French nationality ?

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lesroys

You can't get French nationality just because you live there as a student. You have to have "permanent right of abode" for at least five years. Your situation is a temporary one and does not qualify you for citizenship.

You can obtain French nationality only by family relationships, i.e. birth, marriage, adoption or if one of your parents or grandparents has/had French nationality.

Rillifane

You can apply for French citizenship by naturalization if:

You are at least 18 years of age; and

You can prove that you have been legally resident in France for the five years preceding your application; or

For two years, if you have successfully completed two years of tertiary studies in a French higher education institution (university or Grande Ecole), or if you can provide an important service to France through your talents.

Applications must be made to the Préfecture of the Département in which you are living, or at the Préfecture de Police if you are in Paris.

Further details on French citizenship are set out in the legislative provisions governing nationality in France, as follows:

Articles 17 to 33-2 of the Civil Code (Law No. 93-933 of 22 July 1993 reforming the right to nationality, as amended by Law No. 98-170 of 16 March 1998); and

Decree No. 98-720 of 20 August 1998 (Journal Officiel - Official Gazette - of 21 August 1998).

Please note that if you are an American citizen that becoming a naturalized French citizen will cause you to forfeit your American citizenship.

natioushka

par naturalisation :
Les demandes de naturalisation des personnes qui résident en France relèvent de la compétence de la préfecture de leur lieu de résidence, pour la constitution du dossier, et du ministère de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité, pour la décision. La naturalisation par décision de l’autorité publique ne peut être accordée qu’à l’étranger justifiant d’une résidence habituelle en France pendant les cinq années qui précèdent le dépôt de sa demande, sauf cas de réduction ou de suppression du stage de cinq ans prévus par le code civil. Par ailleurs, nul ne peut être naturalisé s’il n’a en France sa résidence au moment de la signature du décret de naturalisation. La notion de résidence s’entend d’une résidence fixe présentant un caractère stable et permanent coïncidant avec le centre des intérêts matériels et des liens familiaux. Les personnes qui résident à l’étranger peuvent, à titre exceptionnel bénéficier d’une assimilation à une résidence en France lorsque, notamment, elles exercent une activité professionnelle publique ou privée pour le compte de l’Etat français ou d’un organisme dont l’activité présente un intérêt particulier pour l’économie ou la culture française. Le cas échéant, ces personnes doivent s’adresser au consulat de France territorialement compétent. Il convient de signaler que ces dispositions font l’objet d’une interprétation très stricte du Conseil d’Etat.
Basically you need to speak French understand the hoistory and culture as well as establish your main home there and prove it. It is a very complex procedure, the law of 2 years changed last July or August and has been brought to 5 years (it affects all nationality requests).
If you marry a French national for instance you will automatically be granted a "carte de sejour" (sort of green card) and will be able to request the French nationlaity 5 years after your marriage date (used to be 2 years and even 1 year after birth of child ). In this case you do not loose your US nationality you just gain a French one.

Pedro

No, it's always 5 five years. You have to be a permanent resident for 5 years before having the option to become a citizen.

misspimousse

not wanting to sound anti-french or anything (i'm french myself), but why would you want to get french nationality? are you actually planning to stay in france and work there?
i've been in the uk for over 5 years and although i know i could do it (don't intend to go back to france just yet), i wouldn't apply for british nationality. i think you should be proud of your origins.

Garance Parker

Hi,
Not being funny, but Lesroy is right. Once you have added a Nationality you cannot remove it. I do not see the point of having a double Nationality on the ground of doing 3 years out of your life in the Hexagon.That's for one.
Furthermore, France has changed the way they allocated Nationality. You have to speak fluently, take courses in order to know history and so forth...Basically you have to be able to mix properly with the culture and surroundings. Something that the British govt is now bringing in the UK.
As well, you will need to prove that you can offer something that French people are in need of. Some diplomas and degrees or some trade they are not fulfilling. This to prevent you from taking a place that would have been filled by a Native French in the 1st place. Life is becoming harder and harder in France (less jobs, more poverty), so they are trying to limit the current situation.
There is nothing racist about it, it is just simple economic measures. Europe is growing.

Mighty C

Contact the French embassy. They should know all.

Why anyone would actually want to be French is beyond me....

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