Married to a French citizen? After 4 years of marriage, you can claim French citizenship by a simple declaration. It is not naturalisation: if you meet the conditions, it is a right. Here is who can apply, what changed in 2026, and how long the wait is.

In short

  • Length of marriage: 4 years, or 5 if you have not lived lawfully in France for at least 3 years since the wedding (unless your spouse is on the French consular register).
  • Life together: emotional and material, uninterrupted since the wedding.
  • Your spouse: French on the wedding day, and still French.
  • French language: B2, spoken and written, since 1 January 2026 (previously B1).
  • Civic test: not required, it applies to naturalisation.
  • Stamp duty: €255 since 1 May 2026 (previously €55).
  • Legal deadline: 1 year after the receipt for a complete file, 2 years if the Government opposes.
  • Dual citizenship: allowed by France, check your home country's rules.

Who can apply for French citizenship by marriage

Marriage does not make you French automatically. It gives you a right: to claim French nationality by declaration once the conditions of article 21-2 of the Civil Code are met. A PACS or cohabitation does not.

4 or 5 years of marriage

The length is counted on the day you file. It is 4 years if you have lived in France lawfully and continuously for at least 3 years since the wedding. It is also 4 years if you lived together abroad and your spouse was registered with the French consulate. In all other cases, it is 5 years.

Living abroad? Your spouse should register with the French consulate (registre des Français établis hors de France) as soon as you settle there: the registration must cover your whole life together abroad, and registering late does not make up for the years already passed.

A real life together

Your life together (communauté de vie) must be both emotional and material, with no break up to the day you file. Sharing a home is not enough: in 2026 the Cour de cassation held that a couple who had accepted the principle of divorce no longer had a life together, even while still living under the same roof. Conversely, separate homes for work reasons do not rule it out: what counts is the reality of the relationship.

A spouse who was French at the wedding

Your spouse must have been French on the wedding day and still be French. If they became French later, the marriage route is in principle not available, and the usual path is naturalisation.

What blocks it in every case

Unlawful presence in France, a current expulsion order or ban from French territory, or an unexpunged prison sentence of 6 months or more without suspension all prevent you from acquiring French nationality.

Living abroad? See French citizenship by marriage from abroad.

Married abroad: transcription first

If you married outside France, the marriage must be transcribed into the French civil register before you file. You apply to the competent consulate, and it can take several months. Start early, well before your fourth anniversary: without it, your citizenship file is incomplete.

French language: B2 since 2026

Any declaration filed since 1 January 2026 requires B2-level French, spoken and written. Many websites, and even some official forms, still say B1: that is out of date.

There are two ways to prove it: a French diploma on the official list (brevet, CAP or higher, or a diploma certifying at least B2), or a language test less than 2 years old taken at an approved centre. A comparability certificate for a foreign degree taught in French is no longer accepted.

The civic test introduced in 2026 does not apply to the marriage declaration. Your integration is assessed at the interview instead.

Your file

It includes your birth certificate, the marriage certificate or its transcription, proof of your spouse's French nationality, evidence of your life together, criminal records from every country you lived in over the last 10 years, proof that any previous marriage ended, and your French-language evidence. Foreign documents generally need a translation and, depending on the country, legalisation or an apostille. This is often where files get delayed.

The steps

  1. Filing with the nationality platform (plateforme d'accès à la nationalité) for your area, or with the consulate if you live abroad.
  2. Missing documents: you may be given a deadline to complete your file.
  3. The receipt (récépissé), issued once your file is complete, often at the end of the interview. Its date starts the legal deadlines.
  4. The investigation by the police or gendarmerie.
  5. The interview, with your spouse, about your life together and your integration.
  6. The decision: in France, the préfet registers the declaration; if the préfet is against it, the Interior Ministry decides.

Once your declaration is registered, you are French from the date of the declaration. Your minor children who live with you can become French at the same time if they are named in it.

How long the wait is

The law gives the administration 1 year from the receipt to refuse registration, and 2 years for a Government opposition. If there is no refusal within that time, the declaration must be registered.

In practice, the wait starts before the receipt, with document requests, the investigation and the interview. From filing to decision it can exceed a year, and it varies widely between préfectures. Meanwhile you remain a foreign national: keep your residence permit valid, because the citizenship application does not extend it. If your renewal is slow, see the attestation de prolongation d'instruction.

If you are refused or the Government opposes

  • File closed for missing documents: challenge before the judicial court within 6 months, or file a new declaration.
  • Refusal to register, when a legal condition is not met: challenge before the judicial court within 6 months, where a lawyer is mandatory.
  • Opposition decree, for unworthiness or lack of integration: challenge before the Conseil d'État, which reviews the reasons closely.

Even after registration, your nationality can be challenged for 2 years if a condition was missing, or in case of fraud. A separation within 12 months of registration creates a presumption of fraud. A solid file from the start also protects you later.

When to get help

  • You married abroad and the transcription is stuck.
  • You have lived apart for a period, for work or family reasons.
  • You are between 4 and 5 years of marriage and unsure whether your 3 years' residence counts.
  • You have a criminal record, a past removal order or a period without a residence permit.
  • You have received a refusal or an opposition decree: challenge deadlines are short.
  • You are weighing marriage against naturalisation.

Not sure whether your dates allow you to file now? A short consultation is enough to check.

Frequently asked questions

How many years of marriage do you need for French citizenship?

4 years, or 5 if you have not lived in France lawfully and continuously for at least 3 years since the wedding, unless your spouse was on the French consular register while you lived together abroad.

Do you have to live in France to apply?

No. You can file at the consulate. You then need 5 years of marriage, or 4 if your spouse was on the consular register.

Do you need to pass the civic test?

No. The civic test applies to naturalisation. For the marriage declaration, you need B2 French and an interview.

Can you keep your original nationality?

France does not ask you to give it up. Some countries, however, withdraw their nationality when you acquire another: check your home country's law before filing.

What if you divorce during the process?

Your life together must exist on the day you file. An actual separation is a bar, and a separation within 12 months of registration creates a presumption of fraud. Every situation needs a close look at the dates.

How is it different from naturalisation?

The marriage declaration is a right: if the conditions are met, it must be registered unless the Government validly opposes it. Naturalisation is discretionary, normally requires 5 years' residence in France and, since 2026, a civic test.

Related reading

Two ways to move forward

Check whether you can file now. In a consultation, your marriage and residence dates, the transcription, the language requirement and the weak points in your file are reviewed. Book a consultation.

Hand over the declaration. The firm prepares the file, follows the process and, if needed, challenges a refusal before the judicial court or an opposition before the Conseil d'État. Describe your situation and you will receive a proposal for full assistance.

General information under French law as at 31 October 2026. It is not legal advice for your situation.