civil Code specifically refers to convictions rendering the application
for naturalisation inadmissible, case law has come to define the condition of “good life and
morals”.
Under article 21‐27 of the Civil Code: “No one may acquire French citizenship or be reintegrated
into it if they have been convicted of crimes or offences constituting an attack on the
fundamental interests of the Nation or an act of terrorism, or, whatever the offence in
question, if they have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment of six months or more,
without a suspension measure.”
The “fundamental interests of the Nation” refer to the independence of France, the integrity
of its territory, its security, the republican form of its institutions, the means of its defence and
diplomacy, the safeguarding of its population in France and abroad, the balance of its natural
environment, the essential elements of its scientific and economic potential, and its cultural
heritage. Regarding the prison sentence referred to, this must appear in section B2 of the
person’s criminal record, issued less than three months before the date of issue of the decision.
In addition, revocation of the suspension of a six-month prison sentence does not allow the
applicants to oppose their inadmissibility on the basis of article 21‐27 of the Civil Code.

Applicants who benefited from rehabilitation in their own right or a judicial rehabilitation cannot
be anymore subject of a decision on inadmissibility based on article 21-27 of the Civil Code.

Q15a. If yes, what proof (e.g. documentary evidence) is required to demonstrate

that the criteria for good conduct has been met?
The authorities responsible for the examination of the application get hold of the criminal record
of the applicant. Furthermore, an administrative investigation is requested from the security
services. Research is being undertaken with regard to other criminal records and their
consequences in different jurisdictions.

Economic resources

Q16. Is the applicant's economic/financial situation or standard of living taken into

account and if so, how (e.g. a minimum income level and assets)? Does this apply to
all naturalisation grounds? Please explain the differences.
☒ Yes.
As already mentioned above (Q9a), the public authority assesses the overall situation in
relation to material and family ties. For naturalisation by decree, financial independence is
studied. Any resources from abroad must be of French origin and derive from a stable
profession in France.
All taxable income received (before allowance) is taken into account:
- Salaries;

Page 16 of 34
 - Other wage income (including the unemployment allowance Aide au Retour à l'Emploi
(return to employment benefit - ARE), the reception of which implies that the person
concerned has previously worked);
- Commercial and non-commercial profits;
- Income from land or movable property.

However, the ARE must not represent the clear majority of resources over the last two years,
particularly in terms of income from salary. In such a case, an adjournment may be
considered by the instructing services.
Where applicable, income should be assessed according to the tax household, not the
individual. Thus, an applicant may be considered to be supported by a spouse who has
sufficient income, provided that a shared life has been established.
If the annual income declared to the tax authorities exceeds the reference amount as defined
to date in relation to the poverty line, i.e. €10,000/year (approximately €830/month), this
may be considered sufficient to ensure material autonomy.
As regards the period to be taken into account, this reference amount of €10,000 must be
reached at least for year N-1 unless the applicant has a permanent contract whose trial
period has expired.
A recent permanent contract whose trial period has ended is sufficient to justify satisfactory
labour market integration if it provides the person concerned with an income equal to or
greater than a reference amount defined in relation to the poverty line, i.e. €830/month (or
€10,000/year) to date.
However, a decision to adjourn may be considered by the instructing services if the applicant
cannot justify any training or labour market integration efforts before the recent conclusion
of their permanent contract. In this case, the permanent contract must be less than one year
old.
In the case of a fixed-term or temporary contract, the officials must examine the person’s
career path over the last five years to assess their efforts to find employment.
Similarly, the applicant’s previous professional experience may make it possible to
compensate for a situation of unemployment lasting less than one year at the time the
application is submitted, if the applicant can prove that they have a genuine labour market
integration path.

Q16a. If yes, what proof (e.g. documentary evidence) is required to demonstrate

that the minimum income level / assets have been met?
See the list of supporting documents mentioned in the Information Notice for candidates
for naturalisation or reintegration of French citizenship CERFA 51148#02 in Annex 1.34

Q17. Is the third-country national’s housing situation taken into account?

☒ Yes.
The accommodation must be in France.

Q17a. If yes, what proof (e.g. documentary evidence) is required to demonstrate

that any housing requirements have been met?
See the list of supporting documents mentioned in the Information Notice for candidates for
naturalisation or reintegration of French citizenship CERFA 51148#02 in Annex 1.35

34
Information notice for candidates for naturalisation or reintegration of French citizenship CERFA 51148#02,
https://www.immigration.interieur.gouv.fr/content/download/39049/298067/file/notice-information-
naturalisation.pdf
35
Ibid.

Page 17 of 34
Others

Q18. Are there any other requirements not listed above?

☒ Yes.
Age of the applicant
Article 21-22 of the Civil Code sets the condition that the applicant must have reached the age of
18. However, an exception is provided for minors who have remained foreign nationals despite
the fact that one of their parents has acquired French citizenship if they can prove that they
resided in France with that parent for the five years preceding the filing of the application (article
21-22 of the Civil Code).
Legal capacity
Applicants who are minors may, from the age of 16, themselves submit their own application to
acquire French nationality in accordance with article 17‐3 of the Civil Code. From the age of 18,
the applicants must submit their own application.

