Published on: January 28, 2025 | Article No: 295 | By: @rprasanth_kumar
Updated on: March 13, 2026
Discover the essential documents required for French naturalization and ensure a smooth application process. From identity verification and proof of residency to language proficiency tests, we’ve outlined everything to help you prepare your application for French nationality efficiently.
This checklist covers the various documents required for Naturalisation par décret, based on residency in France. If you are applying via the Declaration mode based on your relation to a French citizen (married, ascendant, brother or sister), the documents required and the application procedure are completely different. More details on Les procédures d’accès à la nationalité française
If you have any questions, please feel free to use the comments section at the end of this article.
Identity Proofs
Scanned photocopies of the following documents,
- Your valid official identity document: e.g., Passport. Create a single PDF of the front, back pages with your identity information and all the pages with immigration stamps.
- Electronic tax stamp: Accès à la nationalité française for €55. It is required only when you are completely ready to start the online application on ANEF and submit it.
- Your valid French residence permit (front and back), except if you are a citizen of the European Union, Switzerland, or a country in the European Economic Area.
Family Situation & Civil Documents
Scanned photocopies of the following documents,
- Your apostilled & translated birth certificate. It must include your full name, date and place of birth, and your parents’ full names.
- Proof of your parents’ birth and marriage: Documents confirming your father’s and mother’s date and place of birth, and their marriage if applicable. Apostilled and tranlsated birth and/or marriage certificate with the above details. If these official documents are not available, an alternative option is Affidavit for Indian Birth Certificate Issues – An Example
- If you are married, your apostilled & translated marriage certificate
- Your husband’s/wife’s authorization to enter France
- Your husband’s/wife’s valid residence permit or national identity card (front and back).
- Past unions: If you were previously married, divorced, or in a civil partnership (PACS), include all documents related to these unions.
For more information, please refer to Naturalisation française: quels justificatifs d’état civil et de nationalité ?.
Residence Proofs and Police Clearance Certificates
Scanned photocopies of the following documents proving your address in France,
Case A: If you are a tenant renting a place,
- Rental agreement (contrat de location).
- Last 3 rent receipts (quittances de loyer).
- Most recent utility bill (electricity, gas) or telephone/internet bill.
Case B: If you are a landlord owning your home,
- Deed of ownership (Acte de propriété) of your residence issued by a notary. You can also add a recent utility bill.
Case C: If you are being hosted by someone free-of-charge,
- Copy of an identity document of the person hosting you (ID card, passport, etc.)
- Attestation d’hébergement dated & signed by the host.
If you have lived in France for less than 10 years, you must submit a foreign criminal record (casier judiciaire étranger) or equivalent document from all the countries where you have lived in the last 10 years.
- It must be issued by a competent authority in the country or countries where you have lived, or failing that, in the country of your nationality.
- This document is required for countries where you have lived for more than six consecutive months.
- If you cannot provide these documents, you must submit a criminal record extract from your country of nationality.
- Legalization or apostille of the foreign criminal record extract is not required.
- This document is not required for refugees, stateless persons protected by the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA), or individuals who entered France as minors.
Support This Blog!
If you’ve found my articles helpful and you want to say thanks, a cup of coffee or two is very much appreciated!. Please help keep it going!
Financial Resources
Scanned photocopies of the following required documents based on your Professional and Financial situations,
1. General Documents applicable to most people
- French income tax notice (Avis d’imposition) or income tax situation report (ASDIR: Avis de situation déclarative à l’impôt sur le revenu) for the last 3 years.
- Tax situation form P237 (Bordereau de situation fiscale P237) for the past 3 years. It can be easily obtained by sending a message via your Impots account. After your request, the local tax office uploads the P237 document in your documents section.
- If you have lived in different cities in the last 3 years, you must send a separate request for each location.
- If applicable, Certificate of payment of family benefits (Attestation de paiement des prestations familiales). For example: family allowances from CAF, RSA, etc.
- Signed and dated statement outlining the nature, origin, and value of your movable and immovable financial assets (patrimoine). Please refer to the example template in the image below.
- Bank attestation confirming your financial assets, income from these assets and their frequency. You can contact your banks in France and other countries for obtaining these attestations. Documents must be officially translated to French, if they are in a different language.
- Attestation bancaire précisant le montant des revenus de votre patrimoine.
- Attestation bancaire précisant le montant et la périodicité des versements de ces revenus.
Note: The global financial assets template below is only an example and there is no official template for this purpose. It must include all your savings and investments in France and outside. Use the template as reference and create your own version according to your personal situation.
2. Specific Documents based on your Profession
Case A: Salaried Employee
- Employment certificate (certificat de travail) or career statement (relevé de carrière), ideally for the last 3 years. The relevé de carrière can be downloaded from your info-retraite.fr account.
- Employment contract (contrat de travail) specifying salary, start date, and job title.
- Last 3 payslips and payslips for November and December of the last 3 years.
- If married, in a PACS, or cohabiting (concubinage): last 3 payslips and last 3 tax notices (avis d’imposition) of your partner.
Case B: Unemployed/Job Seeker (Demandeur d’emploi)
- Proof of registration with France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi).
- Last 3 payment statements for unemployment benefits (bordereaux de versement des indemnités).
- Any proof of previous professional activity over the last 3 years (if possible).
