Table of Contents
There are several ways to obtain the French nationality : by blood, by birth, by naturalization, by marriage or by possession of status. A distinction is made between obtaining nationality by attribution or by acquisition. Nationality is the legal link between an individual and his state. In order to have French nationality, it comes a series of obligations, such as national service, and contributing to national defense and cohesion. But it also provides a range of rights, including political, civil and even professional.
Nationality by attribution
The “Droit du sang”
Is French any child whose at least one of the two parents is French.
The “Droit du sol”
A child born in France to a foreign parent himself born in France is French by birth.
Nationality by acquisition
The “Droit du sol”
A child born in France to foreign parents born abroad acquires French nationality automatically at the age of majority (“droit du sol différé”). To do so, he has to have his usual residence in France for a continuous or discontinuous period of at least five years since the age of 11, and he must reside in France on that date. Before the age of 18, he can acquire French nationality at the request of his parents (between the ages of 13 and 16) or at his own request (between the ages of 16 and 18), subject to conditions of residence in France. Finally, it is also possible to obtain French nationality at the age of majority for people who have been living in France since the age of 6 and who have completed their compulsory schooling when they have a brother or sister who has acquired French nationality.
Naturalization
A foreigner who has reached the age of majority may apply for naturalization if he has resided on French soil for at least five years. The administration decides on a discretionary basis, and can refuse naturalization even if the conditions are met. However, if the applicant has successfully completed two years of study in a French higher education establishment or if he has rendered important services to France, the length of residence may be reduced to two years. In each of these situations, the foreigner must prove his “assimilation into the French community” during an individual interview. His knowledge of the French language, the rights and duties conferred by French nationality, and the history and culture of French society are evaluated. The applicant must also adhere to the essential principles and values of the Republic. Moreover, at the end of the individual interview, the applicant signs the Charter of Rights and Duties of French Citizens. It is also required to demonstrate good moral character and not to have been convicted of any offence that would prevent the acquisition of French nationality.
Marriage
If the foreigner has been married to a French spouse for at least four years and can prove a real affective and material community of life, since the law of July 24, 2006 on immigration and integration, he can apply to acquire French nationality by declaration. This period is extended to five years when the applicant cannot prove that he has resided without interruption for at least three years in France and from the date of marriage or, in the event of residence abroad, when his French spouse was not registered in the register of French people living outside France. Again, a sufficient command of the French language is required. The applicant must not have committed a crime or offense constituting an attack on the fundamental interests of the Nation or a terrorist act, and not have been criminally convicted.
Status possession
Any person who has been considered for at least ten years as French citizen, that is to say having enjoyed French nationality through possession of status, can obtain French nationality.
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