2.3 Security

Q19. Are there any specific exclusion criteria (e.g. threats to national security and
public order)?
☒ Yes.
See Q15.

2.4 Specific groups of third-country nationals

Q20. Are the above-mentioned requirements different for specific groups of third-
country nationals, such as the groups listed below? For each group, please briefly
explain the main differences that apply:

a. Refugees
b. Other beneficiaries of international protection statuses
c. Specific categories of legal migrants
d. Other groups that are significantly represented in your Member State, incl. stateless
persons

Q20a. Refugees

Persons under the protection of the OFPRA may apply for French nationality. They must
meet the conditions concerning the mastery of the French language and integration
into French society. For recognised refugees, the condition of length of residence in
France does not apply. They may apply for French citizenship as soon as they obtain this
status.

However, the administrative authorities recommend to assess flexibly the professional

integration of this persons.

Furthermore, under article 21-24-1 of the Civil Code, “the condition of knowledge of the
French language does not apply to political refugees and stateless persons who have
resided regularly and usually in France for at least 15 years and who are over 70 years of
age.”

Page 18 of 34
 Q20b. Other beneficiaries of international protection statuses

Persons who have been granted subsidiary protection or stateless status must, like other
applicants, prove five years of legal residence in France before they can apply for
citizenship.

They must meet the usual requirements (e.g. knowledge of the French language), to
apply for citizenship.

Q20c. Specific categories of legal migrants e.g. people with disabilities or people
in old age.

In view of their specific situation, certain categories of migrants are examined separately.
This includes applicants aged 60 and over, disabled applicants and those who have
rendered services to the Nation. Only criteria derogating from ordinary law will be
mentioned here.

Applicants aged 60 and over:

Given their age and the difficulties in accessing the labour market, the processing officials
may assess the stability of their situation in France in terms of their material autonomy
and the length of their stay on French territory.

Applicants with disabilities:

The degree of disability is established by the Committee on the Rights and Autonomy of
Disabled Persons. The applicable decision of this Committee must always be included in
the file. If this committee recognises the person concerned as being unable to pursue a
professional activity, it is possible in certain cases for the processing officer not to apply
the condition of being in receipt of professional income, regardless of the length of time
spent in France.

If the Commission does not recognise the individual as being unable to pursue a
professional activity, they may also produce, depending on the length of their residence in
France, proof that their living costs are covered by family members who are French (or
who are in the process of requesting citizenship) and that they are either seeking to
become independent (which will be assessed depending on the disability), taking on a
small activity (current or past), pursuing higher education, or receiving the disabled adult
allowance.

The Council of State considers that « the administrative authority cannot base a refusal of
an application for citizenship or a restoration of citizenship only on the existence of an
illness or a handicap or on the fact that the applicant has no other resources than the
disability living allowance as this would with high degree of certainty deprive persons in
such a situation from the possibility to obtain the French citizenship.” Therefore, the
refusal of citizenship based on the only fact that the applicant has no other resources than
the disability living allowance is illegal36.

These categories of persons are also exempt from producing documents attesting to the
level of knowledge of the French language (level B1). They must take part in a personal
interview to check whether they have the above-mentioned oral level B1. The same
applies to persons producing a certificate justifying a language level below level B1.
Services rendered to the Nation:

Applications from veterans of the French and Allied Forces may be treated benevolently
(as of spouses and/or widower/widows). The processing officer will assess any distinctions
that the applicant may hold and will take into account military citations and decorations,

36
CE 2° and 7° s-s-r., 11 May 2016, n° 389399, 389433.

Page 19 of 34
 particularly war titles, as well as membership of the Legion of Honour in the national
order of the Legion of Honour in a military capacity or the award of the military medal.

Outstanding services rendered to France:

The applicant who rendered or is likely to render outstanding services to France could be
exempted from the probationary condition (residence of five years).

Access to French citizenship through the special procedure of article 21-21 of

the Civil Code:

Requests from French-speaking applicants who, through their outstanding efforts,

contribute to France’s reputation and the prosperity of international economic relations
are examined with particular attention.

Citizenship acquisition requires a formal proposal from the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Q20d. Other groups that are significantly represented in your Member State
(e.g. stateless persons, minors, investors, citizens of neighbouring countries).

See Q 20a and Q20b for stateless persons.

With regard to minors, it should be stressed that you must be adult to acquire
citizenship37.

Applications can be submitted from the age of 16, but the naturalisation decree will only
be issued after the age of majority.

The naturalisation of a minor child who has remained a foreign national despite the fact
that one of their parents has acquired French citizenship may be requested. The child
must have resided in France with this parent for at least five years on the date of the
application.

France has not set up any other mechanisms for other categories.

37
Except article 21-22 of the Civil Code.

Page 20 of 34
Section 3: Procedural aspects for the acquisition of citizenship in the Member
State
Please note that, consistent with Section 2, the questions below again only refer to cases when the
primary grounds of acquisition of citizenship is through naturalisation based on a minimum period of
residence in the country (i.e. ‘ordinary naturalisation’, not the conditions and requirements in place for
second- or third-generation migrants and those migrants with special (e.g. ethnical or linguistic) ties to
the country).

