Apply for French Nationality/Citizenship STEP-BY-STEP: Application Process & Timeline

The million-dollar question is how long does it take to get French nationality, and the truth is that there is no one answer. The average time from submitting your initial online application and your name being officially inscribed in the Journal Officiel seems to be around two years. However, some applicants have reported the application process taking up to four years in total, while others have received their citizenship within 18 months.

The defining factors tend to be your dossier – if additional paperwork or documentation is requested, this may slow down your application – and, most importantly, the prefecture that is processing your application. Remember that your application will be processed by your local prefecture (you unfortunately can’t choose to apply to a different prefecture unless you move to that department!), and every prefecture is different. The number of staff working on applications, the number of applicants to process at any given time, and many other factors can affect processing times.

How can I find out more?

Because of the huge variation in processing times between prefectures, we advise you not to base your expectations on the experiences of other applicants unless they have applied recently at the same prefecture. If you really want to get an idea of processing times, the best way is to contact local expat/immigrant groups in your department, where you may find others willing to share their experiences. Even in this instance, though, it’s important to remember that each application is processed differently – processing times can change from year to year and from applicant to applicant, so take this as a very rough guide only.

How can I speed up my application?

Unfortunately, there isn’t really any way to speed up your application, so the best advice is to lower your expectations and be patient! For example, I filed my application with the expectation that it would take a minimum of two years but probably more like three. I’m now just over one year in and have just completed my interview, but because I set my expectations low, I’ve found myself pleasantly surprised with how “quick” it was! I’ve now been told to expect an answer within 12 to 18 months, so that will fall right within my expected timeline.

Although there’s nothing you can do to speed up the process itself, you can save a lot of time and hassle by carefully planning and preparing for each step. Use our guide below to ensure that you aren’t wasting time waiting for documents, correcting errors or sourcing additional paperwork. All of these things could add months onto your application process.

Once you’ve determined that you are eligible for French citizenship, it’s time to start the application process. Your initial application is made online, and you will need to provide a substantial collection of documents, including official translations and proof of your French language level. As with all French administration processes, these documents all need to be sourced within a set timeframe, and you must account for the time required to source the documents from your home country and carry out any required translations.

The following timeline is based on my own experiences and describes the various steps required, along with my tips for when and in what order to carry them out. However, please remember that your situation may vary from mine – you may require more or less steps than me. The following is intended as a guideline only.

1. Acquire the list of required documents

When: as soon as possible

Every application requires a long list of documents that will need to be included in your “dossier”. This list will vary depending on your circumstances, so the first step is to head over to the official page here and fill in all your details – once you have, you’ll be given a comprehensive list of all the required documents for your particular situation. Make sure to answer honestly, as you’ll need different documents depending on whether you’re married, a parent, a home-owner, an employee or business owner, etc. I recommend doing this as soon as possible so that you know exactly what you will need to proceed.

We’ll go over this dossier and some of the required documents in more detail in another article, but for now, I suggest going through the list carefully and making sure that you understand each item that is required. Look up anything that you aren’t sure about, and highlight and shortlist any items that you need to source from your home country  (e.g. original birth certificates, parents’ marriage certificate, or a criminal record) as well as any documents that will need translating into French. These documents will require time to apply for, receive, and translate.

Remember: you will not be able to apply online without providing all of these documents, so I recommend getting everything together before you start your online application. Don’t assume you can “get away” with not providing anything on this list.

2.  Take your language exam

When: three to six months before making your application

While there are some exceptions, most applicants will need to sit an official French language exam, known as a test de connaissance du français (TCF), prior to applying for nationality. There are plenty of test centres where you can sit the exam, but the exams can fill up quickly, so I recommend checking the dates as soon as possible. You will probably need to book your exam at least a month in advance (and possibly up to six months in advance at very busy centres), and you may also wish to undertake preparatory lessons prior to sitting the exam, so account for this in your planning too.

Note that once you have passed your exam, your certificate will be valid for two years – if you don’t submit your application within this time period, you will need to resit the exam.

We’ll cover the exam itself in another article.

3. Apply for foreign documents

When: one to three months before making your application

This step will vary greatly depending on the required documents and the country in which you are applying, so I advise checking this as soon as possible and applying in accordance with the official advice. For example, I applied for birth certificates, marriage certificates, and a criminal record from the UK, and it took me about month to receive all the documents.

