French Citizenship — A Secure Plan B
For many people, interest in holding a second citizenship is growing, as people look for added long-term security and greater flexibility for the future. What many people do not realise is that foreign nationals can obtain French citizenship through several pathways, and one of the most direct routes is through ancestry.
Foreign nationals with French parents or even French grandparents may already have a legal claim to French citizenship. As an added benefit, French citizenship through family ties does not require living in France, learning the language, or making a financial investment.
Obtaining French citizenship through proven French heritage can offer a meaningful Plan B, providing an alternative citizenship in a stable Western democracy with automatic EU residence rights.
A powerful dual passport combination offers expanded rights and security while preserving one’s original national identity.— HLG lawyer, Lucy Nguyen
Why Obtain French Citizenship?
The decision to take another citizenship is usually based upon careful long-term planning, risk management, and the wish for greater international flexibility. For those with parents or grandparents from France, citizenship through ancestry is often an attractive option because it can be obtained without relocating or learning a new language.
Plan B Citizenship in a Stable Western Democracy
By becoming a french citizen, holders gain an alternative nationality in one of the most solid European country, a founding member of the G7 and one of the world’s leading democracies. Having French Citizenship as a second nationality acts as a hedge against political, economic, or social instability. Having a Plan B means the applicant has options available should circumstances in the United States ever become challenging.
France is recognised for its long-standing democratic institutions, established rule of law, and mature legal and economic systems.
For most foreign nationals, obtaining French citizenship is not about giving up their birth nationality or making an immediate lifestyle change. It is about adding an additional option.
In practice, having a second citizenship acts as a contingency plan. For many high-net-worth families, holding more than one citizenship is already part of broader long-term planning, similar to geographic or asset diversification.
Automatic EU Residence Rights (Not Just Travel)
When you obtain French citizenship, you automatically become a citizen of the European Union. This is an important distinction. The value of citizenship is not visa-free travel for short-term visits, but the legal right to live and work permanently across Europe.
French citizenship gives you the legal right to live and work in France and across all European Union member states.
French citizens do not require visas or work permits and are not subject to the 90-days-in-180-days limitation that applies to short-term visitors.
This creates real flexibility. For example, if a US citizen who also has French Citizenship ever needs to leave the US long term, they may move to reside in France or anywhere within the EU.
No Residency or Language Requirements (Through Ancestry)
Most ways to obtain French citizenship require living in France for around five years and demonstrating French language ability. The French citizenship by ancestry pathway is different. If you qualify, you simply prove your lineage and obtain French citizenship based on existing rights.
There is no requirement to live in France, although the option remains available if you wish to do so. There is also no obligation to speak French at the time of application, even if language skills may become useful later.
For those who qualify, citizenship through ancestry is often one of the most straightforward pathways. In many cases, French citizenship by descent can be obtained within 6 to 24 months, without relocating and with minimal disruption to day-to-day life in the United States.
Generational Security for Your Family
Another significant advantage of having French citizenship is that it automatically passes to your children and future generations. This helps to secure long-term optionality for your family.
For example, the children of parents with dual French and foreign citizenship can hold dual nationality from birth, with the right to live and work across the EU throughout their lives.
The French government’s deliberate choice to substantially tighten naturalization requirements while leaving citizenship by descent intact sends a clear message about French nationality policy priorities.— HLG special counsel, Polly Ho
French Citizenship Through Your Family Heritage?
France follows a citizenship by blood principle, meaning citizenship can be passed down through family lines. To obtain french citizenship through parent, you must prove your French lineage using official documents such as birth certificates and civil records.
France and many countries recognise dual citizenship, Therefore, applicants from countries who recognise dual nationality can keep their current passport while adding French citizenship as a long-term safety net and alternative option.
Obtaining French Citizenship Through Parentage
French nationality law grants citizenship to children born to at least one French parent, regardless of their place of birth. This means that individuals born in France or its overseas territories to a French parent are eligible to apply for French citizenship.
To be able to apply for French citizenship through your parent, the following criteria must be satisfied:
- One of your parents must be a French citizen when you are born
- If your parents were unmarried, your French parent must have legally recognized you and established a parent-child relationship before you turned 18
- Your French parent(s) must have maintained connections to France.
Please note that to qualify for French citizenship through a French parent (Droit de sang), your previous generations must have been registered as French citizens. This means that if your grandparents are French citizens, but your parent(s) aren’t, your parents must first obtain French citizenship before you can apply.
When obtaining French citizenship this way, you are not becoming a citizen, you are proving you have been French since birth. French law considers you French from birth if your French parent was a French national when you were born.