Q21. Please briefly describe the procedure in place for third-country nationals to
obtain citizenship through ordinary naturalisation.

The naturalisation procedure is governed by the articles 35 and following of Decree No. 93-
1362 of 30 December 1993 (amended).

Applications for citizenship must be collected and submitted to the prefecture of the
applicant’s domicile or to the French consulate (if they reside abroad). The application
consists of a form and a set of supporting documents listed in articles 37 and 38 of the Decree
of 30 December 1993. A receipt is given to the applicant when the application is complete. The
receipt specifies the time limit within which the public authority must respond to the request
(articles 21-25-1 of the Civil Code). Subsequently, investigations into the applicant’s conduct
and loyalism will be conducted. To this end, the prefecture asks the police or gendarmerie for an
investigation. A prefectural official conducts an individual interview with the applicants to verify
their assimilation into French society.38

The Prefect himself may take the following decisions: decision of inadmissibility, adjournment
or rejection of the request.39 They may also express a proposal for a naturalisation by decree. In
both cases, the application is sent to the Minister in charge of naturalisations (Sub-Directorate of
Access to French Citizenship (Sous-direction de l'accès à la nationalité française, SDANF). In the
case of a naturalisation proposal, the Minister proceeds to a second control before taking a
decision.

If the application is inadmissible because the conditions for admissibility set by the law are not
met, the Prefect or the consulate will notify the applicants directly (either by directly giving it to
them or by post). If the conditions for admissibility are met, the Prefect may either express a
favourable opinion, reject or adjourn the request.

The naturalisation decree is issued by the Prime Minister after receiving the report of the Minister
responsible for naturalisations. The decree takes effect on the day of signature. It is from that
day that the applicant “enjoys all the rights and is bound by all the obligations attached to the
status of being French” (article 22 of the Civil Code). The acquisition of French citizenship has no
retroactive effect and must be published in the Official Journal. An extract from the decree and
the civil status certificates must be sent to the applicant.

Q21a. Are children automatically naturalised once their parents are granted
citizenship?
☒ Yes.
Article 22‐1 of the Civil Code allows a minor child to acquire French citizenship by benefiting
from the collective effect connected to the naturalisation of one of his or her parents. The
child’s age is assessed on the date of the decree of naturalisation of his or her parents. In

38
A new procedure for checking the integration of applicants replaces, on an experimental basis, the individual
assimilation interview with an interview with a committee specially created for this purpose. The decree of
30.08.2013 identifies the department(s) in which this committee will be created and determines its composition.
39
If the application was submitted to a French consulate, the consular authority must send the application to the
Minister for Foreign Affairs who provides an opinion and then sends it for a decision to the Minister responsible for
naturalisations.

Page 21 of 34
 addition, the following conditions must be met. First, parentage with respect to the acquiring
parent must be established. A child who has been the subject of either a straightforward
adoption or legal guardianship, for example under the Kafala regime, is excluded from the
benefit of the collective effect since these measures do not entail the creation of a parent-
child relationship. Secondly, only minor children with the same habitual residence as the
acquiring parent or who reside alternately with the acquiring parent in the event of
separation or divorce benefits from the collective effect. The provisions of this article do not
apply to married children.

Q22. What public authorities/agencies are involved in procedures for third-country

nationals’ acquisition of the citizenship of your Member State?
Please mention and describe their roles at each step of the process in order to identify the
authorities by which the application is introduced and those taking the decisions.
The administration of citizenship legislation is shared between the Ministry of Justice and the
Ministry of the Interior.

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the procedures concerning the attribution of citizenship
at birth (by filiation or double ius soli) as well as the acquisition of citizenship by reason of birth
and residence and declarations based on a presumption of status.
Persons who wish to prove their French citizenship can ask for a certificate of French citizenship.
These certificates of French citizenship are issued by the chief clerks of the local courts with
jurisdiction for nationality under the authority of the Minister of Justice.

The Ministry of the Interior has jurisdiction over the processing of applications for
naturalisations (by decree), declarations of citizenship based on marriage or on the reason of
being an ascendant or sibling of a French national. The individual assimilation interview is
conducted by a prefectural official. It may also be entrusted to a committee.

Q23. Are these procedures digitised? Can applications for citizenship be made online?
☒ No.
The application form for the acquisition of French citizenship by naturalisation or reintegration can
be downloaded online. The applicant must then submit the application to the prefecture and obtain
an appointment.

In 2015, 43 platforms for access to French citizenship were gradually rolled out to replace the
200-odd processing departments in prefectures and sub-prefectures. This roll-out had three main
objectives:

- to harmonise practices regarding the receipt and examination of applications for French
citizenship, with a view to ensuring equal treatment of all applicants in all parts of the country;

- to improve the capacity to process cases by pooling resources and skills, and increasing the
professionalism of staff;

- to strengthen the effectiveness how processing sites are managed, provided by the SDANF.

It should be noted that there is a plan to digitise the procedure for access to French citizenship in
full (the future ANF information system). The purpose of this is to simplify and facilitate the
procedure for the applicants, to eliminate the tedious tasks associated with handling and
processing paper files that are imposed by the current process, to design highly efficient processes,
and to make the application file visible as soon as it is submitted, thus providing a complete
overview of the processing chain, particularly stocks and processing times.

