What documents must be provided to obtain French nationality by marriage?

Text Version

What form should I fill out? 

You must complete the cerfa form n°15277 in 2 copies. Do not forget any of the sections in the form. It must be filled in in full. Don’t forget to date and sign it, you and your spouse. The form is available on Service-Public.fr.

What documents need to be provided regardless of my situation? 

You must prepare:

• 2 recent ID photos. On the back, enter your first name, surname and date of birth
• 1 copy of a recent proof of domicile. For example, a recent electricity, water, or landline bill

• 1 electronic tax stamp of 55 €
• 1 double-sided copy of your valid residence permit or, if you are a European citizen not required to hold a residence permit, your valid passport

What is the proof for my marital status and my marriage? 

You must provide:

• Your original birth certificate
• Your original marriage certificate of less than 3 months

• If your marriage was celebrated abroad, 1 copy of its transcript on the French consular registers, issued less than 3 months ago and proving a marriage contracted for 4 years or more
• In the case of previous marriages, marriage certificates and any documents justifying their dissolution. For example, 1 copy of the divorce judgment or 1 death certificate of the previous spouse.

What if I have children?

You must provide the birth certificates of your children, both adults and minors, born before or after your marriage.

What are the proof of my husband's French nationality (e)?

You must provide one of the following:

• The original birth certificate of your spouse if he or she was born in France to 2 parents born in France,
• or 1 copy of his or her birth certificate stating that he or she is a French national,
• or 1 court decision stating that he or she is a French national,
• or any document issued by the French authorities indicating that he or she has acquired French nationality,
• or 1 certificate of French nationality.

How do we prove we've been living together since we got married?

You must provide:

• All documents proving that you live together. For example, the opinion of the family allowance fund, 1 common tax notice or the birth certificates of your common children.
• And any recent documents to your 2 names indicating your current address. For example, 1 recent electricity, water or landline bill, 1 recent bank attestation of a joint account.

Be careful, if you have been married for less than 5 years, you must also provide:

• 1 proof of regular and uninterrupted residence in France for at least 3 years since the marriage. For example, your residence permits, receipts for applications for residence permits or asylum applications, your provisional residence permit.

• If you have resided abroad, 1 certificate of registration of your French spouse in the register of French persons established outside France.

What are the justifications for my level in French?

You must provide a diploma or certificate proving that you have the oral and written B1 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CERL).

Are there any particular situations?

Yeah. Yeah. For example, if you have been living in France for less than 10 years, you must also provide an original foreigners criminal record extract or equivalent document from the country or countries where you have resided, unless you are a refugee.

Should originals or copies of requested documents be provided?

A civil status document must be provided in full and in original in the language of the country of origin. A French civil status certificate must have been issued less than 3 months ago. You can provide copies of the requested documents except for civil status records. However, you should be able to present the originals of the documents if necessary.

Do I need to translate the documents?

Yeah. Yeah. You must attach a French translation of any document written in another language. The translation must be done by a certified translator. It is the translator who informs you of his deadlines and prices. You can consult the list of approved translators on the website of the Court of Cassation.

In addition, some foreigner documents may need to be legalized or apostilled. This is used to authenticate the document. Ask at the embassy or consulate of your country of origin.

Where can I find a summary of the documents to be provided?

A simulator allows you to have a customized list of documents to provide. The simulator is available on Service-Public.fr.

How and to whom should I send my file?

You have to go to the platform for access to French nationality, which depends on where you live.

Depending on the platform, the file must be submitted or sent by registered mail with acknowledgement of receipt. If your request is to be sent by mail, add a stamped envelope to your file at your address and a blank 500-gram "followed" letter.

An interactive map is available on Service-Public.fr to have the contact details of your platform. If you need information to build your case, you can contact her.

Can I be asked for more documents after I submit my file?

Yes, depending on your situation, the training department may ask you for additional documents and set a deadline for providing them. If you do not provide the requested documents within the deadline, your file may be closed without further action. That means it's not being studied.