Obtaining French Citizenship Through Your French Grandparent
For eligible applicants, being able to apply for French citizenship through their grandparents is particularly important today due to historic migration patterns between France and other countries.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many French citizens emigrated abroad to a wide range of destinations such as the USA or Canada. In numerous families, the French-born grandparent retained French nationality, but their children, born outside France, either did not register their birth or citizenship with French authorities.
As a result, many people today have a French grandparent without realising that French nationality may still be claimable through lineage. French nationality law places strong weight on descent rather than place of birth. If the French nationality of the grandparent can be proven and the line of descent is intact, citizenship may still be inheritable.
This can be especially valuable. It provides access to French and EU citizenship without the need to relocate, reach a high level of French, or go through lengthy naturalisation periods.
Required Documents
To obtain French citizenship through ancestry, applicants must be able to prove a clear legal link to a French ancestor using official civil status records issued by French authorities. In practice, this is often the most demanding part of the process.
Below is an overview of the core documents typically required to substantiate a French citizenship claim by descent.
Common Challenges
The main challenge applicants face is not eligibility itself, but obtaining the necessary civil and lineage records and some applicants ultimately discontinue the process due to the administrative burden.
Given the complexity involved in properly procuring documentation, professional legal guidance can make a significant difference. Our team will connect you with our partner genealogist, who specializes in tracing ancestral records and locating the precise documents required for French citizenship by descent applications. Additionally, our team will guide you through each stage of the citizenship process, from the initial eligibility assessment to the preparation and submission of your application, right through to the final decision issued by the authorities. Throughout this journey, we provide clear explanations, practical support, and ongoing communication to ensure you remain informed and confident at every step.
Step 1: Your parent obtains French citizenship:
In order for the grandchild to apply for French citizenship through the Grandparents, at least one of the parents of the applicant must be a French Citizen. If the parent is not a French Citizen, they themselves must first apply for and be granted French citizenship first.
To do this, the following documents must be provided:
- The grandparent’s French birth certificate
- The grandparent’s French citizenship documentation
- The parent’s birth certificate proving lineage
- Apostille and certified translation
- Marriage certificates if applicable
- Proof grandparent was French when your parent was born
Step 2: You obtain French citizenship:
- All of the above (proving your parent’s French citizenship)
- Your birth certificate
- Apostille and certified translation
- Proof your parent was French when you were born (certificate from step 1)
- Your identification documents
Please note that all documents need to be authorised. To satisfy this requirement, the following process must be completed:
- All documents need apostille
- All documents need certified French translation
- Translations must be by approved translators (traducteurs assermentés)
- Original documents or certified copies required
Step-by-Step
A properly prepared application for French Citizenship through descent will typically receive approval within 6 to 24 months. The application process requires completing the following steps
Step 1: Document Collection & Preparation
The first stage involves gathering all required French documents proving that your parents are French citizens and establishing their relationship to the applicant, along with documents confirming the applicant’s identity, obtaining any required apostilles, and arranging certified translations.
Documentation must be properly prepared and accurate. Failure to properly prepare the documentation could result in delays or even rejection of the application.
Harvey Law Group can assist with this stage by managing French civil registry requests, apostille coordination, and certified translations in parallel rather than sequentially.
Step 2: Application Preparation
Once all supporting documents have been collected and validated, the next stage is the formal preparation of the French citizenship application. This involves applying for Certificat de nationalité française (Certificate of French Nationality)
The application to obtain French citizenship must be prepared according to French prefecture standards with all supporting documentation properly organized, authenticated, and translated.
Step 3: Submission to Appropriate French Authority
Once the application has been prepared, it must be submitted to the correct French authority. Jurisdiction is strictly applied, and submitting to the wrong office can result in delays or rejection.
Harvey Law Group will help to manage this stage carefully, confirming the correct authority and handling the procedural requirements so applications to obtain French citizenship are filed accurately and efficiently.
Step 4: Application Review by French Authority (6 – 24 months)
During the review stage, the French authorities examine the application to obtain French citizenship in detail. This includes verifying the authenticity of all the documents, confirming an unbroken line of French nationality from the ancestor to the applicant, checking compliance with French nationality law, and reviewing the accuracy of certified translations.
It is common for authorities to request additional documents or clarifications relating to family history, while interviews are rare in ancestry-based cases.
Step 5: Interview (If Required) – Rare for ancestry cases
When applying for French citizenship through ancestry, interviews are uncommon and, where they do occur, are limited in scope. If an interview is requested it is usually for the purpose of verifying the applicant’s identity, confirming the authenticity of submitted documents, and clarifying elements of family history. These interviews do not involve French language testing and do not assess cultural integration.
