French Citizenship by Naturalization Decree: Residency and B2 Exam

To become a French citizen by naturalization decree, you generally need five years of habitual residence in France, a valid residence permit, French at B2 level, a passing score on the civic exam introduced in 2026, a clean criminal record, and stable income sufficient to support your household. The French citizenship by naturalization requirements are set out in Articles 21-17 through 21-27 of the Civil Code and enforced by the Ministry of the Interior, which has up to 18 months to decide once your file is complete.

The Five-Year Residency Rule

Article 21-17 of the Civil Code sets the baseline: five years of habitual residence in France before you file.¹ Habitual residence is more than time on French soil. The Council of State has defined it as having the center of your material and family ties stably fixed in France, considering how long you have lived there, where your family lives, and whether your income is sufficient and sustainable enough to keep you in the country.²

You must hold a valid residence permit when you submit your application, and you must still be residing in France when the decree is signed.¹ Irregular residence is grounds for refusal under Article 21-27. EU, EEA, and Swiss citizens do not need a residence permit but still have to meet the five-year threshold.

Some applicants qualify for a shorter wait. Article 21-18 cuts the requirement to two years for graduates of at least two years of French higher education, for people who have rendered or can render significant services to France, and for those with an outstanding record of civic, scientific, economic, cultural, or athletic achievement.³ Article 21-19 waives the residency requirement entirely for people who served in the French military, recognized refugees, foreign nationals who have rendered exceptional services to France, and, subject to demonstrating a genuine cultural connection, nationals of French-speaking countries and long-time students of French-language schools.¹

The B2 Language Requirement

A decree published in July 2025 raised the minimum French level from B1 to B2 for every naturalization application filed from January 1, 2026 onward.⁴ The standard covers written and oral expression and comprehension. If you filed an incomplete application before that date, the B2 standard still applies to your file.

B2 is a step above conversational French. You need to understand complex texts and administrative documents, express structured opinions on abstract or societal topics, and hold your own during an official interview. Proof comes from a certificate issued by a recognized testing body, such as the TCF or DELF B2.⁵

Exemptions are narrow. Refugees and stateless persons over 70 who have lived in France for more than 15 years are exempt. Applicants with a medical condition that prevents them from taking the test can be exempted with a doctor’s certificate. There is no general age-based exemption otherwise.

The Civic Exam

The same reform introduced a mandatory civic exam.⁵ It is a 40-question multiple-choice test in French, 45 minutes long, and you need 32 correct answers (80%) to pass. The exam costs roughly €70 to €90 depending on the testing center. Failing does not permanently bar you from citizenship, but you have to retake it, which delays your file.

Questions are drawn from five official themes: republican values (liberty, equality, fraternity, secularism, democracy, fundamental rights); institutions and politics (President, Parliament, local government, elections, lawmaking); rights and duties (civic responsibilities, gender equality, education, employment obligations); history, geography, and culture (major events, national symbols, cultural references); and daily life in France (public services, integration, community participation).

Applicants over 65 and those with documented disabilities or chronic health conditions may qualify for adjustments or exemptions from the civic test.

Moral Character and Financial Stability

You must demonstrate “good morals,” which in practice means no serious criminal history and behavior consistent with public order. An unsuspended prison sentence of six months or more results in automatic refusal, as does a conviction for terrorism or offenses against the fundamental interests of the nation.⁶ If you have been rehabilitated or the conviction has been removed from your criminal record (bulletin n°2), the bar no longer applies.

Professional integration is treated as an essential indicator of assimilation. You need stable and sufficient income to support yourself and your family. The administration reviews your employment history, tax filings, and whether you have been meeting civic obligations such as paying taxes.⁶ Self-employed applicants and business owners should expect to produce accounting documents showing their income meets at least the French minimum wage.

Documents and Fees

The application form is Cerfa n°12753, which collects your family history, addresses, and professional background.⁷ Around it, you assemble a substantial dossier:

Birth certificate, marriage certificate if applicable, and proof of current address (utility bills, lease).
Tax notices (avis d’imposition) for the three years before you apply.
A B2 French language certificate and proof of passing the civic exam.
Original criminal record extracts from every country where you have lived, if your total time in France is under 10 years. Refugees and stateless persons protected by OFPRA are exempt from providing records from their country of origin.⁶
A copy of your current, valid titre de séjour.

