France
ISO2: FR
French citizenship by residence (naturalisation par décret): minimum residence, qualifying legal stay, documents, submission workflow, and official sources.
Passport
Citizenship by residence
- Minimum years of residence
- 5.0
- Requires permanent residence
- No
- Last updated
- Feb. 15, 2026
- Notes
- General rule: 5 years of habitual residence in France immediately before filing (condition de stage). Legal basis: Code civil art. 21-17. Reduced residence to 2 years in specific cases (Code civil art. 21-18), including: (1) successful completion of 2 years of higher education in France leading to a French degree; (2) ability/talent enabling important services to France; (3) exceptional integration (also listed on Service-Public). No minimum residence required in certain situations (Service-Public), including refugees, specific francophone situations, and certain military/service-to-France cases. No permanent (10-year) resident card is required as such; however you must have a valid residence permit (titre de séjour) at filing unless you are an EU/EEA/Swiss national. Process is dematerialized: access-to-nationality-by-decree requests are filed online via the Ministry of Interior platform (ANEF). Integration checks include an interview in prefecture; from 01/01/2026 the Ministry indicates (i) a civic exam (QCM) and (ii) a raised French language requirement to at least B2 oral + written. Keep lawful residence and the center of life (interests/family/professional) in France through the decision stage.
- Dual citizenship
-
Dual citizenship: Allowed
Renunciation required: No
- Notes for dual citizenship
- France allows multiple nationalities. In general, France does not require renunciation when acquiring French nationality.
Qualifying residence permits
Carte de résident (10-year resident card)
Counts; often strong evidence of stable lawful residence, but not strictly required for naturalisation.
Counts
Carte de résident longue durée – UE (EU long-term resident)
Counts; lawful residence status.
Counts
Carte de séjour pluriannuelle
Counts; must remain in regular status through the procedure.
Counts
Carte de séjour temporaire (worker/family/private & family life etc.)
Counts if stay is regular and residence is habitual/continuous in France. Valid titre de séjour required at filing unless EU/EEA/Swiss.
Counts
EU/EEA/Swiss national (no titre de séjour required)
No titre de séjour required at filing per Service-Public, but you must prove habitual/continuous residence in France.
Counts
Passeport Talent / Talent Passport (various categories)
Counts if residence is habitual and continuous.
Counts
Refugee / protected person status
Counts; additionally, Service-Public indicates no minimum residence duration is required for refugees.
Counts
Short-stay visa / tourist stay
Does not count for the citizenship clock; not considered stable regular residence for a naturalisation file.
Doesn’t count
Student residence permit (étudiant)
Can count if residence is regular and habitual; eligibility may be assessed on “center of interests” and integration in France.
Counts
Visitor permit (visiteur)
Can count if residence is regular and habitual; must meet resources/integration expectations for naturalisation.
Counts
Required documents
| Document | Mandatory | Notes |
|---|---|---|
|
Birth certificate
Original birth certificate; foreign-issued documents typically need legalization/apostille and certified Italian translation.
|
Mandatory | Civil-status documents; foreign documents may require legalization/apostille and certified translation per official rules. |
|
Civic exam pass attestation (from 01/01/2026)
Attestation proving success at the naturalisation civic exam implemented from 01/01/2026, per Ministry of Interior information.
|
Mandatory | Ministry of Interior indicates a civic exam from 01/01/2026; attach proof of success if required in your workflow. |
|
Copy of passport / ID
Identity document copy (passport bio page or equivalent).
|
Mandatory | Identity document (passport or equivalent). |
|
Copy of residence permit / EU residence registration
Current permesso di soggiorno or EU residence registration certificate.
|
Mandatory | Service-Public: valid titre de séjour required at filing, except EU/EEA/Swiss nationals. |
|
French language proof (B2 from 01/01/2026)
Diploma or recognized test attestation proving at least B2 oral and written, per Ministry of Interior information effective 01/01/2026 (subject to official exemptions).
|
Mandatory | Ministry of Interior indicates B2 (oral + written) required from 01/01/2026; provide recognized proof or exemption evidence if applicable. |
|
Proof of domicile (France)
Utility bill, rental contract + quittance, attestation d’hébergement and supporting documents, as applicable.