Case C: Intern (Stagiaire de la formation professionnelle)
- Certificate from the training organization (organisme de formation) indicating start and end dates.
- Last remuneration slip (bulletin de rémunération).
- Any proof of professional activity over the last 3 years (if applicable).
Case D: Self-Employed (Artisan, Commerçant, Exploitant Agricole, Gérant)
- Business registration extract (extrait d’immatriculation) from the trade or business register.
- Company statutes (statuts de la société) for managers or partners.
- Financial statements (bilans financiers) for the last 3 years.
- Company tax status document (bordereau de situation fiscale).
Case E: Profession libérale
- Proof of registration with the relevant professional body (ordre professionnel).
- Proof of income for the last 3 years.
- Potential registration with the SIRENE business directory.
Case F: High School or University Student (Lycéen ou Étudiant)
- Certificate of enrollment (certificat de scolarité) or student ID for the current academic year.
- Proof of higher education diplomas obtained in France.
- If applicable, a Scholarship certificate (attestation de bourse).
- If financially dependent on your parents: copies of their valid residence permit/national ID and last tax notice (avis d’imposition). If parents reside abroad: proof of financial support received from them.
- If working as a contractual teacher (contractuel de l’enseignement): employment contracts for the last 3 years.
For more information, please refer to Naturalisation française: quels justificatifs de revenus et d’impôts?.
Civic Exam & Language Proficiency
Examen Civique: France is introducing a new civic exam on 1st January 2026 for foreign nationals who want to settle in the country over the long term. This requirement comes from the law adopted on 26th January 2024, which aims to reinforce both French language expectations and the integration process for newcomers.
The exam checks whether candidates understand the principles and values that shape the French Republic. It also evaluates their knowledge of the way France is organized and how the French society functions. More details on Understanding the New Civic Exam in France: A Complete Guide on l’examen civique from 2026
French language certificate: Applicants must demonstrate a certain level of written and oral proficiency in the French language. This level is defined by the written and oral level of B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
To prove your level of written and oral knowledge of French, you must submit scanned photocopies one of the following documents:
Case A: If you have obtained a degree in France
- A diploma issued by a French authority, in France or abroad, sanctioning a level of French at least equal to the level 3 of the national nomenclature of training levels (Brevet, CAP, BEP, BTM or higher levels). Please refer to this non-exhaustive list of accepted diplomas equal to level 3 or above, Liste indicative des diplômes de niveau 3 et plus
- For example: I did my Master’s (2 years) degree in France, so I’m exempted from submitting a separate certificate to prove my French language level.
Case B: Certificate of a language test (digital, printed, and less than 2 years old) confirming B2 level in both spoken and written French:
- Certificate of success in the French language knowledge test (TCF: Test de connaissance du français) issued by France Éducation International
- Or Certificate of success in the French language assessment test (TEF: Test d’évaluation du français) from the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCIP).
- Or a DELF/DALF diploma attesting to a level of knowledge of French. The less than 2 years old rule is not applicable in this case.
Case C: People with disabilities
- You can provide a medical certificate stating that your disability or chronic health condition makes it impossible for you to be assessed.
- If the medical certificate, drawn up according to the regulatory model available at Certificat médical, states that you can submit to a language test by arranging tests but that the certifying body has not been able to implement these arrangements, you must produce the medical certificate and a certificate from that body stating that it is impossible to arrange the tests.
- Official notice about this exception, Arrêté du 17 juillet 2020 fixant le modèle de certificat médical prévu.
Case D: If you are a refugee or stateless person, are over 70 years of age and have been living in France for 15 years, you are exempt from the requirement to produce a French diploma or language certificate.
Note: OFII attestations or FLEX language level tests are not accepted as proof of proficiency in French. For more information, please refer to Naturalisation française: comment justifier de son niveau en français?.
Apostille & Translation
- Legalization or apostille of foreign public documents: Contact your country’s embassy, consulate, or the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless Persons (OFPRA) if you are a refugee or stateless person. For example: I had apostilled my Birth Certificate and Affidavit for my parents in India. For more details, Apostille Process of Indian Birth and Marriage Certificates.
- Official translation of documents in foreign languages: This must be done by an official translator in France (except for multilingual birth certificates in French). For more information, Traducteur Assermenté: List of official translators in France.
- French civil status documents: Must be issued within the last 3 months. For example: marriage, death, or birth certificates. Fortunately, This rule does not apply to documents from countries which issue them only once. For example: Indian civil documents.
Note: Ensure that your apostille is done properly as explained in the above article. For example – Indian documents: Without the state government’s attestation from the concerned local City/District authority, the apostille document will not be accepted for naturalization. So, many people were asked to resubmit their Birth and marriage certificates with the correct attestation and apostille stickers.
Miscellaneous Notes
- You can also use an online simulator to create a custom list of documents that are required according to your situation.
- Upload scanned copies during the online application and present the original documents during the physical interview at the Prefecture.
- Keep track of your online application regularly.
- If any additional documents or corrections in uploaded documents are required, they must be submitted within the deadline mentioned in the ANEF notification. If not, the application will be refused and you will be asked to wait for 2 years and only then you will be able to reapply.
Support This Blog!
If you’ve found my articles helpful and you want to say thanks, a cup of coffee or two is very much appreciated!. Please help keep it going!
