Nationality
French naturalisation requirements, one by one
Check the residence period with the tool first, then work through the rest of the checklist below.
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.
The requirements for French naturalisation fall into three groups. The first is about you and your stay: be 18 (you can file from 17), have lived habitually in France for 5 years, or 2 years on a reduced route, with no minimum for refugees and a few other groups, and hold a valid residence permit unless you are an EU, EEA or Swiss national. The second group covers your finances and conduct: stable and sufficient income, the centre of your material interests in France, no prison sentence of 6 months or more that was not suspended, and good character. The third is assimilation: French at level B2, a pass in the naturalisation-level civic exam, an interview at the préfecture and signing the charter of the rights and duties of the French citizen. The tool above checks the one requirement that can be calculated, the residence period, and gives the date on which you meet it.
How many years before naturalisation?
Still to wait
2 years
| Period required | 5 years |
| You can file from age | 17 |
| Civic exam | naturalisation level |
Answers, dates and costs by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
The checklist
| Requirement | What is asked | How you show it |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 18, file from 17 | ID, birth certificate |
| Habitual residence | 5 years (or 2, or none) | proof of address, work, study |
| Residence permit | valid when you file (not for EU, EEA, Swiss) | copy of both sides |
| Income | stable and sufficient | payslips, tax notices |
| Criminal record | no unsuspended sentence of 6 months or more | checked by the authorities |
| French | B2 | diploma or test under 2 years old |
| Civic exam | naturalisation level, 32 of 40 | pass certificate |
| Assimilation | préfecture interview, charter signed | interview letter |
Shorter routes worth checking first
The 5-year rule is the default, but two more generous regimes can move your date forward by years.
- 2 years if you earned a French higher-education degree after two years of study in France, rendered important services to France, or show exceptional integration. Former international students are the group that most often misses this.
- No minimum for 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 or volunteered in wartime, and people who rendered exceptional services.
Proving habitual residence
No single document proves the residence period. The administration wants to see that France is the centre of your material interests: your work, your family and your home. Build a year-by-year file of proof of address, employment or study, income and tax notices. Certificates issued abroad, such as birth or marriage certificates, need certified translations, and they are often what delays a file, so order them early. If you lived elsewhere for a while, the date tool still works: enter the day your life genuinely moved back to France as the starting point.
Expats often ask whether years spent in France on a company secondment or as a student count. The text speaks of habitual residence with a valid permit where one is required, and the préfecture weighs the whole picture. What helps is continuity: a lease or property in your name, French payslips or business income, tax returns filed in France and children at school here.
Assimilation: the requirement you prepare for
Article 21-24 of the Civil Code requires applicants to show assimilation into the French community. Since 2026 that means four things: French at level B2, proved by a diploma or a recent test; the naturalisation-level civic exam, with no age exemption; the assimilation interview at the préfecture, which checks your knowledge of French history, culture, society and of citizens’ rights and duties; and signing the charter of rights and duties at the end of that interview.
What sinks applications
- A permit that has expired or is mid-renewal on the day you file.
- A language result older than 2 years, or below B2.
- Irregular income with no explanation, or undeclared tax: the inquiry covers your civic conduct.
- Long spells abroad that leave doubt over whether France is still the centre of your life.
The last point matters for mobile professionals. If your job takes you abroad often, keep a clear trail showing that home, family and tax residence stayed in France. Exemptions exist on medical grounds and, for the language proof, for refugees or stateless people over 70 with 15 years in France. The service-public.gouv.fr naturalisation page lists the documents expected for each situation.