Apply for French Nationality/Citizenship STEP-BY-STEP: Your Dossier & Paperwork
Essential Reading
FrenchEntrée digital editor Zoë Smith takes you through the long process of applying for French Nationality (Citizenship) – step by step.
In the third of this article series, we’ll go over the paperwork required for a French citizenship application and how to put together your dossier.
If you missed the first two articles in the series, you can find them here:
Apply for French Nationality/Citizenship STEP-BY-STEP: Eligibility and Requirements
Apply for French Nationality/Citizenship STEP-BY-STEP: Application Process & Timeline
What paperwork do I need to apply for French citizenship?
If you’ve been living in France for a while now, then you’ll know that most official procedures require submitting a “dossier” – a collection of documents relevant to your personal situation – and that this can often be quite substantial. French citizenship is pretty much the highest level of administrative request you can make, so naturally, the paperwork required is quite extensive.
You’ll be required to submit personal documents, such as birth, marriage and divorce certificates for yourself, your parents, and your children; professional documents showing your income and work situation; tax documents proving that you are up to date with all payments; criminal record checks; a French language test; proof of your living situation, such as home ownership or a rental contract; and potentially other financial documents. It’s quite a long list!
Do I really need to provide all of these documents?!
If you’re scanning the list of documents for the first time, the first question that comes to mind is probably, “Do I really need all of these documents?!”. Unfortunately, the answer is yes; you will need to provide every single one of the documents asked for at the application stage (note, however, that these documents are different depending on your personal situation, so don’t use the list provided by a friend or even the one provided in this article – we explain how to get your personal list below).
The important thing to note is that you won’t be able to apply online without providing all of the required documents, so you should assemble your dossier before you start your online application. If, for some reason, you can’t provide a particular document, you will still need to present a viable alternative. Even if you manage to submit your application without including a certain document, you will almost certainly be asked for it later (and requests for further documentation will slow down the already long application process), so my advice is to make sure you submit everything (and double check it!) at the initial application stage.
How to prepare your dossier for the French Citizenship application
It can be easy to get overwhelmed with the sheer number of documents required, so my advice is to take it step by step and leave yourself plenty of time to get your dossier together. If you haven’t already, read my previous article on the Application Process & Timeline, which offers plenty of tips for getting organised.
Find out exactly which documents are required
Next, you need to acquire the list of documents required. It’s important to note that this list of documents is unique to your situation, so don’t just go off the list provided here or a friends’ list (I’m going to keep repeating this because it’s important!!). Thankfully, the government have provided a handy simulator that will provide a list of the documents required:
Find out what documents you need here
Make sure you answer all of the sections honestly, as different documents will be required based on your personal and professional situation, how long you’ve been in France, and other things.
Once you have your list, which will resemble the example shown below, I suggest going through and making sure you understand what each document is and how you can source them – this might take some time. I suggest highlighting any documents that require sourcing from your country of origin as well as any documents that require translation, as these will take the longest to acquire.
FAQ: Do my documents have to be issued within three months?
Yes, mostly. As with most French administrative processes, it’s important that all of your documents are recent and up-to-date. The list of requirements clearly states that all “acte d’état civil français” – French state documents such as birth, marriage/divorce, and death certificates must be issued within three months of the date you submit your application. This is also true of your justificatif de domicile (proof of address, such as a recent electricity bill). Many other documents asked for will be the “last three”; for example, you may be asked for your last three pay slips – so this also implies that the documents must be recent.
For overseas documents, a timeframe isn’t stipulated, probably because there is an understanding that different countries operate differently – some may require application in person, and others may not even list the date of issue on such documents. However, it’s still best practice, where possible, to source these documents as close as you can to the application date. For example, my own (British) documents and their translations were all under three months old when I submitted my application – just in case!
One important exception is your certificate of French language (we’ll talk about this in more detail in another article) – the standard TCF (test de connaissance du français) is valid for two years.
The big takeaway from this is that, aside from the language exam, there is generally little point in sourcing documents if you aren’t planning to make the application within the next three months. That said, it’s never too early to start planning, and it’s still worth finding out how long certain documents take to source from your home country as soon as possible.
FAQ: How do I source overseas documents?
