Eligibility quiz
Was at least one of your parents born in France?
Benefits
Benefits for youBenefits for you
French passport and ID
French citizens can have a French passport and identity card to prove their nationality and travel abroad.
Entry rules for the destination still apply.
Live in France for life
French citizens can enter, live in and return to France without a visa or residence permit.
They do not need a job, health insurance or a set amount of money to live there.
Study in France
French citizens can study in France under the same rules as other French nationals.
Citizenship alone does not guarantee a place or a grant.
Work in France
French citizens can work in France, including in jobs reserved for French nationals.
Citizenship alone does not guarantee a job.
Get help abroad
French embassies and consulates can help with lost documents, arrest, illness, serious accidents, crime and other emergencies.
If France has no usable representation outside the EU, you can seek help from another EU country's embassy or consulate.
French help may be limited in the country of your other citizenship.
Vote and run for office
French citizens can vote from age 18 in French elections and referendums and stand for public office if they meet the conditions.
Registration to vote may be needed.
Citizens living abroad can vote in presidential, legislative, European and consular elections and referendums.
Use public healthcare
French citizens can use the French healthcare system when they live or work in France or are otherwise covered.
Citizenship alone does not guarantee healthcare payments or French health cover while living abroad.
Use social support
French citizens can use public services and social support in France under the same rules as other French nationals.
Each payment or service has its own conditions.
How to apply
Applying from inside FranceApplying from inside France
Find your court
Find the court that handles French nationality certificates for the place where you live.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “Which court handles French nationality certificate applications for residents of your city, France?”
Download the application form
Download the French nationality certificate application form, Cerfa 16237*02, and its guidance notes.
Download the formFill in the form
Fill in, date and sign the form for the person applying, explaining that they and a parent were born in France. Give an email address or say on the form that you cannot access email.
Find form guidanceSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I fill in the French nationality certificate application form in France?”
Gather your documents
Prepare the required documents for the court.
See required documentsMail your application
Mail the signed form and supporting documents to the court for the place where you live. You can also hand them in at the court, bringing the originals; the application is free.
Searches DuckDuckGo for “What is the address of the court handling French nationality certificate applications for residents of your city, France?”
Wait for the decision
Wait for the court to decide and send or hand in any extra documents it requests by its deadline. Contact the court if you want to ask about your application.
Find court contact detailsSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I contact the court handling my French nationality certificate application in France?”
Receive your certificate
Receive your French nationality certificate when the court approves your request. You can use it to prove your nationality when applying for a French passport.
Find certificate guidanceSearches DuckDuckGo for “How do I receive my French nationality certificate after applying in France?”
Documents needed
Family certificates and recordsFamily certificates and records
Birth certificates
Get an original full copy of your birth certificate and an original full copy of the birth certificate of your parent who was born in France. Ask the town halls where you and your parent were born.
Proof of parentage *
Provide records showing your relationship to your parent born in France, such as full civil-status records, a recognition record, a marriage certificate or a family record book. If you were adopted, include the adoption decision where it establishes the relationship.
* Only if your birth certificates do not establish your relationship to your parent.
May need translationMay need apostille/legalisationConsiderations
Things to think aboutThings to think about
National service registration
French citizens living in France must register for national service at 16.
Those who become French citizens between 16 and 25 must register within one month.
Registration leads to a defence and citizenship day, with exemptions or adjustments in some cases.
Citizenship can be lost
An adult who normally lives abroad and voluntarily gains another citizenship can declare the loss of French citizenship within the prescribed period.
Citizenship can also be lost if a challenge to the original entitlement succeeds.
Some people who gained French citizenship and have another citizenship can be stripped of it for exceptionally serious acts, depending on their circumstances and when the acts occurred.
Discuss
Online communitiesOnline communities
Nationalité Naturalisation française
French Facebook group for people interested in French citizenship
Join on FacebookTOUT TYPE DE DOSSIER 🇲🇬🇫🇷: Nationalité,visa court ou long séjour…
French Facebook group for people interested in French citizenship and visas
Join on FacebookApplying for French Nationality, Titre de Séjour and Carte de Résident
Facebook group for people interested in French citizenship and visas (English & French)
Join on FacebookConsultation
Talk to a professionalTalk to a professional
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