Any document in a language other than French needs an original translation from a certified court-authorized translator. Foreign public documents may also require legalization or an apostille depending on the issuing country; check with the French embassy or consulate before submitting.

The application carries a fiscal stamp (timbre fiscal) of €255, up from €55 previously.⁸ In French Guiana, the stamp is halved to €127.50. Buy it online at timbres.impots.gouv.fr.

How You Apply and How Long It Takes

Applications are filed online through the government portal at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr, using FranceConnect credentials, a visa number, or a residence permit number.⁹ Paper applications may still be accepted in some situations through the prefecture responsible for your address.

After you file, a prefecture official calls you in for an interview that assesses your French, your knowledge of republican values, and your integration overall. The interview matters. Missing it without a legitimate reason can cause the prefecture to close your file without further review.⁶

The Ministry of the Interior then runs a full background review. It has up to 18 months from the date it issues your receipt to respond, dropping to 12 months if you can prove at least 10 years of residence in France. Either deadline can be extended once for three months with justification.¹⁰

Approval takes the form of a decree published in the Journal Officiel, and that publication is the moment you become French.¹¹ Within six months, the prefect of your department invites you to a citizenship ceremony, and afterward you can apply for a national identity card and passport.¹²

Including Your Minor Children

Your unmarried minor children who live with you can be naturalized on your decree if they are named in it explicitly.¹³ The child must have been residing with you in France for the five years before you applied. Whether a child still qualifies as a minor is judged on the date the decree is signed, not the date you filed. A child who turns 18 before the decree is signed will not be covered and would have to pursue citizenship on their own.

If Your Application Is Rejected

Refusals come in two forms. A finding of “inadmissibility” means you failed a legal condition, such as insufficient residency or an invalid permit; once you fix the problem, you can file again immediately. A finding of “inopportunity” is a discretionary decision that granting citizenship is not appropriate at this time, and it comes as either a postponement (with a deadline after which you may reapply) or an outright refusal.⁶

An outright refusal is the harshest outcome. Any new application filed within five years of the refusal notice can be closed without review. Common reasons include insufficient professional integration, weak assimilation, criminal record issues, and failure to meet the language or civic requirements.

You have two months from the date you receive an unfavorable decision to file a hierarchical appeal (recours hiérarchique) with the minister responsible for naturalizations. If that appeal is denied or you get no response within four months, you have another two months to challenge the decision before the Administrative Court of Nantes.¹⁰ The administrative appeal is not technically mandatory before going to court, but it is the standard sequence.

Do You Have to Give Up Your Current Nationality

No. France does not require you to renounce your original nationality when you naturalize, so you can hold both provided your home country also permits it. American citizens who naturalize in France do not put their U.S. citizenship at risk either, since U.S. law does not require choosing between nationalities.¹⁴ Dual nationals owe allegiance to both countries, must obey both sets of laws, and should use each country’s passport when entering and leaving that country.

1
Legifrance. French Civil Code – Title I bis, of French Nationality
2
European Migration Network. Pathways to Citizenship for Third-Country Nationals in France
3
Legifrance. French Civil Code Article 21-18
4
Consulat général de France. Le niveau B2 en francais devient obligatoire pour les demandes d’acquisition de la nationalite
5
Réfugiés.info. Official Certification of Your Level of French
6
Service-Public.fr. French Naturalization by Decree
7
Ministère de la Justice. Demande d’acquisition de la nationalite francaise par naturalisation ou reintegration
8
Service-Public.fr. Increase in the Amount of Fees Charged to Foreigners
9
Service-Public.fr. Online Application for French Naturalization or Reintegration Into French Nationality
10
Service-Public.fr. French Naturalization by Decree
11
Service-Public.fr. How to Find Your Naturalization Decree Published in the Official Journal
12
Service-Public.fr. What Is the Welcome Ceremony in French Citizenship
13
Service-Public.fr. French Naturalization by Decree
14
U.S. Department of State. Dual Nationality