Question: Hi everyone. If someone’s (CDI) salary is changed (increased) within the same company after the nationality appliation is sent online, should we bring an avenant au contrat de travail during the interview?
I don’t get an avenant au contrat de travail from my company: the raise was just effectively shown in the next month payroll after I was notified by the company.
Don’t know if it would be better & safe to ask the company to provide me an avenant . Any of you has an idea about this ?
Thank you in advance!
Answer: Salary increases don’t need an avenant du contrat. They are simply reflected in the payslips. Some employers just give a simple letter as a mark of appreciation but it’s not mandatory. For the interview, you are supposed to carry the latest versions. So, it’s not a problem.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Question: My concern is more about if they (interviewer/administration) would wonder why my payroll doesn’t match my CDI contract’s salary (if no formal document is provided like avenant ), and think my file has some problem
Answer: No one expects the salary to remain the same as per the original contract. For example: If you had started working in 2020, will you be receiving the same salary in 2025?. Exactly why the Nationality application requires last 3 payslips & the last 3 year Nov-Dec payslips. So, there is nothing to worry about.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hi, i arrived in France when I was 9 years old and applied for naturalization in 2024 just before I turned 19 years old . My mother is French (by Décret ) and my dad has permenant residency (10 years card) . Since I am a student studying in University.. could you advice what should I attach on impots/financial resources .(I had attached my parents financial resources )
Hello Advait,
If you have submitted your application already, I don’t understand your question. Did they ask for additional documents?
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hi Prashanth,
Thanks for the post. Much appreciated.
My question is : my wife is indian and she arrived in France in 2024. How can I submit 3 payslips or tax declarations of her’s if she had not worked here? One of the requirements was to submit this if we were married.
Thanks in advance,
Sai
Hello Sai,
You can submit the available documents, as long as you satisfy all the eligibility criteria for naturalization. So, submit her proofs including passport and resident permit.
Your spouse living with you in France is actually a very positive thing. If she was in India, your naturalisation application would have been rejected.
Hi Prasanth,
Thanks a lot for all your efforts in all of your posts and helping the community.
Are you sure on this point, “If you have lived in France for less than 10 years, you must submit a foreign criminal record (casier judiciaire étranger) or equivalent document from all the countries where you have lived in the last 10 years.” ?
I have lived for more than 10 years in France continuously but still I am asked for ‘casier judiciaire étranger’. My friend who lived in France for more than 10 years was asked for this same document last year when he applied ?
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Raj
Hello Raj,
Yes, the police clearance certificates are required only for people who have not completed 10 years of stay in France. This is the official govt information. If your doubtful about the information on my article, feel free to refer the official sources mentioned in 99% of my articles.
You can either quote the official information to the agent or unblock the situation by obtaining the relevant police clearance certificates.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth,
Yes, you are right. ‘Casier judiciaire étranger’ is only needed if one is living in France for less than 10 years. As far as I looked, I did not find an official link on it in this page. But could find it in service public site (https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34708/1_0_0_1_1_1_0?idFicheParent=F2213).
Thanks for clearing it up.
Regards,
Raj
Hi Prasanth,
Great post and very informative. Keep up the great work.
My question is that are working for two years with a CDI contact after my masters, in will start my doctorate with CDD contact. Will the CDD contact affect my naturalisation application ?
Thanks in advance,
Hemant
Hello Hemant,
A CDI job is the ideal situation. But a CDD is accepted too. So, it will not affect your naturalisation application. All the best.
Feel free to leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hi Prasanth,
Thanks again for the informative post.
For the naturalization request, let say that I complete all the steps after joining all the documents, make the payment, etc.
Later during the verification process, they find that one of the attached documents is not good and they request a new document from me.
Do you know how much time they will give me to submit the newly requested document ? I believe after this deadline they may reject my naturalization request completely and I need to restart again.
Regards,
Raj
If any additional documents are required, 2 months is usually given to submit them.
Failure to respect this deadline will lead to application closure. Depending on a he situation, Either asked to reapply or wait for 2 years.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Thanks for your answer. I am surprised to see that they have asked to wait for 2 years (may be for some specific cases) and I wonder what were they!
Regards,
Raj
Thanks Prasanth for this blog very helpful.
I have two questions-
1. I don’t have by birth certificate apostilled and translated withe.Can I instead suiy the birth certificate issued by Indian embassy on Paris which I guess includes French as well?
2. My parents don’t have birth and marriage certificates available. Can an apostilled affidavit Signed by them serve the purpose?
Thanks for your help.
Regards
Hello Raghav,
Both the questions have been answered on my website.
1. Please refer to Passport Based Birth Certificate from Indian Embassy in https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/09/apostille-process-of-indian-birth-and-marriage-certificates/
2. For your parents, please refer to Affidavit for Indian Birth Certificate Issues – An Example https://prasanthragupathy.com/2023/07/affidavit-for-indian-birth-certificate-issues-an-example/
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Question:
I’ve received my Police Clearance Certificate (PCC), but it’s in English. Should get it translated and apostilled before uploading?
Any insights would be appreciated!
Yes, PCC must be translated. But, Apostille is not required because it was issued by the EOI in France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hello
Great post, really helpful thank you.