Page 22 of 34
 Q24. What documentation is required in order to submit the application (e.g.
passport, birth certificate) (in addition to the evidence reported to meet the
conditions set out in Section 2)?

The list of all documents is set out in the articles 37-1 and 38 of the Decree of 30 December
1993.

The following documents proving civil status and nationality must be provided, in addition to the
documents proving the financial resources and the level of language, as part of the citizenship
application:

- A full copy of the birth certificate;

- Documents relating to the dates, places of birth and, if necessary, marriage of the
parents;
- Documents providing information on all civil status events such as marriages and
divorces;
- Any document proving citizenship concerning the country of origin (for example, a
copy of the passport);
- If necessary, any document justifying a change of name.
The civil status documents must be original and, if necessary, be legalised or apostilled.

If the document is written in a foreign language, an original translation made by a certified

translator must be attached.

Furthermore, the applicant has to provide an extract from the criminal record obtained from the
competent authorities of the country/countries in which the applicant formerly resided. The
French authorities are responsible for obtaining the extract from the French criminal record.
Depending on the applicant’s situation, additional documents may be requested for the
examination of the application.

Q25. What is the legally prescribed maximum time period for the procedure, if
applicable, and how long do procedures take in practice? If the different stages of the
procedure have maximum time periods (e.g., registration, application, etc.) please
differentiate. Are certain types of cases prioritised or fast-tracked, and if so, which
ones?

Article 21-25-1 of the Civil Code provides for a processing period of 18 months from the date of
submission of all the documents necessary for the constitution of a complete file against which a
receipt is issued immediately. This period may be extended once for a further three months. For
foreign nationals who have resided in France for ten years, the period is reduced to twelve
months. However, failure to comply with the time limit set in article 21-25-1 of the Civil Code for
deciding on a citizenship acquisition does not affect the legality of the decision taken by the public
authority.40

In practice, the duration depends on the workload of the department in question, but on average
a procedure currently takes between one and two years.

In 2019 the average time for the taking of a favourable decision regarding citizenship beginning
from the date of receiving the receipt for filing the application until the publication of the
naturalisation decree was 315 days. The average time for a negative decision (for which the
prefectural authority of the applicant’s place of domicile is responsible) was 148 days.

40
CAA Nantes, 3 February 2006, 4th Chamber, 3 February 2006, 05NT00003.

Page 23 of 34
 Q26. What are the costs for the application for citizenship (in €)? Please note that this
excludes costs for the translation of documents, trainings for language proficiency,
etc. Please specify whether different costs apply to different grounds.

Since 1 January 2011, foreign nationals wishing to submit an application for citizenship
acquisition or reintegration to the prefecture must pay a tax stamp of 55 euros. Persons who
are genuinely indigent and recognised as unable to pay the amount are exempt from paying it.

Q27. Are there any other evidence requirements to be fulfilled for a final decision to
be taken on the citizenship application (in addition to those set out above, e.g.
language certificate)?

The file must contain the following documents:

- Cerfa form No.12753*02 completed, dated and signed (in duplicate);

- Two 35 x 45 mm passport photos, bareheaded, with the name, first name and date of birth
on the back;
- €55 tax stamp;
- Double-sided photocopy of a valid residence permit;
- Proof of civil status and nationality;
- Proof of residence and stay;
- Proof of income and taxes;
- Diploma or certificate justifying the level of knowledge of the French language;
- If the applicant is a veteran or legionnaire, status of services, decorations and citations
obtained;
- If the applicant has been living in France for fewer than ten years, the original foreign
criminal record or equivalent document. This must be issued by a competent authority
of the country or countries in which the applicant has lived, or failing that, the country
of their nationality. This document is not required if the applicant is a political refugee,
stateless or entered France before the age of 18.
- Relevant proof if the applicant lives with a partner;
- Proof if the applicant has already been married (divorced or widowed);
- Justifications if the applicant has dependent children.

Q28. To what extent is discretion an element of the procedure/decision-making

process? Is there absolute discretion or conditional discretion?41

The acquisition of citizenship by decree is subject to a discretionary decision by the authorities.

Even if the applicants fulfil the conditions of admissibility laid down in articles 21-15 et seq. of the
Civil Code, they do not have a right to be naturalised. The public authority takes the decision
after an assessment by verifying the interest of the application. However, this discretion towards
applicants that meet the requirements is not an arbitrary power. According to article 27 of the
Civil Code, all decisions of the public authority must be justified.

The administrative decisions may also be challenged before the administrative judge who has to
ensure even by taking into account the discretionary power of the administrative authority that it
did not made a manifest error of assessment.

Q29. What challenges if any have been experienced regarding the verification of the
identity of naturalisation applicants?
The greatest challenge faced by the French authorities is the reliability of foreign civil-status
documents.

41
Absolute discretion means that the state may leave authorities absolute discretion to grant naturalisation to
applicants, whether or not they meet the legal requirements. Conditional discretion means authorities only have limited
grounds to reject applicants who meet the legal requirements.