This approach significantly contrasts to the naturalisation procedures, where applicants are required to demonstrate French language proficiency and knowledge of French society and civic values.
Step 6: Approval & Certificate of French Nationality
Once the application has been approved, a Certificat de nationalité française (Certificate of French Nationality) will be issued to the applicant.
This certificate is your proof that you successfully obtained French citizenship through ancestry.
Once the Certificate of French Nationality has been obtained, the applicant can apply for their French passport to complete the process to obtain French citizenship. To apply for a French passport an application can be filed at any of the following; a French consulate in the US, any French town hall if you are in France or a French embassy abroad if in another country.
Why Some Applications Fail
While many people are eligible to obtain French citizenship through ancestry, the application process requires careful preparation and consideration. The challenges below explain where applications commonly fail and why professionally managed cases are far more likely to succeed.
Check your eligibility to the French citizenship now
Challenge 1: Obtaining Documents To Prove Lineage
The first significant challenge when trying to obtain French citizenship is locating vital records such as birth, and marriage certificates, which may be difficult to locate or retrieve, especially if they are held in different countries or municipalities.
Additionally, different jurisdictions may have varying requirements for issuing these documents, making the bureaucratic process complex and time-consuming. Furthermore, proving continuous lineage to the ancestor through whom citizenship is claimed can be complicated by gaps or inconsistencies in documentation, potentially leading to frustration during the application process.
Challenge 2: Proving Retention of French Citizenship
Another significant challenge in obtaining French citizenship by descent is proving that the French parent did not lose their French citizenship due to lack of interaction with French authorities for over 50 years.
This often arises when a parent moves abroad, fails to renew their French passport, and does not return to France for extended periods of time after relocating. In such cases, Harvey Law Group can assist by reviewing individual circumstances and providing tailored advice on how the French parent may re-establish ties with French authorities and demonstrate the necessary connection to France.
Challenge 3: Document Authentication and Translation
All documents submitted as part of a French citizenship application must be properly authenticated with apostilles and translated by certified translators recognised by the French authorities. Coordinating apostilles and certified translations can be technically demanding and time-consuming, particularly where documents are issued in multiple jurisdictions.
Why Choose Harvey Law Group
Harvey Law Group has more than 30 years of experience advising individuals and families on citizenship, residency, and cross-border mobility matters. With offices across Europe, North America, and Asia, including Paris, Hong Kong, Miami, and Montreal, the firm is well positioned to support ANY individual who qualifies, to obtain French citizenship through ancestry with coordinated, jurisdiction-aware advice.
Our approach focuses on ancestry-based French citizenship claims, where success depends on accurate legal analysis and proper document preparation rather than discretionary assessment. We assist clients at every stage of the process, from confirming eligibility and proving family nationality history to obtaining French civil registry records, coordinating apostilles, managing certified translations, and preparing applications that align with prefecture and consular expectations.
Applicants can successfully obtain French citizenship when their documentation is complete, their family lineage is clearly supported by official records, and the French nationality line has remained legally intact. In most cases, the difficulty is not eligibility under French law, but dealing with the administrative and documentary requirements correctly.
With our French citizenship by descent lawyers, we careful preparation and experienced legal guidance, ancestry-based applications can move forward with improved chances of approval.
Contact Harvey Law Group for a confidential consultation to assess whether you can obtain French citizenship through your family heritage and discuss the documentation process for your specific situation.
Other Ways to Obtain French Citizenship
If you do not have French parents or grandparents, it is still possible to obtain French citizenship through alternative legal pathways. However, these options involve relocation to France, longer timelines, and additional legal and practical requirements.
French Talent Passport (Investment Route to Obtain French Citizenship)
The France Talent Passport allows investors to gain residency in France by investing a minimum of €300,000 in the economy, with potential approval within three months. This program offers a renewable four-year residence permit for the investor and their family, including spouses and children under 18.
After five years of residency, applicants may qualify for permanent residency or citizenship, subject to language proficiency. With no specific language or education requirements for the initial application, the France Talent Passport is an appealing option for those looking to establish a presence in Europe.
Marriage and Traditional Naturalisation
Marriage to a French citizen can also potentially lead to French citizenship. Eligibility through marriage generally requires four years of marriage combined with residency requirements, and traditional naturalisation following five years of lawful residence in France.
All non-ancestry routes require genuine residence, French language proficiency, and successful completion of integration assessments.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far back can I trace French ancestry for citizenship by descent?
You can claim French citizenship through ancestry no matter how many generations back, as long as French nationality has been passed down and maintained continuously through your direct family line without interruption.
What documents do I need to prove my French ancestry?
