French Citizenship by Birth (Jus Soli) for Americans

Eligibility Conditions for Applicants Aged 13-15

If you are aged 13-15 and were born in France to American parents, you can apply to become a French citizen by birth if:

• You have resided in France continuously since the age of eight
• You are residing in France at the time of your citizenship application
• You consent to become a French national and have the mental and physical capacity to do so

Eligibility Conditions for Applicants Aged 16-17

If you are aged 16-17 and were born in France to US national parents, you can apply to become a French citizen if:

• You have resided in France continuously for a period of at least five years since the age of 11
• You are residing in France at the time of your application
• You consent to become a French national and have the mental and physical capacity to do so

Eligibility Conditions for Adult Applicants (18 Years or Over)

Foreign nationals aged 18 years or more will automatically become French citizens if:

• They have had their habitual residence in France for a period of at least five years, with or without interruption, since the age of 11
• They have been residing in France when they have turned 18
• Their parents are not foreign diplomats or consular staff

To file an application to acquire French citizenship, supporting documents must be submitted to prove eligibility. French authorities reserve the right to request further documents during the application processing period, but as standard the following should be supplied:

• Two copies of a declaration of French nationality, mentioning the name, surname, date of birth and place of birth of the applicant (and their representative, if applicable), signed and dated by parent(s) or a legal guardian/representative on behalf of the applicant if aged between 13-15 years, or by the applicant themselves if aged above 15
• A valid birth certificate for the applicant
• Applicant’s identity document, e.g., a passport or residence permit
• Recent photos
• Birth certificates of the child’s biological or adoptive parents
• A valid identity document for each French parent (usually a passport or valid residence permit), where applicable
• A valid foreign identity document or residence permit for each foreign parent
• Documents proving that the applicant resides in France on the date of declaration
• Documents proving the applicant’s continued residency in France for the mandatory period per their age group
• Proof that the legal representative of a child applicant has parental authority, e.g., birth certificate or adoption certificate
• A medical certificate confirming the child applicant’s physical and mental capacity to voluntarily ask for citizenship

If the applicant has children of their own residing with them, birth certificates and added proof (e.g., documents proving the parentage of the children etc.) must be submitted.

For applicants aged 18 or above, they will automatically become French citizens if they meet the specific criteria per their age group, and no citizenship application will be required.

However, they will have to apply for a certificate of French nationality after turning 18, for which they must present evidence of residing in France regularly for a period of five years from the age of 11.

There is no fee associated with an application for French citizenship by birth, but indirect costs are likely to be incurred from the compilation and submission of documentation. These costs are the responsibility of the applicant.

If documents are in anything other than the French language, they must have a translation attached. This must be an original translation provided by a translator officiated by the French courts.

In case of multilingual documents, no translation is required if they are partially in French. For any documents issued by a European Union state, a multilingual version can be supplied.

All documents must be submitted in original. The French authorities may request that some foreign documents must be legalised by an apostille to be accepted.

Compile Required Documents

All standard supporting documents must be compiled and where necessary, translations attached.

Sign a Declaration

The declaration form must be completed and signed by the legal representative for the applicant, as well as by the applicant themselves if they are aged over 15.

Submit Application

Both the declaration and the supporting documentation are to be submitted through the applicant’s appropriate local office. Overseas, this will usually be the nearest Embassy of France or French Consulate. If already resident in France, this will be at a relevant local government office. The child does not always need to be present at the submission appointment. Any such requirement will be advised by the relevant immigration team.

Attend Declaration Interview

The child applicant and their legal representative will be required to attend an in-person interview at the local Embassy, Consulate or appropriate office. At this interview they will be expected to give their consent for becoming a French citizen. If the applicant is unable to give their consent, the legal representative may be expected to provide their consent via designated power of attorney.

Receive decision

The decision as to whether or not grant French nationality will be provided by post. In most cases, the applicant and their legal representative will receive a copy of the declaration with it being marked as ‘registered’.

This is a positive decision and confirms French nationality has been granted. Such a confirmation should be received within a six-month period from application. If no response is received in this time frame, the applicant may assume they have been successful as no timely contest has been made. They will duly receive a copy of the declaration along with the registration details.

However, please note that the public prosecutor’s office may contest the registration of the declaration of nationality within a period of two years, if they have discovered retrospectively that you do not meet the legal conditions for French citizenship or have provided false information on your application.

If the application for French citizenship is declined, the applicant and their legal representative will be notified of the reason for refusal. This can be appealed up to six months from the date of notification, but doing so can be tricky and so specialist legal guidance is advised. Total Law can help with such appeals – give us a call to discuss your situation on +1 844 290 6312.