Page 24 of 34
 Q30. Is there a right of appeal or basis for legal challenge if citizenship is refused? If
yes, do the authorities have to provide information about the grounds for refusal?
☒ Yes.

Even if the granting of French citizenship by the public authority is a prerogative of public
power in accordance with the principles established by the Law of 11 July 1979 on express
motivation for administrative acts and the improvement of relations between the
administration and the public42, negative decisions concerning the acquisition of French
citizenship have to be motivated.

If the application is rejected or adjourned, the applicant has, based on article 45 of the decree
of 30 December 1993 (amended), the possibility, to the exclusion of any other remedy, two
months after notification of the decision to challenge it before the minister in charge of
citizenship acquisitions. This appeal has to present the reasons for which the re-examination of
the application is demanded and why it is a mandatory prerequisite for a contentious appeal
before the administrative judge; otherwise it is not valid.

In this regard, the Nantes Administrative Court has sole jurisdiction to hear disputes relating
to decisions on applications for citizenship43, regardless of the place of residence of the
applicant (article R. 312-18 of the Code of Administrative Justice).

The Nantes Administrative Court of Appeal (CAA)44 hears appeals lodged before it by
applicants or by the Minister. Finally, the Council of State judges the very few appeals in
cassation brought against the CAA judgements.

Q31. What are the most common grounds for a negative citizenship application
decision? If possible, please list the top 5 reasons. Grounds could include insufficient
language skills, insufficient period of residence, criminal record, and unestablished identity.

The most common reasons given are on the one hand reasons of moral and on the other hand
insufficient resources relating, in particular, to an insufficient labour market integration.

Q32. Does your Member State organise a citizenship ceremony? If yes, is participation
in such a ceremony mandatory or voluntary?
☒ Yes.
The welcoming ceremony in French citizenship is extended to all new French citizens, regardless
of how they have acquired French citizenship45.

The French citizenship ceremony - a kind of "republican rite" - is intended for people who have
become French and reside in the department concerned. It is organised by the Prefect and, in
Paris, by the Prefect of Police. Members of Parliament and Senators from the department are
invited to attend. The organisation of this ceremony may also be entrusted to mayors who
request it from the Prefect. In practice, many municipalities organise this type of ceremony at a
pace that takes into account the number of naturalisations. The aspects related to the
organisation of the citizenship welcoming ceremony are set out in articles 21-28 and 21-29 of
the Civil Code. On the occasion of this ceremony, the Charter of Rights and Duties of the French
Citizen is presented to the new French citizens.

All persons acquiring French citizenship, with the exception of those who have made a
declaration on the basis of articles 27-7 and 21-13 of the Civil Code (persons with French

42
Law n° 79-587 of 11 July 1979 on express motivation for administrative acts and the improvement of relations
between the administration and the public,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000518372&categorieLien=cid
43
Owing to the relocation of the Sub-Directorate for Access to French Nationality (SDANF) in charge of these decisions.
44
Idem.
45
Except article 21-7 and 21-13 of the Civil Code.

Page 25 of 34
 citizenship due to the presumption of status), must therefore be invited to a welcoming
ceremony to French citizenship. However, participation is not mandatory.

See also Q14.

Support provided during the application process

Q33. Does your Member States provide information and/ or encourages third-country
nationals to consider applying for citizenship?
☒ No.
Civic training for new arrivals includes information on access to citizenship. This information is not
an incentive but information that is provided at an early stage upon arrival in France.

The only obligation to provide information concerns young foreign nationals (who were born in
France and have resided in France for at least five years) who wish to file an early application for
French citizenship (article 21-11 of the Civil Code).

Q34. Is governmental support provided to applicants during the application

process?46 Have any good practices been identified in your Member State?
☒ No.
Free French courses to obtain the B1 language level are organised by the French Office for
Immigration and Integration (OFII).

Q35. Does your Member State organise, support or finance integration measures
(classes, training, etc.) to facilitate the acquisition of citizenship? If yes, please
specify whether these are prescribed by law.
☒ Yes.

French classes in order to obtain level A1 are prescribed to foreign nationals who are newly
arrived. They can continue with free classes aiming for level A2, then B1 which is required for the
acquisition of the French citizenship.

Civic training classes are also attended by newly arrived foreign nationals. These classes provide
them the basic knowledge and the values required for the assimilation which is verified when
accessing citizenship.

46
For the purpose of this study, only support under the control of the state should be included here (e.g. websites,
telephone hotline), i.e. support by NGOs or private service providers is excluded unless contracted by the state.

Page 26 of 34
Section 4: Dual citizenship

Q36. Is the third-country national required to renounce his/her other citizenship in

order to acquire or hold citizenship in your Member State? This question links to
Statistical Annex 1.4. If your answer is 'no' (i.e. dual citizenship is possible), kindly provide
national data on dual citizenship as requested.
☐ Yes.

☒ No.
☐ Other.
France does not make naturalisation conditional on the loss of a previous citizenship.

France has revoked Chapter I of the Council of Europe Convention on the Reduction of Cases of
Multiple Nationality and Military Obligations in Cases of Multiple Nationality of 6 May 196347. This
revocation took effect on 5 March 2009.