Quick question – do DELF language certificates need to be less than 2 years old? I was told that unlike the TCF/TEF certificates, the DELF ones did not need to be renewed, so I wanted to check ( mine is dated 2017).
Thanks in advance
Hello Sophie,
DELF & DALF certificates are valid for life.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hi there, this is a very helpful blog thank you. Do you know when the level B2 will be required? The décret d’application seems to not have been published and I have no clue if or when it will actually be enacted given the unstable political situation in France. Thanks for your help!
Hello Simon,
As explain in the article, the 2024 immigration law introduced the new language requirements and must be implemented by January 2026. The unstable political situation in France is really not relevant because the law is clear since Jan 2024. So, it is better to be prepared.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello,
Does the birth certificate of Parents and their marriage certificate also need to be apostilled? Or just the translation is sufficient?
Also, Can we get PCC from India while staying in France? Is it mandatory to be present in India for having Police Clearance Certificate?
Hello Kanika,
As per the official rule, all foreign civil documents must be apostilled. Some people didn’t follow the same. Its your application and so your risk to take or not.
PCC can be obtained from the Embassy of India in Paris or Consulate in Marseille, via VFS.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hi Prasanth,
Thanks for this article. very well summarised.
small questions reg. PCC : 1) I am staying in Toulouse since 2017 ,Can we book PCC appointment in Marseille or Paris is the only option we have.
2) apart from above PCC ,i should also apply https://casier-judiciaire.justice.gouv.fr/ on this as it’s less than 10 years. correct?
Hello Madhuri,
1. Yes, either via Embassy in Paris or Consulate in Marseille.
2. PCC from France is not required because the admin will check it directly. PCC is required only from outside France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth, do you know whether it’s the same for a Police Clearance certificate from Dubai that does not need to be legalized? The document was issued in Dubai and it was legalized at the UAE Embassy in Paris. Does it also need to be legalized at the French Embassy in Dubai? This process is very confusing!
Natasha
Hello Natasha,
Sorry, I have no idea about documents from UAE.
In general, PCC documents do not have to be apostilled. For example: Indians submit the PCC obtained from Embassy of India in Paris.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Great article, but I would like to give you a slight precision with regards to the apostille not being required for PCC:
If a PCC is obtained via the embassy of the concerned country, the embassy stamp and signature acts as an “apostille”.
If a PCC is obtained directly via a foreign government agency *inside* the concerned country, an apostille is required.
I have the unfortunate headache of getting PCC from multiple countries in which I lived in…
Hello,
Thanks for your feedback.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hi There, great post and very informative. I am about to apply for my french nationality and have most of my docs.
1, I dont have my father birth certificate (he was never issued one back in 1946 in India) sadly my father passed away last year, can i include his death certificate instead? (I dont have my mum birth certificate)
2, My wife has a UK work contract, so dose that mean I need to get this translated into French along with her payslips?
If you could advise, then that would be great
Merci
Rikesh
Hello Ritesh,
1. Sorry to learn that your father had passed away. If his death certificate lists his Date of birth & place of birth, you can submit it. If not, please create an affidavit as explained in the article.
2. If your spouse is working in UK, your French nationality application might get rejected die to poor integration to France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hi Prasanth. Thank you for this informative article. Could you please tell me what is the alternative if the applicant itself does not have a birth certificate? In that case, do you know if an affidavit (just like how you have informed for non-availability of parent’s birth certificate) would work?
Deepak
Hello Deepak,
If I was in your situation, I will try to obtain a birth certificate from India. You can try with an affidavit but I am not 100% sure it will be accepted.
Also, the affidavit must be apostilled in India. Some city administrations in India do not apostille an affidavit and so the same will be rejected by French admin.
For Parents’ affidavit, an apostille is not mandatory but highly recommended.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hi Prasanth,
Thank you for producing this article, it is very relevant to my particular circumstances, and extremely helpful. I do have the official list of documents I need to produce for my own application.
My question/difficulty is regarding the proof of income arising from my patrimoine. Most of my assets are tied up in investments in the UK; cash in savings accounts that only pay interest once a year, private pension funds that I don’t yet draw down on, and stocks shares which are very volatile both in capital value and in dividends earned. None of these offer proof of payment as I normally leave the dividends and interest etc in the accounts to accumulate. My building societies do issue a single statement of interest earned, once a year. My UK state pension is paid directly to my UK bank account and the UK Dept of Work & Pensions do not issue proof of payment, just the annual increase letter (which I have), but the payments do show on my bank statements. How do I best deal with satisfying the requirement for providing proof of income from my patrimoine?
Chris
Hello Chris,
You can submit monthly statements and attestations from your Bank accounts. Same for your pension letters. Everything can be summarized in an attestation, as explained in the example available in the above article.
Note: Most of my assets are tied up in investments in the UK can be seen as poor integration to France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
I am an Indian passport holder living in France since 2019. Currently, working in France on a carte de séjour salarié.
I am now eligible and am preparing my dossier to apply for French naturalization by decree in June 2025.
My question is: I am planning to get married in December 2025 to an Indian citizen who lives in India and plans to come to France as my dependent.
1. How will this change in my personal situation impact my application?
2. Should I wait to obtain the official marriage certificate, have it translated, and then declare the change in my personal situation on the online platform?
Could you please guide me through the process?
Thank you.
