French nationality by descent

Who qualifies

• Likely FrenchA French parent when you were bornFrench nationality passes by filiation, wherever you were born.
• PossiblyA French grandparent or earlier ancestorIf each generation was French, the chain holds. But see the 50-year rule below.
• Usually notFamilies settled abroad for over 50 years without French statusIf you and the parent you claim through never had “possession of French status”, such as a French passport, ID card or consular registration, you may not be able to prove French nationality. The remaining route is a declaration under article 21-14 of the Civil Code, for people with clear cultural, professional, economic or family ties with France.

The 50-year rule

Under the French Civil Code (article 30-3), if your family line has lived abroad for more than half a century, you can’t prove French nationality by descent unless you or the parent you claim through has been treated as French: for example, holding a French passport or ID card, or being registered with a French consulate. Many families with a French great-grandparent fall foul of this.

How to apply

1. Gather proof of the French lineBirth certificates of each generation and proof your French parent or ancestor held French status.
2. Apply for a certificate of French nationalityIf you were born abroad, to the Service de la nationalité des Français nés et établis hors de France, part of the court in Paris. You can mail your file or hand it in. It’s free.
3. Then get a French passportAt a French consulate, using the certificate.

The full step-by-step guide to proving French nationality

Documents

• Your recent full birth certificate, showing your parents
• Your parents’ full birth certificates
• Proof your French parent held French status: ID card, passport, consular registration card, nationality certificate, military booklet or voter card
• Your parents’ full marriage certificate, or the recognition establishing filiation
• Passport photo, proof of identity and proof of address

For UK, Irish and US certificates, see where to order certificates.

Common questions

More questions about French nationality by descent

What a French passport gives you

The right to live, work, study and retire across all 27 EU countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. See what an EU passport lets you do.