Q37. Is the requirement to renounce dependent on the person’s other citizenship and
are there exemptions from this requirement, for example for third-country nationals
from third countries that do not allow a renunciation of citizenship?

N/A

Q38. Are there any particular requirements that third-country nationals have to fulfil
if they want to acquire or hold the citizenship of your Member State while keeping
their other one(s)? If so, which requirements?

N/A
Under article 21-27-1 of the Civil Code, after the acquisition of the French citizenship, the
applicants must only inform the competent authority of the citizenship or citizenships they
already hold, the citizenship or citizenships they are retaining in addition to the French one, and
the citizenship or citizenships they intend to renounce.

Q39. Are there any particular restrictions placed on third-country nationals who hold
dual citizenship? Does dual citizenship confer fewer rights? (e.g. access to specific
types of employment)
☒ No.
France makes no distinction between people holding dual citizenship and other French people in
terms of rights and duties of citizenship. However, it is possible that dual-nationals can be
deprived of French citizenship if they have been convicted of terrorism and did not obtain French
citizenship at birth.

Q40. If your Member State allows dual /multiple citizenships, have there been any
particular benefits or challenges that this policy has brought?
☒ No.

47
Convention on the Reduction of Cases of Multiple Nationality and on Military Obligations in Cases of Multiple
Nationality, https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-/conventions/rms/090000168006b659

Page 27 of 34
Section 5: Citizenship and integration

Q41. How does the integration policy of your Member State address the acquisition of
citizenship? Is citizenship addressed in your national integration strategy/action
plan?
☒ Yes.
In France, naturalisation is considered to be the culmination of the integration process. Access
routes to citizenship are mentioned in the civic education for new arrivals.

Q42. Is there any evidence, e.g., from research or evaluation, indicating that the
acquisition of citizenship facilitates integration, in particular on the labour market?
In France, there have been no studies or evaluations on the consequences of the acquisition of
French citizenship on integration.

The studies that exist are more likely to address the integration of new arrivals. These include:

- In 2010, the Longitudinal Survey of the Integration of First-Time Arrivals (Enquête

Longitudinale sur l'Intégration des Primo-Arrivants) known as the ELIPA survey, which aims
to understand the integration pathways of people holding a first residence permit and who
wish to settle in France on a long-term basis. Carried out by the Department of Statistics,
Studies and Documentation (DSED) of the General Directorate for Foreign Nationals in
France (DGEF) within the Ministry of the Interior, the survey aims to monitor the paths of
new migrants in four areas: administrative procedures, labour market integration, acquisition
of the French language and living conditions (housing, social relations, etc.).
It initially followed a cohort of 6,000 migrants for three years: people were interviewed after
obtaining their residence permit in 2010, then re-interviewed one year and three years later,
in 2011 and 2013.
A new ELIPA survey began in the first half of 2019. Its purpose is to provide a better picture
of foreign nationals who have recently arrived in France or have been regularised, their
backgrounds and the conditions under which they settled. It also aims to monitor the
integration process of these immigrants and to evaluate the reception system that was
recently set up through the republican integration contracts.
It will make it possible to study how migrants adapt to life in France, provide information on
factors that may help or hinder their integration, and thus inform public authorities and
social partners on these issues. The survey will also provide elements for evaluating the
recently implemented reception system and how well it meets the needs of migrants.

- The “Trajectory and Origins” (TeO) survey was carried out in 2008 and 2009 by Ined and
INSEE. This is a structural socio-demographic survey, which makes it possible to assess the
characteristics of a population as a whole (in this case, immigrants and their descendants).
The survey collects information on the nature of the residence permit upon arrival in France.
TeO is the only source of this type currently in existence, making it possible to identify
beneficiaries of international protection, more precisely, persons who were able to enter
France for this reason. An analysis of the origins of refugees and their fluency in French,
using this source, was published by the DSED in 2015.

However, there are studies that focus more particularly on the question of the determinants in
favour of the acquisition of French citizenship.
Thus, in 2016 the DSED of the DGEF (Ministry of the Interior) published two studies on the
acquisition of French citizenship: “Les acquisitions de la nationalité française de 1945 à nos
jours” (Infos Migrations No.84, May 2016) and “L'acquisition de la nationalité française des
immigrés: quels déterminants” (Infos Migrations No. 85, June 2016).

The first study shows that “the evolution of the acquisition of French citizenship depends on the
one hand on the different migratory flows with a time lag and on the other hand on the reforms
carried out in this field. There have been many such reforms in recent decades. While
acquisitions by decree were in the vast majority until the early 1980s, the proportion of
acquisitions by marriage has since increased. New French citizens are slightly more likely to be

Page 28 of 34
 women. They acquire French citizenship more frequently by marriage, while men are slightly
more likely to acquire citizenship by decree or anticipated declaration. Most new French citizens
were European in origin between 1945 and 1973, then diversified considerably from the 1980s
onwards.

The second study states that “for an immigrant obtaining French citizenship depends on a large
number of factors of which the most important stem from strong ties with France, which are
most often forged from an early age. New French citizens frequently arrived in the country at a
young age, attended school in France or married a French citizen. The significant proportion of
refugees who have become French can be explained by specific factors.”

