French Citizenship By Marriage

Foreigners may apply to become French citizens either by declaration (claiming citizenship as they are legally entitled to it) or by decree (applying for citizenship), provided they fulfil eligibility and documentation requirements.

French citizenship by birth, marriage, or ascendancy comes under the declaration route, while French citizenship by naturalisation is obtained by decree.

If you are a foreign national married to a French citizen, you may apply to become a French citizen yourself by declaration if you meet certain specific conditions, which may vary depending on how long you have been married to your French citizen spouse and how long you have been residing (or have resided in the past) in France with them. The citizenship application process will also vary slightly depending on whether you are currently living in France or abroad.

Page Contents

• Overview of French Citizenship by Marriage
• Eligibility Conditions for French Citizenship by Marriage
• Document Requirements for French Citizenship by Marriage
• Application Process for French Citizenship by Marriage
• Citizenship by Marriage Application Review
• How Can Total Law Help?
• FAQs

A foreign national married to a French citizen may apply to become a French citizen by declaration if:

• Their spouse was already a French citizen on the date of their marriage and have retained their French citizenship since
• They have been married for at least:
  • Four years and resided in France for a minimum of three years since their marriage without interruption, or
  • Four years and lived outside France, with the French spouse registered on the consular registers as a French citizen living abroad, or
  • Five years if neither of the above residency conditions is met
• Their marriage took place in France. If married abroad, the marriage must have been transcribed to the French civil registration system
• They have a valid residence permit (titre de séjour) if living in France at the time of their application unless they are an EEA or Swiss citizen
• They do not have had an expulsion or have a current prohibition of French territory (ITF) order
• They continue the community of life with their French spouse (apart from a case of domestic violence)
• They have sufficient knowledge of the French language, at least equal to CEFR B1 level
• They do not have a criminal record in France, having never been:
  • Sentenced to at least six months imprisonment without suspension
  • Convicted of a criminal offence, or an offence constituting an infringement of the country’s fundamental interests, or an act of terrorism

Any period of irregular residence in the country before the required four or five-year period will not be counted towards fulfilling your residency requirement. The residence period will be counted backwards from the date of your citizenship application.

To apply for French citizenship by marriage, you must submit the following documents:

• Two copies of completed Cerfa form n°15277, dated and signed by both you and your French citizen spouse
• Two recent photos
• An electronic tax stamp of €55
• Identity proof, e.g. your passport or residence permit (titre de séjour)
• Proof of residence with your full name and address, e.g. utility bills or rental agreement for the last three months, property deed etc.
• Original marriage certificate
• Documents proving your and/or your spouse’s previous marriages were legally dissolved, if applicable
• Birth or adoption certificates of your children
• Evidence of your French citizen spouse’s nationality, such as original birth certificate, a court decision recognising them as a French national, certificate of French nationality, or any other documents issued by the French authorities confirming their French nationality
• Proof that you have been living together since marriage, e.g. joint tax notices, recent utility bills mentioning both your and your spouse’s full names, recent bank statement of an active joint account etc.
• Proof of your legal and uninterrupted residence in France for at least three years since marriage, e.g. a valid residence permit, employment contracts etc. (not required if you are married for five years or more)
• Certificate of registration of your French spouse in the register of French nationals living abroad for the period you have been living together outside France (not required if you are married for five years or more)
• Certificate or diploma proving your knowledge of the French language (or a certificate confirming that you cannot take a language assessment due to a medical condition)
• No criminal record certificate for France, and for any other country where you resided for more than six months in the previous 10 years (note: applicants with a refugee or stateless person status will not be required to submit the no criminal record certificate for their home country)
• Your passport or Schengen visa if you are a non-EU national and travelled to any of the EU Member States from outside the Schengen area for less than three months during the preceding five years

All documents must be submitted in original, and all your supporting evidence must be in French. In case they are not, you will need to provide certified translated copies.

The above list is not exhaustive by any means. The French authorities may ask for additional documents depending on your situation so you may wish to reach out to an immigration expert for assistance on what exact paperwork is needed for a successful application.

Post your interview, your platform authorities will review your application and supporting information, and your declaration of French nationality will be registered if you meet all the conditions to become a French citizen. They may also send your file to the Ministry of Interior with comments for further review within six months from your date of interview.

If you are applying from outside France, the concerned French embassy/consulate will forward your file along with their comments to the ministry within six months.

If your application is accepted, your local prefecture (or embassy/consulate for applicants abroad) will provide you with a copy of your declaration of French nationality by marriage. Please preserve this document as proof of your nationality and proceed to ask for a national identity card and/or a French passport.

The authorities may take up to a year to refuse to register your declaration or two years if they want to initiate a procedure opposing your acquisition of French nationality.