Hello Sai,
If you are going to submit the naturalisation application in June 2025, you will not be married and so it doesn’t impact anything.
After marriage, you can update your application with the relevant documents listed in the above article.
Note: If your future spouse stays in India after marriage, there is a high risk of your application getting rejected due poor family integration to France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hi Prasanth
When applying for nationality, does the apostille itself need to be issued within the last 3 months to be valid? Or is it acceptable if the apostille was done 4–5 months before the application date (regardless of the original document’s date)? Same for Police Clearance Certificate-does it have to be obtained in the last 3 months and not before that?
Thanks in advance!
Hello Abhilasha,
Documents issued in India: No expiry date
Documents issued in France: Try to obtain them within 3 months of application submission.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth,
Could you provide more information on obtaining Police verification certificate or criminal record for naturalisation. I am unable to find it in your blog. I saw you mentioned about getting it from EOI in France but I cannot find any link to submit or request in their website.
Does ithe request have to be done in person?
There is no need to get it from India right? Since being a resident in France it would be easier if it can be obtained from EOI Paris.
Hello Ravi,
Police Clearance Certificate PCC for India can be obtained from the Indian Embassy in Paris via VFS. Sometimes they do accept applications by post. You can check with VFS about it.
Details in https://www.eoiparis.gov.in/page/passport-services/
Will write a detailed post soon.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Bonjour Prasanth Kumar,
I hope this message finds you well.
My name is Raj, and I’ve been following your blog for some time now, especially for administrative guidance—it’s been helpful, so thank you for sharing your experience.
To give you some background: I completed both my Master’s (M2 – one year) and Doctorate in France, with both programs taught and defended in English. During my M2, we had only a few hours of French language instruction, mainly for integration purposes (But no official exam for it).
I now hold a CDI contract. I have also attained a B1 level in French (TCF exam).
I came across a point on your blog stating that a minimum of two years of higher education in France exempts applicants from the French language proficiency test for nationality applications.
Given my academic path, do you think this exemption would apply in my case as well?
I’d greatly appreciate any insights you could share based on your experience.
Merci
Hello Raj,
Yes and I have covered this topic in detail on https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/03/faq-new-language-requirements-for-french-resident-permits-citizenship/
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prashanth,
Thanks for all your work on this. Do we have any limitation on the type of the visa to be eligible for naturalization. I am on CDI with Talent Passeport Salarie en mission visa type and hold Titre de séjour Pluriel annuelle RP card.
Hello Prakash,
The very nature of CdS PT SeM is a temporary status until the mission ends. Many people have applied and got naturalised too.
But what they usually do is move on to a more regular CdS such PT CBE (blue card), Salarié, etc. Then the time spend on CdS PT SeM might be counted towards the 5-year regular residency requirement.
If I was in your situation, I would do exactly the same.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Dear Prashanth,
I have been living in France for the past 7 years. I hold a master’s degree from France and currently have the status of Passeport Talent Salarié Qualifié.
Over the years, I have changed employers around 5 times (on CDI contracts) and was also unemployed for a period, during which I received chômage benefits.
As you know, the naturalization process requires payslips for the months of November and December for the past 3 years. In my case, I won’t be able to provide them for one of the years (2023), as I was unemployed during that time.
Can I still apply for naturalization under these circumstances? Also, is it mandatory for the trial period (période d’essai) of my current CDI to be validated before applying, or is it advisable to wait?
Looking forward to your guidance.
Hello Shiv,
If you were unemployed during any period, please submit the France Travail attestation for the same.
Période d’essai is not a problem.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hi Prasanth,
Your content is a great source of info for everything admin in France. Thanks a ton for that!
My situation:
1. Nationality – Indian
2. Masters M2 from France (received in April 2024)
3. Cds Talent salarie pluranuielle valid till 2028.
4. Got a CDI and started working in 2023 (before grad, during internship period) –> Hence 2 tax filings till now (2023 and 2024).
Question 1 – In this case, since I have a masters from France, and have filed 2 tax returns, am I eligible to apply for naturalization this year?
I am also visiting India in a couple of months, I plan to get the following docs from there:
1. Apostilled birth cert.
2. Apostilled parents marriage cert.
3. PCC
Anything else I should prioritize getting from India?
Question 2 – Even if I do not apply this year, will these docs remain valid for next year’s application?
Any other advise on my situation would be much appreciated.
Keep up the great work,
Bikram
Hello Bikram,
1. Only if you have completed M1 + M2 in France, the reduction on 5-years stay is applicable. If you have done only M2, then you must complete 5 years in France to be eligible.
2. Yes for the civil documents but the PCC must be latest. You can get also the PCC in France, either from Indian Embassy in Paris or Consulate in Marseille.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth,
Now that the PCC has to be requested directly from the Indian Embassy, would it be possible to have a small description of what should be expected once the document has been applied for.
Regards,
Priya
Hello Priya,
The only difference in the new process is the application submission part direclty with the Embassy or Consulate. No changes in remaining procedure.
A police verification will be done in India. If everything is ok, a positive PCC will be issued here in France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth,
Thank you for the detailed post.
May I ask clarification application of citizenship after completing 2 years of Master’s BAC+5( programme grande ecole) as medium of communication in English, would I still be eligible to apply for citizenship? My understanding is that I would just have to provide additonal proof of French fluency.