Q43. What are the main differences and new rights and duties between being a
citizen of your country compared to holding a permanent or long-term residence
permit? Please elaborate on the following aspects:

According to article 22 of the Civil Code, persons who have acquired French citizenship enjoy
all the rights and are bound by all the obligations attached to the status of French citizens from
the day of acquisition.

Q43a. Participation in regional or national elections.

Foreign nationals who have acquired French citizenship have the right to vote and stand for
election and may be registered on the electoral roll.

Q43b. Access to certain types of employment (jobs that are only open to citizens of
your country).
Foreign nationals who have acquired French citizenship can become officials in public service
(the recruitment is carried out by a competitive examination) and be employed in a lasting
way by the State, regional authorities or hospitals. Apart from French nationals, only
European Union nationals are allowed to do these jobs but they are not be given access to
jobs entailing involvement in the exercise of sovereign power. Foreign nationals have access
to these jobs (teachers, doctors, local government officials - except jobs in connection with
the exercise of sovereign power) not as permanent officials (fonctionnaires titulaires) but as
contract agents.

Q43c. Other differences / advantages, such as social and economic rights (social
security, benefits, allowances, etc.)?
One obligation upon persons who have become French between the ages of 16 and 25
through naturalisation is the obligation to be registered (article L. 113-3 of the National
Service Code48). The registration is an essential step in order to be eligible to take exams or
competitions.

Foreign Nationals who have become French must also contribute to the national defence.

Social benefits and access to social security are not reserved for French citizens only. Foreign
nationals are also eligible for benefits if they are legally present on the territory and if they
have contributed. For certain benefits a certain number of years of legal residence is
demanded for foreign nationals (between five and ten years depending the case). In general
the foreign nationals who are applying for French citizenship are already fulfilling the
condition of duration of stay when they are acquiring French citizenship.

Q44. What support is given once citizenship has been granted to support the new
citizen in their role as a citizen (e.g. information sessions organised at a local level,
other information material)? Are there good practices in place in your Member State?
No assistance is provided once citizenship has been granted. The acquisition of citizenship is
considered as the end of the integration process rather than as a step within it.

48
National Service Code, https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCode.do?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006071335

Page 29 of 34
Q45. With the acquisition of national citizenship there is also the acquisition of EU
citizenship which confers rights such as the freedom to move or reside within the
territory of the EU or the right to vote for and stand as a candidate in the European
Parliament and municipal elections. What information or other support measures (if
any) are given in your country to allow new citizens to enact their role as EU citizens
(e.g. signposting to information material on the rights and responsibilities of EU
citizens or specific, tailored information)? Is this different / additional to information
provided to all citizens on their rights and responsibilities as EU citizens?
The civic training provided to new arrivals as part of the French integration process contains in
particular elements concerning French institutions, the values of the Republic (freedom,
equality, fraternity, secularism, the rule of law, etc.), the exercise of citizenship and the rights
and duties related to life in France, and also France's participation in the EU.
In France, there is no specific training on the rights and duties as a European citizen for
citizens in general. This point is, nevertheless, covered in the film on access to citizenship.

Q46. Are there any indications (e.g. in reports, studies or statistics) that acquisition
of citizenship facilitates mobility to other Member States and/or mobility or longer-
term migration to non-EU countries?
☒ No.

Page 30 of 34
Section 6: Conclusions and lessons learned

In 2018, more than 110,000 foreign nationals acquired French citizenship, a decrease of 3.7% compared
to 2017: while acquisitions of citizenship by decree fell by 15%, those by declaration (by marriage,
ascendants and siblings, etc.) increased by 12%.

Generally speaking, the legislation on citizenship has been stable in France for several years,
although recent regulatory amendments since 2011 have enabled modifications, in particular, the
requirement for sufficient knowledge of the French language, to define the rights and duties of French
citizens, and to create interdepartmental naturalisation platforms designed to harmonise practices and
ensure greater equality in access to French nationality; to pool resources to strengthen the capacity to
examine applications and professionalise teams and to facilitate the management of a regional network.

This study on the acquisition of French citizenship by decree, mainly because of the length of residence in
France, highlights the main conditions for obtaining French citizenship, including a five-year period
of habitual residence in France (with some exceptions), stable income from French sources, sufficient
knowledge of the French language, assimilation into the French community and knowledge of the rights
and duties granted by French citizenship.

The procedure for applying for citizenship is structured around the following stages: receipt of the
application by the naturalisation platforms responsible for processing applications for naturalisation (and
declarations), verification of the completeness of the file, safety investigations in order to verify the
applicant’s behaviour and loyalty, an assimilation interview during which the competent department
checks if the applicant has sufficient knowledge of French history, culture and society and as well
knowledge of the rights and duties of the French citizen. The applicant’s adherence to the essential
principles and values of the French Republic is also verified. The decision to grant or not French
citizenship by decree is a matter for the competent authorities to decide, although this is not an arbitrary
power.

The main challenges identified concern the long processing times due to the workload of the relevant
departments and the reliability of foreign civil status documents.