The process of requesting birth certificates, marriage certificates, or criminal records will be different depending on your country of origin. Where possible, I’ve included details of the procedure for sourcing UK and US documents in this article, but for other countries, please contact the embassy or consulate in question for more information.
Make sure you understand the kind of document required – for example, birth certificates should include the full details of both parents (in the UK, this is not the original birth certificate you will have been issued at birth and must be officially requested), and some overseas documents may need to be legalised or apostilled.
FAQ: Which documents do I need to translate into French?
If you are from a non-EU country, then almost all documents written in English or another language other than French will need to be translated. This must be done by an official translator, and you must have the originals (these will be required both for the translation and at the interview stage).
How to Get Documents Officially Translated in France
The official rules state that “A document written in a foreign language must be accompanied by its translation by an approved or authorised translator, except for a multilingual extract of a birth certificate in which one of the languages is French.”
However, a multilingual form can be attached to avoid having to translate certain documents issued by a State of the European Union – you can find out more about that here.
FAQ: Will any other documents be required?
Yes, probably. Note that while this list will be sufficient for the initial application, it doesn’t guarantee that you won’t be asked for any other documents later. However, if required, this is likely to be a few extra supporting documents rather than another long list!
As a general rule, assume that the authorities will want to know about all of your legal and financial activity. So, for example, you may need to present proof of previous marriages, additional rental or investment income, or proof of any benefits that you receive.
What documents are required for a French Nationality application?
To give you an idea of the kind of documents that you will need to submit, I ran a simulation here for a woman who has lived in France for between 5-10 years, who is married to a non-French husband with two non-French children and who changed her name upon marriage. She is a joint homeowner with her husband and runs a micro-entrepreneur business. Let’s go through all the documents she would be required to submit.
REMEMBER!
As previously stated, remember that the list of required documents depends on your personal circumstances, so PLEASE DO NOT use this list, even if you are in the same situation – I’ve provided this as a reference only. You can run your own simulation here.
Required documents
The required documents have been split up into five different sections.
Vous – personal documents
- Photocopie d’un document officiel d’identité (par exemple, Passeport), l’original devra être présenté à l’entretien – a photocopy of your ID, for example, your passport (you must present the original at the interview stage). This may need to be accompanied by a certified translation if it is a non-EU document and isn’t in French – my own UK passport did not need to be translated as it is written in both English and French.
- Timbre fiscal électronique “Accès à la nationalité française” de 55 € (sauf en cas de demande faite à l’étranger) – a Fiscal stamp for the amount of €55, which is the administrative fee for your nationality application. You can purchase that here and you’ll be issued a code to fill in on your application.
- Copie de votre titre de séjour valide (recto-verso), l’original devra être présenté à l’entretien – front and back copies of your current Titre de séjour residency card (you must present the original at the interview stage).
Votre situation familiale (vous devez produire les originaux des documents)
– family documents – these must be the originals, which means you may have to ask your parents for their documents or apply for additional documents in their name from your/their country of origin. If relevant, divorce or death certificates of your parents will also be requested, so it’s a good idea to also source these if required.
- Copie intégrale en original de votre acte de naissance. Il doit indiquer vos nom, prénom(s), date et lieu de naissance ainsi que ceux de votre père et votre mère – an original copy of your full birth certificate, which must indicate your full name, date and place of birth as well as that of both of your parents.UK citizens should note that what is considered an “original” birth certificate in the UK is not sufficient as it doesn’t include the full details of your parents. You will need to request the full-length birth certificate from the General Register Office. For US citizens, you should apply to the Vital Records Office in the state or territory where you were born.Read our article Birth Certificates in France: What You Need to Know.You will need to officially translate this document if it is issued by a non-EU country in a language other than French.
- Document justifiant de la date et du lieu de naissance de votre père et votre mère et de leur mariage s’ils sont mariés – documents showing the date and place of birth of your father and mother, along with their marriage certificate if they are married. Again, these will need to be the full-length birth certificates, accompanied by a marriage, divorce, or civil agreement certificate.You will need to officially translate these documents if they are issued by a non-EU country in a language other than French.
- Copie intégrale de votre acte de mariage actuel – your marriage certificate.You will need to officially translate this/these document(s) if issued by a non-EU country in a language other than French.
