Nationality
Applying for French nationality: every step from filing to decree
First check the earliest date you can apply, by decree or through marriage: the rest of the page walks through each stage of the file.
Independent site, not linked to the French Interior Ministry, the préfectures or the exam centres.
Earliest date you can apply
1 March 2027
in 127 days
| Period required | 5 years |
| You can file from age 17, on | 15 June 2007 |
| Civic exam: | naturalisation level |
| French level: | B2 |
| Tax stamp: | €255 |
A guide date only: residence is one condition among others (valid permit, income, integration, criminal record). The préfecture decides.
A French naturalisation application is now filed online through the official public service, and filing itself is free: the only payment is a tax stamp of €255, or €127.50 in French Guiana. The sequence is always the same. You gather your documents, including proof of French at level B2 and, for naturalisation, the civic exam pass certificate. You file, then receive a receipt (récépissé) once the file is complete; that receipt starts the legal decision period of 18 months. The authorities look into your civic conduct, and if the application is admissible you are called to an assimilation interview at the préfecture. You get an email at each stage and can follow progress in your online account. Private websites offer to "help" with the process for a fee: you do not need them. The tool above shows the earliest date you can file, either for naturalisation or for a declaration after marriage, so you can plan the steps that come before it.
Where is my naturalisation deadline?
Legal time left
9 months
| Decision deadline | 18 months |
| Possible extension | 3 months |
| Appeal against a refusal | 2 months |
Answers, dates and costs by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The steps in order
- Check eligibility. Residence period, permit, income: the tool at the top gives your filing date, and the requirements page covers the rest.
- Get the two certificates. Proof of French at B2 and, for naturalisation, the civic exam pass. Both come before filing, not after.
- Collect documents. ID, civil status, address, income and tax, family situation. Foreign certificates need certified translations.
- Buy the tax stamp of €255, the only fee for filing.
- File online on the public service for naturalisation or reinstatement.
- Receive the receipt once the file is complete: it starts the decision clock.
- Inquiry and interview. The authorities check your civic conduct; if the application is admissible, you are called to the assimilation interview.
- Decision within the legal period, then, if positive, your name in a decree published in the Journal officiel.
Decree or marriage declaration
| Point | Naturalisation | Marriage declaration |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | decree, after review of the file | declaration by the spouse |
| Period | 5 years’ residence (or less) | 4 years married (5 without enough residence) |
| French | B2 | B2 |
| Civic exam | yes | no |
| Tax stamp | €255 | €255 |
The tool switches between the two routes. For the second, see our page on nationality through marriage.
What you pay, and what you do not
Online filing is free and the tax stamp is the only administrative fee. Other costs go to third parties: the civic exam, priced by each centre; a French test if you hold no French diploma; and translations. Our naturalisation cost page adds them up. Anyone charging to "file for you" or "track your case" is selling a private service you do not need.
Tracking your file
After filing, progress shows in your online account and an email marks each stage. The small tool under the summary counts the months left before the legal deadline. It can be extended once, by 3 months, through a reasoned decision; the processing time page gives the exact dates and explains what to do if you are refused.
Pitfalls expats run into
- Paying a private site that looks official: the service-public.gouv.fr page confirms the online application is free.
- Filing with a language result over 2 years old.
- Sending an incomplete file to "get in the queue": the clock only starts at the receipt.
- Leaving translations of foreign certificates to the last minute.
- Forgetting the original documents on interview day, as listed in your letter.
- Letting your residence permit lapse while you prepare: it must be valid when you file.
Practical tips for international applicants
Keep a copy of every document you upload and every email you receive; if you ever need to challenge a refusal, that trail lets you rebuild the file quickly. Check that the names on your foreign certificates match your French documents exactly, including accents and the order of first names, and get any mismatch explained before you file. If you move house during the review, update your details in your online account so the interview letter reaches you. And remember that the civic exam certificate never expires: sitting it early takes one task off the list while your residence period runs.