Nationality
French naturalisation: when can you apply?
Enter the date your habitual residence in France began and your date of birth: the tool returns the first date you can 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.
Naturalisation is the way a foreign resident becomes French by government decree. It is not automatic: the administration weighs each file and may reject or postpone (ajourner) an application it considers inappropriate. You must be 18, though the application can go in from age 17, and as a rule you need 5 years of habitual residence in France. That drops to 2 years if you completed two years of higher education in France with a French degree, or rendered important services to France, and there is no minimum at all for refugees and a few other groups. You also need French at level B2, a pass in the naturalisation-level civic exam, an assimilation interview at the préfecture and a tax stamp of €255. The tool above takes the date your residence began and your date of birth, and returns the first date on which the required period is met, for the general case, the reduced period or the no-minimum route.
Naturalisation tax stamp
Stamps to buy
€510
| Per applicant | €255 |
| Rate in French Guiana | €127.50 |
| Civic exam | paid separately to the centre |
Answers, dates and costs by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Naturalisation at a glance
| Rule | Figure |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 18 (file from 17) |
| Habitual residence, general case | 5 years |
| Residence, reduced period | 2 years |
| French level | B2 |
| Civic exam | naturalisation level, 32 of 40 |
| Tax stamp | €255 (€127.50 in French Guiana) |
| Legal decision deadline | 18 months from the receipt |
Each line has its own page: the requirements one by one, the application process from filing to decree, the full cost and the processing time.
Three ways to count
- General case: 5 years of habitual residence. Enter the day your life moved to France, not the date of an earlier visit.
- Reduced to 2 years: a French higher-education degree after two years of study in France, important services to France, or exceptional integration.
- No minimum: refugees, native French speakers from a French-speaking country, people with 5 years of schooling in French at a French-language school, those who served in the French army, wartime volunteers and people who rendered exceptional services.
Your date of birth matters for one check only: if you are young, the tool keeps the later of the date the period is met and your 17th birthday.
What changed in 2026
Since 1 January 2026, every applicant for naturalisation or reinstatement by decree must pass the civic exam at naturalisation level. There is no age exemption at this level, unlike residence permits; only a certified disability or health condition opens adjustments or an exemption. The assimilation interview is still there, and the citizen’s booklet approved in July 2026 is the way to prepare. To rehearse under exam conditions, open the naturalisation-level civic exam.
Beyond the residence period
Reaching the date the tool gives you means you may apply, nothing more. Your file has to show that the centre of your material interests is in France, meaning your work and family ties, and that your income is stable and sufficient. You need a valid residence permit when you file, unless you are a national of the EU, the EEA or Switzerland. A prison sentence of 6 months or more, not suspended, rules you out. The administration also looks into your civic conduct, and paying your taxes is the example it gives.
For expats, two practical points come up again and again. Documents issued abroad, such as birth or marriage certificates, must come with certified translations, so order them early. And if your career has taken you in and out of France, gather proof of where you lived and worked year by year: it is the easiest way to show that France really is your home base. If a point is weak, it is usually better to strengthen it first than to file and risk a postponement.
Is naturalisation your best route?
Many expats in France are married to a French citizen. After 4 years of marriage, a declaration of nationality through marriage may be simpler, with no civic exam. If what you need most is long-term security, a 10-year resident card can bridge the gap. The service-public.gouv.fr naturalisation page remains the reference for your exact case.