- Copie de l’autorisation d’entrée en France de votre mari/femme – Copy of your husband’s entry permit to France. For example, a photocopy of their passport showing their original visa with which they entered France and the original entry stamp. (Note that while you may have been issued other temporary visas or stamps while visiting France prior to moving, the important one is the long-stay visa and entry date when your partner first became resident in France.)
- Copie du titre de séjour valide ou de la carte nationale d’identité de votre mari ou de votre femme (recto-verso) – a front and back copy of your husband’s titre de séjour residency permit or their national ID card if they are an EU citizen.
- Extrait original de casier judiciaire étranger ou document équivalent, délivré par une autorité compétente de tous les pays où vous avez résidé au cours des 10 dernières années. Si vous ne pouvez pas fournir ces documents, vous devez joindre un extrait de casier judiciaire du pays dont vous avez la nationalité. – A criminal record certificate or equiviliant issued by every country that you have lived in over the past ten years. If this is not possible, a criminal record from your country of nationality.If you have been in France for more than ten years, you will only need to submit a French criminal record check – this can be done online here. I submitted both a French criminal record and a UK one, which I had to apply for via email from ACRO, the UK Criminal Records Office here. US citizens will need to submit a written request to the CJIS Division – find out more here.You will need to officially translate this document if it is issued by a non-EU country in a language other than French.
- Copie intégrale de l’acte de naissance de chaque enfant – an original full copy of the birth certificate of each of your children.You will need to officially translate these documents if they are issued by a non-EU country in a language other than French.
- Copie de la décision autorisant l’entrée en France de chaque enfant qui vous a rejoint par regroupement familial – copy of each of your children’s entry permit to France. For example, a photocopy of their passport showing their original visa with which they entered France and the original entry stamp. (This won’t be required if the children were born in France).
- Certificat de scolarité récent de chaque enfant scolarisé – school certificates for each child of school age (from three years old).
- ⚠ Si vous avez été précédemment marié(e), divorcé(e) ou Pacsé(e), joindre tous les documents relatifs à ces unions – If you have been previously married and divorced, you will also need to provide these certificates, too.You will need to officially translate this/these document(s) if issued by a non-EU country in a language other than French.
Votre domicile (vous pouvez produire des photocopies des documents) – Your home
- Acte de propriété de votre domicile délivré par un notaire – your certificate of home ownership delivered by a French notaire.
Vos ressources (vous pouvez produire des photocopies des documents) – Your income
- Avis d’imposition ou Avis de situation déclarative à l’impôt sur le revenu (Asdir, remplaçant l’avis de non-imposition) des 3 dernières années – your past three French tax notices.
- Bordereau de situation fiscale P237 portant sur les 3 dernières années – an official tax document that confirms that you have paid all relevant taxes over the past three years. This will need to be requested from the tax office via your personal space at impots.gouv.fr.
- Extrait de l’immatriculation au Registre du commerce ou au registre des métiers – the official registration document of your business.
- Justificatif des ressources des 3 dernières années ou relevé de carrière – proof of earnings for the past three years.
- Copie des déclarations URSSAF pour les 12 derniers mois (mensuelles ou trimestrielles) – proof of your URSSAF declarations or “chiffres d’affaire” for the past 12 months.
Votre niveau de connaissance de la langue française (vous pouvez produire des photocopies des documents)
– proof of your French language skills. Note that there is also the possibility to skip this step if you have a medical reason (proof will be required) or if you have undertaken higher education studies to a degree level in French.
- Attestation à un test linguistique (dématérialisée, imprimée et de moins de 2 ans) justifiant le niveau B1 oral et écrit – Certificate of a language test (dematerialized, printed and less than 2 years old) justifying level B1 oral and written. This should be one of the two following exams, either a TCF or TEF test – we’ll go over these in more detail in the next article.Attestation de réussite du test de connaissance du français (TCF) délivré par France Éducation International
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Attestation de réussite du test d’évaluation du français (TEF) de la chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris (CCIP)
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Disclaimer: Our Essential Reading articles are designed to give an overview of the visa requirements and procedures for moving to France. We always check our information against the official government information made available to the public, however, please remember that all visa and nationality applications are considered on an individual basis and the exact requirements, fees, or application procedure may vary. Unless you are an EU citizen, obtaining a French visa is not a right, and we cannot guarantee that your visa will be approved.
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