Currently Ive been in france for 4 years, 2 yrs of Master’s, 6 months of internship, 1.5 years of CDI.
Thank you!
Hello Akash,
I have explained this on https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/03/faq-new-language-requirements-for-french-resident-permits-citizenship/
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
hi prashant,
I’d like to know
– For naturalization
I’m currently preparing my naturalization application, and I had a quick question about my parents’ documents.
They don’t have birth certificates, but they recently obtained their marriage certificate, which includes their dates of birth.
In this case, do I still need to provide affidavits for their missing birth certificates, or would the marriage certificate be enough to serve as proof of their birth dates?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hello Rajesh,
The exact questions were asked in the following article and I have answered too. https://prasanthragupathy.com/2023/07/affidavit-for-indian-birth-certificate-issues-an-example/
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hi Prasanth,
Thanks for this article. Literally too much helpful.
I wanted to check on 2 things if you can help me.
1) Do we need to apostille parent’s birth certificate if available ? or Apostille only needed if we do affidavit?
In My case i made affidavit for my father birth certificate and parents marriage certificate. so will i need my apostiled one for my mother’s birth certificate we already have?
2) Apostille documents :is that mandatory to be on Original document or on scan copy is also valid?
Hello, the ANEF website asked me : Vous avez versé un acte de naissance électronique avec un QR code mais ce document n’est pas recevable. Vous devez joindre le scan de la copie intégrale de votre acte de naissance apostillée SANS QR CODE, délivrée par l’officier d’état civil de votre lieu de naissance et accompagnée d’une traduction réalisée par un interprète assermenté.
I had gotten my birth certificate updated recently as it did not have my mother’s name, and the new version of the birth certificate was given only with ‘digital signature’ and QR code. Any ideas of what to do next?
Hello @Prasanth,
It’s been 3 months, could you please clarify this point ?
All my documents are with QR code my state has digitized the documents.
Thanks in adavce
Thanks
Abhishek
Hello Sharbatanu & Abhishek,
Have you tried the following?
One pdf of:
– original birth certificate issued after birth
– recent birth certificate with QR code
– apostille of the recent birth certificate with QR code
– official French translation
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hi Parasanth, do we also need a Police clearance certificate for France if we’ve lived for less than 10 years? Or just PCC from India is enough.
Also, are parents’ birth certificates needed or is a marriage certificate enough?
hi prasanth,
Firstly really great work helping towards the community.
I am preparing for naturalization but all the apostille for my birth certificate
and marriage certificate are all thorugh esanad which will mostly be an apostille
on the photo copy and not on the orignal itself.
EASANAD story : We upload the documents and they print out that document
With message : digitally signed stuffs and apostille sticker on the back, would that be ok?
Hello Ranjith,
If I was in this situation, I will do everything like you mentioned but with a slight difference. One pdf of birth certificate with original, easanad apostilled version and french translation. Same for the marriage certificate.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hi Prasanth,
Thank you for this detailed list. Just a question on birth certificcate. My last birth certificate was issued in 2019, so 6 years ago. Can i get that freshly apostiled and submi it as a part of my dossier ? Or do i need to get a fresh birth certificate and then get it reapositiled ?
Hello Varun,
If its not the original BC but a digitially issued one, I would highly recommend getting a new one and apostilling it for this purpose. If it was a non-digital paper based original BC, you can reuse the old apostilled one.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hi,
Firstly, thanks for the article. Helpful.
I have questions related to accommodation outside france info for the naturalization application. In last 10 years, I have lived in 2 cities (City A, City B) in my original country before coming to France in 2020. I lived 3 years (2017-2020) in City A and 2 years (2015-2017) in City B.
The police clearance certificate I received has an address mentioned located in City B but not the one where I Iived in 2015-2017. The mentioned address is the one where I lived in city B before 2015.
Question 1: Do I need to mention both cities in my application?
Question 2: Do I need to add proof of accommodation for both cities?
Question 3: The police clearance certificate doesn’t have address I lived 5 years before coming to France. The mentioned address is where I lived before 2015.
Thanks
Hello Areeb,
Which countries have you lived in the last 10 years?. I mean other than France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Dear Prasanth,
Many thanks for the detailed article. For parents documents I have their birth certificates, but no marriage certificate (as during the time of their marriage, my mother was <18years old). So based on their religious marriage date, a valid marriage certificate cannot be established.
My question is: do I need to provide their marriage certificate in addition to their birth certificates ? In case yes, during the application, should I mention they are unmarried or try to make some kind of affidavit stating the original reason for the 'non availability' of their marriage certificate ?
Thanks for any other suggestions.
Hello Akash,
If I was in this situation, I will make an affidavit confirming the marriage date, apostille it and translate officially. All the best.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Thanks Prasanth for the reply. So making a single affidavit from my end (not parents) mentioning parents birth details and marriage details will be enough? However, I am not sure, how the notary will be able to verify the marriage date (invitation cards probably).
I remember in the documents required, if at all we mention that parents are married; a marriage certificate is necessary. So the whole point of getting this affidavit is to bypass the marriage certificate requirement, right ? Thanks.
Hello Akash,
Ideally, the affidavit should be done by the parents becasue its about their docs. But, you can do it too for them. Please check your local Notary Public in India. Some are very strict and some aren’t.