Birth and marriage certificates for you and each ancestor back to your first French ancestor and French administrative documents or records for your direct parents/ancestor
Can I qualify if my French ancestor naturalized in another country?
Possibly, if the French ancestor was naturalized before you were born or while you were still a minor
Do I automatically have French citizenship if my parent was French when I was born?
Yes. You must register your birth with the French authorities while you are still a minor. Otherwise, you will need to apply for a Certificate of French Nationality (CNF) to claim French citizenship by ancestry.
Does it matter if my French ancestor was male or female?
No, it doesn’t matter. French citizenship can be passed down through either your mother’s or father’s side of the family.
Do I need to prove an unbroken chain of French citizenship?
Yes, you need to show that French citizenship was passed down and maintained continuously through each generation from your French ancestor to you.
Can I apply through my French grandparent or great-grandparent?
Yes, this is possible. The key is to make sure each generation maintained and transmitted French citizenship to the next without interruption.
What is the difference between French citizenship by declaration vs naturalization?
Declaration is when you have a legal right to French citizenship based on specific conditions—like being married to a French citizen, being born and raised in France, or having certain family ties. If you meet the requirements and provide the right documents, you can declare your French citizenship. Naturalization is different. You are asking France to grant you citizenship, usually after living there legally for several years and integrating into French society. The requirements are stricter than declaration: authorities will assess your French language skills, how well you have integrated, your residential stability, your financial and professional situation, and whether you respect French values. You’ll also need to go through an interview and/or exam as part of the process.
How long does the French citizenship by descent application take?
Typically, the French authorities take about 6 – 24 months to process French citizenship by descent applications
Can I apply for French citizenship by descent from outside France?
Absolutely. You do not need to be living in France to apply. The application can be submitted in person or by mail to the Nationality Service of the Paris Judicial Court.
Do I need to visit France during the application process?
No. You can handle the entire application by email correspondence with the authorities without traveling to France. Alternatively, if you hire a lawyer, they can submit the application and liaise directly with the competent authorities on your behalf.
What is the cost of applying for French citizenship by descent?
There are no government filing fees for this procedure. In addition to legal fees, some related costs may apply, including translation, certificates and apostilles, courier charges, and, if applicable, genealogist fees.
Do I need to speak French to apply for citizenship by descent?
No, there is no language requirement for French citizenship by descent. French language skills are only required for naturalization.
What happens if my French ancestor’s birth records are lost or unavailable?
Don’t worry—it happens. If you are having trouble locating your birth record, you can hire a genealogist to help you track down such records. If you need a referral, we can connect you with our partner genealogist.
Will I have dual citizenship or do I need to renounce my current citizenship?
France allows dual citizenship, so you would not need to renounce your current citizenship. However, you should check whether your current country permits dual nationality, as some countries have restrictions.
Can my children inherit French citizenship through me?
Yes. It is best to have your children claim French citizenship while they are still minors, as the process is much simpler than applying as an adult.
What rights do I get with French citizenship by descent?
Once you are recognized as a French citizen, you can apply for a French passport and national ID card. These give you full French citizenship rights, including the right to live, work, and vote in France.
Can I live and work anywhere in the EU with French citizenship?
Yes. France is part of the European Union, so French citizenship automatically gives you the right to live, work, and study in any of the 27 EU member countries. You won’t need visas, work permits, or any special authorization—you can move freely throughout the EU.
How can an immigration lawyer help with French citizenship by descent applications?
Beyond just preparing your application, an immigration lawyer gives you insight into how the citizenship by descent process actually works and how French authorities are currently handling cases. This helps you understand your chances of success and build a stronger application.
What makes Harvey Law Group qualified to handle French citizenship by descent cases?
We have an office in Paris with local French lawyers who work closely with the Nationality Service of the Paris Judicial Court, which handles French citizenship by descent applications. Beyond legal expertise, we understand the authorities’ practical expectations and can provide guidance to help maximize the chances of success.
Does Harvey Law Group handle document collection and translation for French citizenship applications?
We will support your application throughout the entire process. We will tell you the documentation you need to collect and where to get it. We can also take care of any document formalities and translations you might need along the way.
Can Harvey Law Group help if my French citizenship by descent application was denied?
Yes. If you have been previously denied for French citizenship by descent, we can take a look at what happened and figure out your options. Many denials can be overcome with the right approach if you have a qualifying French ancestor, so it is worth having us take a look at your case to see what is possible.
How does Harvey Law Group’s process work for French citizenship by descent clients?
We support you through every step: we will advise you on what documents you need, make sure everything meets the formal requirements, and help with legalization or translations if needed. We also assist to submit your application in France, then keep in regular contact with the authorities to monitor progress and handle any follow-up requests until you receive your final decision.