Note that most official documents in France are expected to be under six months old at the time of application, so it’s also not advisable to apply for these too far in advance.

4. Translate documents

When: two weeks to one month before making your application

Once you have received your foreign documents, you will also need to send them off to be translated by an official translator. Most translators understand the timely nature of such translations, so you can expect a turnaround of anything from one week to a month, depending on how busy they are. To account for this, I recommend contacting a translator in advance to request a quote and book a timeslot in advance – this is especially important over holiday periods. I contacted two translators for quotes around the same time that I sent off for my foreign documents, which meant I was able to ensure a quick turnaround of the translations once the documents arrived.

5. Prepare your dossier

When: at least a week before making your application

While your documents are being translated, take the time to source all of your remaining documents, especially time-sensitive paperwork such as your last payslips or proof of address. Save everything to a folder as PDF or jpg files, and clearly label each file so you can easily identify them (with so many documents, it’s easy to get confused!). Double-check everything before you file your application.

6. File your application online

When: once you have all your documents ready

Once you have everything together, set aside at least a couple of hours to file your online application here and attach all the documents. Make sure you check everything (you can also save your application and check it again the next day) before you hit send! We’ll go through the online application in more detail in another article.

7. Confirmation of your dossier

When: anything from six months to a year after your application

Every application is processed at different speeds, so be patient. After sending your application, you will be able to view the process of your application in your personal space, but it may simply say “demande déposée” for a long period of time before you see any updates!

If extra documents are required, you will be issued a “demande de complément”, which happened to me after about eight months after my initial application. I then had two months to send these off, after which I received a “récépissé de complétude” confirming that my dossier was complete. The same day, I received notification of my interview date.

NOTE: You should be notified by email or text when you receive updates on your application, but I’ve heard reports of these emails not arriving, so it’s a good idea to check your account periodically, just in case. In particular, once you have received your récépissé de complétude, you should expect to be issued an interview date soon afterwards – it’s worth checking your account regularly at this point if you haven’t heard.

8. Interview

When: about eight months to 18 months after your application

The next major step in the application process is an in-person interview at your local prefecture, known as an entretien d’assimilation. This is arguably the most important step in the process, when you’ll complete your dossier with a representative, be asked questions about French history, geography, politics, and current events, and have the opportunity to prove your integration into French life and culture. We’ll cover this interview in more detail in another article, but my advice is to give yourself at least a month to study beforehand – if your knowledge of France is minimal, you might even want to start improving your knowledge straight away.

Once your dossier is complete, you will be issued a “convocation entretien d’assimilation” with a date and time for your interview. You do not get to choose this date, and it’s highly recommended that you make yourself available. However, in exceptional circumstances, you can request to change the appointment once.

There is no official timeline for receiving your interview, but most people seem to receive their convocation within about one year to 18 months after applying.

9. Home/police visit

When: anytime before or after your interview date

Some applicants will also receive either a home visit from the local police or a request to visit the local police station. This seems to vary greatly depending from commune to commune, with some applicants not having to undertake this step at all. It is generally more common for those applying for nationality through marriage, but it can equally apply to other applicants, so it’s something to be aware of. Typically, these visits seem to take place in the weeks preceding or following your interview.

10.  Approval

When: within a year to 18 months after your interview date

After your interview, your dossier will pass through various stages of verification before a final decision is issued. While there is no official timeline for this, most applicants report receiving an answer within 12 to 18 months after their interview at the prefecture.

If your application has been successful, you will be informed by email from the Sous-direction de l’accès à la nationalité française (SDANF) of your registration in the Journal Officiel and you name will also be added to the liste électorale. Most naturalised citizens are invited to an official ceremony when you’ll receive your certificate of naturalisation. Once you are registered in the official journal, you can apply for a French ID card or passport.

If you’ve received an unfavourable decision, you’ll likely hear earlier. In this instance, there are two options – either you will receive an “irrecevable” decision, which means that you haven’t met the legal terms of the nationality application (this generally can’t be appealed unless the issue in question is rectified), or an “inopportune” decision, which means your request has either been refusée/rejetée (refused/rejected) or reportée/ajournée (postponed/adjourned). In the case of a postponement, you may be given a deadline by which to provide proof of a change/improvement in your situation (language, integration, professional situation, etc).