Yes, the affidavit is for the absence of parents’ birtth and/or marriage certificates. Explained on https://prasanthragupathy.com/2023/07/affidavit-for-indian-birth-certificate-issues-an-example/
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth,
I am looking for the below documents to submit for the application:
Déclaration datée et signée précisant la nature, l’origine et l’évaluation de votre patrimoine
Attestation bancaire précisant le montant des revenus mobiliers et/ou immobiliers en provenance de l’étranger, ainsi que la périodicité des versements
For the first one, need to mention the assets just in France, India or both? I am assuming they should anyways be aware about my assets in France.
For the second one, I see that you mention to contact the banks in India. But what should be asked of them, is there any format available? I am wondering why would they verify any earnings I am having. Would submitting just the bank statement be enough?
Please let me know how to go about these.
Thanks
Hello Rohit,
1. Info about all your global assets including France, as explained above.
2. Attestation from bank about all financial assets in your name.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth, thanks for you detailed explanation.
I read throughout comments that you suggest to have translation + apostille for parents’ birth certificate and marriage certificate. Are both mandatory or one of them would be enough? (Parents birth certificates and marriage certificate)?
Regarding my birth certificate, I already have a translation and apostille from 3years ago, would that suffice, or I have to get a new one?
Thanks!
Akash
Hello Akash,
Both BC & MC are required from your parents. If one or both of them not available, please refer to https://prasanthragupathy.com/2023/07/affidavit-for-indian-birth-certificate-issues-an-example/
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Thanks Prasanth, also regarding my birth certificate, I already have a translation and apostille from 3years ago, would that suffice, or I have to get a new one?
Hello Prasanth,
Thanks for the informative link and guidance. I have got a few questions with regards to my own situation. I am in France since 2017 through Euro Blue card with family (wife + 2 kids born abroad – all Indian).
1. French Nationality Application, Chomage and Job opportunity in another EU place :
• I have applied for French nationality in May 2025 by decree, however I have lost my job recently, if this will impact my application.???
• If I get a job opportunity in other EU countries and need to move or commute (to Geneva / Barcelona / Milan / or nearby) – will it impact my application, or I should ask for a French employment contract?
2. My son born abroad (none of the parents is French) – he is soon 17 years, if I should apply his French nationality when he is 18 – that be better?
We live in Lyon (Rhone Prefecture).
Hello Bhavesh,
1. Unfortunately, a stable CDI or atleast 24-month CDD is mandatory. So, any chomage will negatively impact your French nationality application. This year, so many applications were refused for the same reason Poor economic integration It was tolerated earlier
Same for any cross-border work situation.
2. Minors living with their parents in France will become French, when the parent(s) become French. But your son, might turn 18 by the time your application is processed and your French nationality is official (if eligible). Then, he can apply on hiw own.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth!
Thank you for this detailed post, it is very helpful as always.
I am living in France since 2019 and currently preparing all documents for the nationality application. Is it mandatory to get PCC from Indian embassy in Paris or will it be okay if i can get it from India directly?
Regards,
Ashmita
Hello Asmita,
Both PCCs are accepted.
– If from EOI or Consulate: official French translation too
– If directly from India: apostille + official French translation.
Details about apostille & translation are explained in the above article.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth,
Can you please help me understand this point?
– Your husband’s/wife’s authorization to enter France
Where can I find this? There’s only the RP that I can produce as a proof.
Thanks!
Hello Shashank,
Its a valid long-stay visa or a Carte de Séjour.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth,
Thank you so much for all the articles and efforts you put in to reply to all of us without any obligation… Since the time I am in France I refer to all your posts and articles be it taxation, visa and now naturalisation.. I am actually uploading the documents on ANEF, I knew they would ask for birth and marriage certificates of my parents.. hence I got it got in advance.. but during my 3 week stay in India recently I could only apostille their birth certificates and unfortunately the agent said they refuse to apostille the marriage certificate because they got married in church almost 40 years back (even though we registered their marriage by lawyer through Indian Christian Act)… hence finally I do not have apostille for marriage certificate of my parents.. Now I see that it is not obligatory as there is no asterix but do you recommend I translate the marriage certificate in french and upload it or should I not put anything incase they reject this document because of no apostille stamp.. I have their birth certificates apostilled (even thought I couldn’t get them to do the home dept route just notary sdm and central)..Thanks again for everything you do for expat community in France
Hello,
Parents’ birth & marriage certificates are required for proving their relation to you. also their personal details like place & date of birth. These will be mentioned on your new birth certificate issued after naturalisation.
If it’s urgent, submit at least an official translation of their marriage certificate. I would also add an Attestation sur l’honneur stating that all details are correct.
If the admin feels that your application is incomplete, they will give you a notification with an 2 month period for submitting the relevant docs.
All the best.
Thank you Prasanth, yes for now I will translate my parents marriage certificate and add the attestation sur l’honneur. I was thinking they would just need name of parents, place and date of birth, since their birth certificates includes these information, I thought it would not be needed by the prefecture. Thank you again Prasanth I will do as you said and hope it gets accepted.
Thank you for sharing the information Prasanth.
The applicants who submit their applications before December 23 or December 31 are exempt from providing new language test results? or we are not sure
Hello Kiran,
Only date to keep in mind is 1st January 2026 for French naturalisation application topic.
