Nationality
French naturalisation steps, from the civic exam to the ceremony
Enter the date of your civic exam: the timeline places each legal step in time and gives the latest date for the ceremony.
Independent site, not linked to the French Interior Ministry, the préfectures or the exam centres.
Latest end, if every legal deadline runs in fullbetween 5 Aug 2027 and 8 May 2028
1. Done · 1 day – 4 days
Civic exam and certificate
3 Feb 2026 – 6 Feb 2026
40 questions, 32 correct answers to pass. Result within 24 to 48 working hours at the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce (a weekend included in the range).
Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce: getting your civic exam certificate2. Done · milestone
Online filing and receipt
3 Feb 2026 – 6 Feb 2026
No official time to gather documents. The decision clock only starts at the receipt for a complete file; only the €255 stamp is paid.
Service-public.gouv.fr: French naturalisation by decree (checked 16 July 2026)3. In progress · 18 months
Review, interview, decision (legal deadline)
5 Aug 2027 – 8 Aug 2027
Legal deadline: 18 months at most after the receipt, 12 months after 10 years living in France (Civil Code, art. 21-25-1).
Légifrance: Civil Code, articles 21-14-1 to 21-25-1 (nationality by decision of the public authority)4. Upcoming · up to 3 months
Possible extension
5 Aug 2027 – 7 Nov 2027
Once only, 3 months, by reasoned decision.
Légifrance: Civil Code, articles 21-14-1 to 21-25-1 (nationality by decision of the public authority)5. Upcoming · milestone
Decree in the Journal officiel
5 Aug 2027 – 7 Nov 2027
Email after publication; the decree takes effect when signed and can be withdrawn for 2 years in case of fraud.
Service-public.gouv.fr: French naturalisation by decree (checked 16 July 2026)6. Upcoming · up to 6 months
Welcome ceremony
5 Aug 2027 – 8 May 2028
Held by the prefect, as a rule within 6 months of the decree's publication.
Service-public.gouv.fr: the welcome ceremony into French citizenship (F15868)
Becoming French by naturalisation follows an order set by law. First you meet the residence condition, as a rule 5 years of habitual residence in France, and gather two proofs: the civic exam pass certificate at naturalisation level, with 32 correct answers out of 40, and proof of French at level B2. Then comes online filing, paid with a €255 tax stamp; the receipt for a complete file starts the legal decision deadline of 18 months, cut to 12 months after 10 years of residence and extendable once by 3 months (Civil Code, article 21-25-1). During the review come the inquiry and the assimilation interview at the préfecture. If the answer is yes, a decree is published in the Journal officiel, and the prefect then holds a welcome ceremony, as a rule within 6 months. The timeline above chains these steps from the date of your exam, so you can see the whole path at a glance.
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
Two halves of the process
Naturalisation reads as two periods back to back. The first is yours: you build up the residence required and prepare your documents. The second belongs to the administration: it starts at the receipt and ends with the decision. The diagram below puts them end to end.
Step by step
- Meet the residence condition. 5 years as a rule, 2 on a reduced route, none for a refugee. You can file from age 17. The naturalisation page works out your date.
- Pass the civic exam. Naturalisation level, 40 questions in 45 minutes, pass mark 32, in French only. Practise with the mock test at this level.
- Prove level B2 French. A French diploma or a test under 2 years old: see the French level page.
- File online. The €255 tax stamp is the only official cost; the decision clock starts at the receipt for a complete file.
- Review and interview. An inquiry, then the assimilation interview at the préfecture and the signing of the charter of rights and duties of the French citizen.
- Decision and decree. 18 months at most, or 12, extendable once by 3. If yes, an email follows the decree's publication in the Journal officiel.
- Welcome ceremony. Held by the prefect, as a rule within 6 months, with a welcome pack handed over.
What the timeline shows, and what it does not
Each segment is as long as its maximum legal deadline, read in the Civil Code and on the official ceremony page. Steps with no official duration, such as filing or the decree's publication, appear as milestones. The timeline does not predict your préfecture's real waiting time, which no text publishes; it shows how long each step may legally last. For the exact decision deadline from your receipt, use the tool on the processing time page.
Mistakes that make the path longer
- Taking the French test too early: after 2 years it is no longer accepted at filing.
- Filing an incomplete application: the legal clock does not start until the receipt is issued.
- Missing the interview without a legitimate reason: the application can be closed.