French Naturalization by Decree

One video explains the conditions to be fulfilled to obtain french nationality by naturalization:

Age

You must be major.

You can submit your application from the age of 17. If your application is accepted, you will be naturalized from the age of 18.

Naturalization may be granted to a minor child who has remained a foreigner even though one of his parents has become a Frenchman. However, the child must have resided in France with that parent for 5 years before the application for naturalization was filed.

Place of residence

You can be naturalized by decree provided you fulfill one of them the following conditions:

• You carry out a public or private professional activity on behalf of the French State or an organization whose activity is of particular interest to the French economy or culture
• You live in Monaco
• You are doing your national service or are engaged in regular training of the French army
• You're a national service volunteer

If you meet any of these conditions, your spouse and your minor children who live with you must also meet them.

Regularity of stay

You must have a valid residence permit at the time of filing your application.

However, you don't need it if you are European (EEA) or Swiss.

You must not have been expulsion order or a prohibition of French territory still in force.

Assimilation to the French community

You must prove your assimilation to the French community, in particular as follows:

• You have to agree with the principles and core values of the Republic
• You must have knowledge about the story, the cultivation and the French business

The citizen's book indicates the knowledge required.

You can download this booklet or consult it at the reception of the prefectures.

Knowledge of French

You must show proof of a sufficient knowledge of the French language.

Professional Insertion

Employability is an essential condition for assimilation and integration in France.

Employability means that you must have stable and sufficient incomes to support yourself and your tax shelter.

Morality and lack of criminal convictions

You must be good people.

This includes that you must not have committed any acts contrary to public order.

The application for naturalization costs €55.

Payment is made at the consulate.

Documents to be provided

One video explains the documents to be provided:

You can use a simulator to get the custom list of documents to be provided :

What documents are required for my naturalization file?

Prepare them subsequent documents to build your case (be careful, if the 2 members of a couple want to apply for naturalization, they must constitute 2 folders):

• Form cerfa no. 12753 in 2 copies, completed, dated and signed
  Please see the enclosed information leaflet before filling out the form.
• Tax stamp of €55 (except in the case of an application made abroad)
• Duplex copy of your residence permit valid, unless you are a Swiss national or a national of European State (EU/EEA)
• 2 photos identity format 35 x 45 mm, bare head. Enter your name, first name and date of birth on the back
• Official document of identity (passport or residence permit)
• Proof of your civil status and nationality
• Proof of your domicile
• Proof of your resources and taxes
• Diploma or certificate justifying your level of knowledge of French
• Supporting documents if you live as a couple
• Supporting documents if you have already been married (divorce or widowhood)
• Supporting documents if you have minor children
• If you are veteran or legionnaire, status of services, decorations and quotations obtained
• If you have lived in France for less than 10 years, original extract of foreigner criminal record or equivalent document. It must be issued by a competent authority of the country or countries in which you have lived, or failing that, of the country of your nationality.
  This document is not required if you are a political refugee, stateless or if you entered France before you were 18 years old.
• If you are a national of a non-EU country European (EU) and that you went into the Schengen area from a State not included in this space for a period of less than 3 months during the 5 years preceding the filing of your application, provide your passport or any equivalent document (e.g. a Schengen visa), and those of your minor children who could become French by their majority

If you wish, you can complete your request with information that you feel is of particular interest. Provide this information on free paper. For example, your participation in associative life in France.

One receipt is issued to you when you have provided all the requested documents.

Francization of surname and/or first name

To facilitate your integration, you can request francization of your surname and/or first names when you apply for acquisition of French nationality.

Instructions on the documents to be provided

Civil status record

One civil status document must be supplied in full and in original in the language of the country of origin.

A French civil status certificate must have been issued less than 3 months ago.

Copy or original of a document

You can provide copies of the requested documents except for civil status records.

However, you should be able to present the originals of the documents if necessary.

A copy of a foreigner act shall be accompanied, if necessary, by a copy of the decision in implementation of which it has been drawn up, rectified or amended.

Translation

You must attach a translation of each document written in a foreign language.

You must provide the original translation.

The translation must be done by a translator on the list of experts approved by the courts of appeal.

However, translation is not required for a multilingual birth certificate extract one of whose languages is French.

In addition, to avoid having to translate some documents issued by a the European Union, one multilingual form can be attached.

See the e-justice site for more information.

Legalization or Apostille

Certain documents established abroad must be legalized or apostilles to be accepted in France.

Inquire at the embassy or consulate of the country concerned.

You must file your application for naturalization with a French consulate.

If your situation changes after the receipt is issued, you must notify the department that received your request.

For example, if your family or work situation has changed, or if you have changed your address.

You must complete the change of situation declaration attached to the form cerfa no. 12753.

Attach the supporting documents.

Application for acquisition of French nationality by naturalization or reintegration

The declaration of change of situation is to be sent to the naturalization platform that received your application.

You will be issued a receipt for the deposit of the documents.

You're summoned to a maintenance to check your assimilation to the French community.

To prepare for this interview, you can download the citizen's book.

You must bring the originals the documents necessary for the examination of your application.

At the end of the interview, you must sign the charter of rights and duties of french citizens.

The administration has Maximum 18 months from the issuance of the receipt to respond to an application for naturalization or reintegration into French nationality.

This period shall be reduced to 12 months when you prove that you have been habitually resident in France for at least 10 years on the date of delivery of the receipt.

Response times may be extended once for a period of 3 months.

In this case, the administration must provide reasons for its decision, i.e. explain why it needs more time to respond.

You receive a mail to inform you of your registration in the naturalization decree, after its publication in the Official Journal.

The Naturalization Decree shall take effect on the date of its signature.

Your children unmarried minors who usually reside with you also become French if their name is mentioned in the naturalization decree.

The minority of the child shall be assessed at the date of signature of the decree.

The administration can make a decision unfavorable if your request is inadmissible or untimely.

The decision of the administration should be reasoned.

Your request is inadmissible if the conditions laid down by law are not fulfilled. If the grounds for inadmissibility disappear, you can make a new application.

Your request is untimely if acquisition of French nationality is not, or not yet, possible: your application may be refused or postponed (postponed). In the event of a postponement, a deadline is imposed, for example to allow you to improve your integration into the labor market. Once this time has passed, you can make a new application.

The unfavorable decision is yours notified by registered mail with AR: titleContent or during a summons to the consulate.

You have a deadline of 2 months from notification of the unfavorable decision to file an administrative appeal (hierarchical appeal) to the minister responsible for naturalization.

If you receive a negative response, or in the absence of a reply within 4 months from the date of receipt of your appeal, you have a period of 2 months to make a litigation before the administrative court of Nantes.

The time limit runs from the notification of the negative decision (if no reply is received, see theAR: titleContent of your administrative appeal to know how and when to appeal).

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