Citizenship
Expert French Citizenship Lawyers for Naturalisation & Descent
Your Global Move is an international law firm specialising in French citizenship and immigration, working in English with clients from the UK, the US and elsewhere. We help people apply for French citizenship by descent, by marriage and by naturalisation. Every case is handled personally by an experienced lawyer from our team, which includes Julio Vero (Paris Bar) and Matilde Gomes Xavier (Hauts-de-Seine Bar).
Fixed fee agreed up front.
Your eligibility assessment is free.
6 Ways to Qualify for French Citizenship
By Descent (Ancestry)
You may be French by descent if you have French parentage. You’ll need documents proving the family link, usually birth and marriage certificates for each generation.
By Naturalisation
You can apply after 5 years of legal residence in France, with proof of continuous stay. Since 1 January 2026, you also need B2-level French and a pass in the new civic exam.
By Marriage
After 4 years of marriage to a French citizen, you can apply for French nationality, with proof that you live together.
As an Ascendant
If you are 65 or over, the parent of a French national, and have 25 years of legal residence in France, you can apply as an ascendant.
By Birth in France
Children born in France to foreign parents may qualify from age 13 after long-term residence. Children born in France to French parents are French at birth.
By Reintegration
If you lost French nationality through marriage or residence abroad, you can apply to have it restored.
Why Choose French Citizenship
French citizenship gives you EU mobility, social benefits, and full rights. Our legal team manages eligibility, documentation, and every step of your journey.
You may qualify for citizenship through ancestry, marriage, or long-term residency. Our immigration lawyers assess your eligibility and prepare all documents.
Mistakes We See Most Often in French Citizenship by Descent Cases
Many people with a French parent or grandparent have a valid claim but face delays or refusal over avoidable errors. Spotting them early helps you build a much stronger case.
- A broken chain of records: You need official birth and marriage certificates for every generation between you and your French ancestor. One missing document can stop the whole application.
- Uncertified or untranslated documents: Foreign civil records often need to be legalised or apostilled and translated into French before French authorities will accept them. Requirements depend on the country that issued them.
- Inconsistent names and dates: Spelling changes, anglicised surnames or different dates across records raise doubts about whether everyone in the chain is the same person, unless they’re explained and supported.
- Assuming French nationality passed down automatically: If you and the ancestors you claim through have lived outside France for more than 50 years, and neither you nor your French parent was ever treated as French (for example by holding a French passport, ID card or consular registration), French law may stop you from proving your nationality. This needs to be checked before anything else.
- Starting in the wrong order: If you were born abroad, you may need to prove your French nationality, often with a Certificate of French Nationality, before you can get a French passport. Checking the right sequence first can save months.
Naturalisation refused or postponed? We can help. A refusal or postponement (“ajournement”) of your naturalisation application is not always the end of the road. You can challenge the decision, but the deadline is short: you have 2 months from the date you receive it. Our lawyers review the decision, explain your options, and help you either challenge it or prepare a stronger new application.
How Our French Citizenship Lawyer Guides Your Application
Our citizenship application services follow four essential stages, carefully managed to strengthen your naturalisation case.
What our clients say
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the main ways I can qualify for French citizenship?
Eligibility depends on your family history, residence, marriage, birth, or previous nationality. The applicable route has specific legal conditions, so reviewing your personal circumstances carefully and supporting records is essential before choosing how to apply.
2. Do I need a French citizenship lawyer if my case seems straightforward?
A straightforward case can still involve strict documentation and eligibility requirements. The mistakes Your Global Move sees most often are a broken chain of birth and marriage certificates, foreign documents that are not legalised or translated into French, and names or dates that don’t match across records. In descent cases, if you and the ancestors you claim through have lived outside France for more than 50 years and were never treated as French, French law may stop you from proving your nationality. If you were born abroad, you may also need a Certificate of French Nationality before you can get a French passport. Our lawyers check these points before your application is submitted.
3. What documents do I need to prove French ancestry?
For ancestry cases, you generally need official civil records establishing the connection to the French relative, along with documents proving nationality and family relationships. Foreign documents may also require certification, translation, or legalisation before submission.
4. Can I apply for French citizenship after living in France for five years?
The residence route requires five years of legal residence, although exceptions can change the applicable period. We assess your residence history, integration, language ability, and supporting evidence to determine whether this pathway fits your circumstances.
5. Does marrying a French citizen automatically give me French nationality?
Marriage to a French citizen does not automatically grant nationality. Eligibility depends on factors including the length of marriage, continued cohabitation, your spouse’s nationality, and other legal conditions that must be demonstrated during the application.
6. What mistakes could cause my citizenship application to be delayed or refused?
Applicants can make avoidable mistakes by submitting incomplete records, overlooking residence gaps, providing weak language evidence, or relying on unverified ancestry documents. A detailed review before submission can identify these issues and strengthen your file.
7. What happens during the French citizenship application process?
The process involves determining eligibility, gathering documents, preparing the application, submitting it to the appropriate authority, and completing any interview. The exact procedure depends on whether you apply by descent, marriage, residence, or another route.
8. Can I keep my British or American citizenship if I become French?
France generally allows dual nationality, so becoming French does not normally require you to give up your existing British or American citizenship. The UK and the US also generally allow their citizens to hold another nationality. However, the rules can depend on your individual circumstances, so we will check your specific situation as part of your eligibility review.
9. What can citizenship application services help me with after my application is approved?
After approval, the next steps can include completing required formalities, attending a naturalisation ceremony where applicable, and obtaining French identity documents. We can clearly explain the practical steps involved after receiving your new French nationality.
10. Will my children become French if I am naturalised?
Naturalisation may affect eligible minor children, but citizenship is not automatically transferred in every situation. Their age, residence, family circumstances, and the legal basis for your nationality determine whether they may acquire French nationality themselves.
11. What happens in the free consultation?
Your first consultation with Your Global Move is free and lasts from 15 to 30 minutes by video. Your lawyer reviews which citizenship route fits your situation and which documents you will need, then sends you a fixed-fee proposal for your case.
12. I’m British. Can you help me apply for French citizenship?
Yes. Your Global Move works in English with British clients applying for French citizenship. If you have lived legally in France for 5 years, you may apply by naturalisation; if you have been married to a French citizen for 4 years and live together, you may apply by marriage. France generally allows dual nationality, and so does the UK, so you would not usually have to give up your British citizenship. Your first consultation is free and takes place by video.
13. I’m American. Can you help me apply for French citizenship?
If you are American and claim French citizenship through a French parent, you need an unbroken chain of birth and marriage certificates linking you to them, and your US records may need an apostille and a French translation. If you and the ancestors you claim through have lived outside France for over 50 years and were never treated as French, you may be unable to prove your nationality, so we check this first. You may also need a Certificate of French Nationality before applying for a French passport. The US generally allows dual nationality. We review your family records in a free video consultation.
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