|
Mandatory | Service-Public: provide domicile evidence per accepted list for your situation. |
|
Proof of resources and taxes (France)
Evidence of stable/sufficient resources and tax situation (e.g., avis d’impôt, pay slips, employment contract, etc.).
|
Mandatory | Service-Public: provide resources and tax documents showing stable/sufficient means. |
|
Tax stamp (timbre fiscal) payment proof (€55)
Proof of payment of the 55€ stamp duty required for a nationality request (rates can vary in special territories).
|
Mandatory | Stamp duty for a nationality request is 55€ in the general case (see Service-Public). |
|
Foreign criminal record certificate(s)
If residing in France for less than 10 years, provide original foreign police clearance(s) per Service-Public (exceptions for protected refugees/apatrides for country of origin).
|
Optional | Service-Public: required if you have lived in France for less than 10 years (with specific exceptions for refugees/apatrides for country of origin). |
|
French naturalisation application form (Cerfa 12753)
Cerfa form used when a paper filing is used; online filing uses the digital form, but the Cerfa remains a reference document in practice.
|
Optional | Service-Public lists Cerfa for paper filing; online filing uses the dematerialized form. Keep as backup/reference if requested. |
|
Identity photos (35x45 mm)
Photos may be required in some workflows (especially paper filings); follow prefecture/online instructions.
|
Optional | Sometimes required (notably for paper filings); follow the platform/prefecture instructions. |
Submission offices
ANEF – Accès à la nationalité française par décret (dépôt en ligne)
Online
Since 06/02/2023, access-to-nationality-by-decree applications are filed online via the Ministry of Interior platform (ANEF).
Centre de Contact Citoyens – Nationalité française (help for online filing / follow-up)
Online
Official contact point referenced by Service-Public for help with online filing and dossier follow-up.
Préfecture / Plateforme d’accès à la nationalité française (service naturalisations)
Immigration Authority
Local prefecture platform processes the file and schedules the assimilation interview once the dossier is complete; practical instructions vary by department.
Official sources
France Diplomatie – Chemin d’un dossier de naturalisation par décret
Government
High-level official overview of the dossier path (online deposit and administrative processing).
fr
Ministère de l’Intérieur – Demande d’accès à la nationalité désormais en ligne (06/02/2023)
Government
Official announcement that decree-based access to nationality is filed online via the Ministry platform since 06/02/2023.
fr
Ministère de l’Intérieur – Procédures d’accès à la nationalité (B2 + examen civique from 01/01/2026, interview)
Government
Official procedural page describing interview stage and the 01/01/2026 changes (civic exam; language level raised to B2 oral and written).
fr
Service-Public – Naturalisation française par décret (conditions, exceptions, documents)
Government
Primary official guide: 5-year rule, 2-year reductions, cases with no minimum, valid titre de séjour requirement (except EU/EEA/Swiss), and document categories.
fr
Service-Public – Simulateur documents naturalisation
Government
Official simulator to generate a tailored document checklist based on situation (verified 30/01/2026).
fr
Code civil – Article 21-17 (5-year habitual residence rule)
Law / Regulation
Legal basis for the 5-year “condition de stage” (habitual residence during the 5 years preceding filing), subject to exceptions.
fr
Code civil – Article 21-18 (reduction to 2 years)
Law / Regulation
Legal basis for reduced stage to 2 years in listed cases (higher education in France, important services/talents, etc.).
fr
Latest ranking snapshot
As of Feb. 22, 2026
- Travel freedom185.00
- Residency rights31.00
- Quality of life169.80
- Economic freedom64.40
- Tax friendliness20.00
Methodology (as of 2026-02-22): composite ranking uses weighted, min-max normalized scores across (1) Travel freedom 25% from Henley Passport Index 2026 (visa-free/visa-on-arrival count), (2) Economic freedom 25% from Heritage Index of Economic Freedom 2025 (overall score), (3) Residency rights 20% proxy based on free-movement blocs (EU+EEA+Switzerland highest; Mercosur medium; others baseline), (4) Disposable income after taxes 20% from Numbeo Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax), USD, (5) Quality of life 5% from Numbeo Quality of Life Index 2026, (6) Tax friendliness 5% from Nomad Passport Index (Taxation column only). Raw indicator values are stored in this table; composite scoring is computed externally.