In France, naturalisation is considered to be the culmination of the integration process. Although

France does not encourage third-country nationals to apply for French citizenship, a personalised French
integration programme is offered to newcomers upon their arrival in France, with civic training, language
training and training to promote social and labour market integration. This French integration process
includes useful elements relating to the acquisition of French citizenship.

To acknowledge a foreign national’s integration into the national community, it seemed essential
that this event be highlighted by a solemn and symbolic ceremony to mark the acquisition of the French
citizenship. This ceremony to welcome French citizens is organised in each department by the Prefect
in the presence of elected officials within six months after the citizenship acquisition. The Charter of the
Rights and Duties of the French Citizen is given to all new French citizens on this occasion.

Page 31 of 34
ANNEX 1: LIST OF INTERVIEWS AND CONTRIBUTIONS

The interviews and questionnaires were carried out between October and December 2019 by
EMN France.

Ministry of the Interior

General Directorate for Foreign Nationals in France, Reception,

Support for Foreign Nationals and Citizenship Directorate (DAAEN)

- Agnès FONTANA, Director

- Julie Le GOFF, policy officer for the Director

Sub-Directorate of Access to French Citizenship (SDANF)

- Jean-Luc GUILLEMOTO, Director

Page 32 of 34
ANNEX 2: BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. International Treaties

- Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, 1961,

https://www.unhcr.org/ibelong/wp-content/uploads/1961-Convention-on-the-
reduction-of-Statelessness_ENG.pdf
- European Convention on Nationality,
https://www.unhcr.org/protection/statelessness/451790842/european-convention-
nationality.html
- Convention on the Reduction of Cases of Multiple Nationality and on Military Obligations
in Cases of Multiple Nationality, https://www.coe.int/en/web/conventions/full-list/-
/conventions/rms/090000168006b659

2. French Legislation

• Codes, Laws and Decrees

- Civil Code,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCode.do?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006070721
- Decree No. 93-1362 of 30 December 1993 on declarations of citizenship, decisions on
naturalisation, reintegration, loss, forfeiture and withdrawal of French citizenship,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000699753
- National Service Code,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichCode.do?cidTexte=LEGITEXT000006071335
- Law No. 98-170 of 16 March 1998 on nationality,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000754536&date
Texte=20200116
- Law No.2003-1119 of 26 November 2003 on immigration control, residence of foreign
nationals and nationality,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000795635&date
Texte=20200116,
- Law No. 2006-911 of 24 July 2006 on immigration and integration,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000266495&date
Texte=20190927
- Law No. 2009-526 of 12 May 2009 on simplifying and clarifying the law and
streamlining procedures,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000020604162
- Law No. 2011-672 of 16 June 2011 on immigration, integration and nationality,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000024191380&date
Texte=20200116
- Law No. 2015-1776 of 28 December 2015 on adapting society to the ageing,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000031700731
- Law No. 2016-274 of 7 March 2016 on the rights of foreign nationals in France,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000032164264&date
Texte=20200116
- Decree No. 2011-1265 of 11 October 2011 on the level of knowledge of the French
language required of applicants for French citizenship under articles 21-2 and 21-24 of
the Civil Code and its assessment procedures,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000024659084atego
rieLien=id
- Decree No. 2011-1266 of 11 October 2011 on the creation of a quality label entitled
“French as a language of integration”
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000024659119atego
rieLien=id
- Decree No. 2018-593 of 9 July 2018 repealing Decree No. 2011-1266 of 11 October
2011 on a label for learning the French language

Page 33 of 34
 https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000037171545atego
rieLien=id
- Decree No. 2016-872 of 29 June 2016 on the procedures for receiving and examining
declarations of citizenship signed pursuant to Articles 21-2, 21-13-1 or 21-13-2 of the
Civil Code,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000032796529atego
rieLien=id
- Decree No. 2013-794 of 30 August 2013 amending Decree No. 93-1362 of 30
December 1993 on declarations of nationality, decisions on naturalisation,
reintegration, loss, forfeiture and withdrawal of French nationality,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000027914456atego
rieLien=id
- Decree No. 2012-127 of 30 January 2012 approving the Charter of the Rights and
Duties of French Citizens provided for in article 21-24 of the Civil Code,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000025241393atego
rieLien=id
- Law n° 79-587 of 11 July 1979 on express motivation for administrative acts and the
improvement of relations between the administration and the public,
https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/affichTexte.do?cidTexte=JORFTEXT000000518372&cate
gorieLien=cid

3. French Case Law

- CE, 25 April 1990, No. 89678

- CE, 26 February 1988, No. 70584
- CE, 2 November 1992, No. 117862
- CE, 28 February 1986
- CE, 25 July 1985: gas. Pal. 1986. 1. Somm.157
- CE 2° and 7° s-s-r., 11 May 2016, n° 389399, 389433
- CAA Nantes, 3 February 2006, 4th Chamber, 3 February 2006, 05NT00003

4. Literature

- R. Baubock and S. Wallace Goodman, 2011, EUDO Citizenship Policy Brief n°2,
Naturalisation, http://eudo-citizenship.eu/docs/policy_brief_naturalisation.pdf
- Jault-Seseke, Corneloup et Barbou des Places, 2015, Droit de la nationalité et des
étrangers, Thémis droit, puf.

Page 34 of 34
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