– Before this date, old rules apply.
– From this date, new rules apply.
Application by post or RDV is not relevant for this topic.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Thanks for the reply Prasanth.
Hi Prasanth,
Thanks again for the help with the blog! I am filing my application and I have two questions where your guidance would be really helpful:
1. Under “Mes resources” section: There is a short gap of a few days between my two previous employments. Should I indicate the exact end date of my previous role and leave a gap of around 10–15 days before the start date of the next role, OR is it preferable to show continuity by adjusting the end date of the previous role to one day before the new role began?
2. Under “Mon domicile” section: When I relocated to France, I stayed in a hotel for approximately 1.5 months before moving into my rented accommodation. The NATALI portal does not seem to accept such a short-term stay. How should I declare this period? Should I indicate that I moved into the rented accommodation earlier than the official start date on the lease, or should I show that I remained resident in India until the start of the rental agreement? This situation dates back almost seven years.
Thanks again for helping!
Hello Shashank,
1. Please mention the exact working days because they can easily verify your work history available in the govt database. 10-15 days isn’t a big deal.
2. Again, please use the exact dates & do not adjust them. Enter whatever feasible. What’s important is the last 5 years before the application date.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Thanks a lot, Prasanth! Really appreciate it.
Just one more question: Do we need to self attest any of the documents that we are uploading? like passport copy, TDS copy etc.? I don’t see that anywhere but double checking just in case.
Hello,
Self-attestation isn’t a thing in France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Thanks Prasanth! Really appreciate your help.
I have a few more questions which would go a long way in completing my application:
1. Regarding Parent’s birth & marriage certificate: They are asking to upload three documents viz. birth certificate of both the parents and the marriage certificate. However, I have only one document which is the affidavit that attests the birth and the marriage of my parents. Do I upload the same document in all three sections?
2. Regarding Domicile: I’m currently staying on rent at a relative’s place, so there’s neither rental contract nor any rent receipts. I only have the justificatif de domicile in the form of electricity and gaz bill. What can I do in this situation?
3. Police clearance certificate: I have not received my clearance yet. Can I submit my dossier without this document for now?
Thanks again!
Hello,
1. Yes, if only affidavit is available.
2. Same as https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/07/address-proof-documents-for-resident-permits-justificatif-de-domicile/
3. Never submit an incomplete application.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prashant,
I would like to get your opinions and feedback regarding a future application for French nationality, considering my personal and professional situation.
Below is my detailed profile:
Personal Information
Nationality: Indian
Current residence: Mitry-Mory (Seine-et-Marne – 77)
Situation in France
Entered France in October 2021 with a student visa (1-year Master’s degree)
DELF B2 obtained in November 2025
Civic test: yet to be completed
Family Situation
Married in India in 2012 (husband is Indian)
My husband arrived in France in 2022, also as a student
One daughter (10 years old), studying in a public French school since 2022
Professional History (myself)
CDD: October 2023 → July 2024
CDI: September 2024 → December 2024
Unemployment: January 2025 → March 2025
CDD: March 2025 → July 2025
chômage: August 2025 → August 2026
Financial Resources (annual declared income)
2022: €0
2023: €7,973
2024: €6,643
2025: €32,036
2026 (estimated): ~€28,000
My Husband’s Professional Situation
No salaried employment in France over the past three years
Opened a SARL (fish shop) in February 2026
Estimated monthly revenue: around €1,800
Housing and Assets
Planning to purchase property in France by August 2026
Type: studio apartment
Budget: approximately €100,000
Financing: housing loan in France
Ties with Country of Origin (India)
My husband runs a seafood export Private Limited company in India
We own an apartment in India (valued at approximately 45 lakhs INR)
Naturalization Project
Based on five years of legal residence, I will be eligible to apply from September 2026
Target: submit my naturalization application in 2027
My Questions
Do you think my profile is strong enough to apply for French nationality in 2027?
What concrete steps can I take to further demonstrate successful integration in France?
Thank you
Hello Nandhini,
A simple suggestion. Please find a good CDI or at least a 24-month CDD job and only then apply for naturalisation. Since last year, many people’s applications were refused fri similar reasons based on a Interior ministry circular sent to Prefectures in mid-2025.
Reason: Chomage is seen as poor professional integration to France after the circular.
Regarding residency in France, you are eligible to apply even now. Not required to wait until Sept 2026 or 2027 provided you find a good job. Until then, no point in dong it.
Cheers,
Prasanth
PS: If my articles and answers are helpful, please leave your feedback on Trustpilot
Hello Prasanth, hope you are doing well!
I previously lived in Nanterre and moved to Paris. I submitted an address change request on ANEF in September 2025, but it has still not been validated.
I then submitted my nationality application online in December 2025. I have now received a request for an additional document stating:
“Vous devez joindre à nouveau votre titre de séjour actuel accompagné d’une confirmation de dépôt de votre demande de changement d’adresse à PARIS via l’ANEF (sur internet).”
At the moment, I do not have a formal attestation for this address change request.
On my ANEF account, I can see that the request was submitted, and I also received the automatic confirmation email when I filed it, but that email does not specify the reason/details of the request. Could you please advise which document I should provide in this case?
Thank you in advance for your help.