WIll French citizenship application be affected by studying in UK?

Reader Question: We applied for citizenship for our son, who will be 18 next year, months ago. He has lived permanently in France with us since age four but is considering going to a UK university next year. It seems it may take more than a year for him to get citizenship – will him being overseas impact his application? 

You are correct that it can take a long time for citizenship requests to be processed, and it is unlikely this will be completed before the time he goes to university. 

Unfortunately, leaving the country is likely to negatively impact his application. 

“To obtain nationality by decree it is compulsory to be resident in France,” immigration lawyer Alexandre Gillioen told us, when we asked him about this situation.

“If they gain nationality but it is found that they had left the country beforehand, this will constitute fraud and the decree may be put off, and the nationality cancelled,” he added. 

Residence in France for these purposes typically includes notions of having the ‘centre of ones material – especially professional – interests in France, as well as immediate family links. Essentially, your child should remain in France until they have a citizenship decree, before studying in the UK. 

Mr Gillioen, of Gillioen avocats in Lyon, added that, in any case, requests for French nationality by decree (the standard route, requiring residence in France for at least five years) ask for evidence of financial autonomy, and so students are not granted this during their studies. 

Unless claiming via a fast-track route because of French family links (see below), your son will have to apply in the standard way, though as he will have French school certificates, he will skip the usual language tests.

Depending on the area of France, ordinary French citizenship requests can take anything from around two to five years to process from start to finish. 

Read more: How long can someone remain outside of France before residency permit is invalid?

Citizenship process for people born in France

The process is much faster for young members of foreign families in France who were themselves born in France, who can claim French nationality as a right, on reaching 18 if they are still living in France and have spent at least five years in France since age 11 (under certain conditions, their parents can claim it for them earlier, from age 13).

However, Mr Gillioen said it is essential in this case for them to have been living in France during their 18th year. 

Young people aged under 18 can also become French as of right if one or other of their parents becomes French.

Fast-track option 

A fast-track ‘by declaration’ (as opposed to decree) option, is possible for young foreigners aged 18 or more if a sibling is French (eg. a younger brother or sister who was born in France and has claimed French nationality).

Conditions include having lived in France habitually since the age of six and having done your obligatory schooling in France. 

In this case the application will usually be faster than when applying ‘by decree’ but it is still liable to take a year or so, as substantial supporting documents are needed and a prefecture interview. 

Residency rights

An alternative is for your son to go to university in the UK and then return to live with you in France and apply for citizenship later.

However, he will have to re-establish a period of five years in France, to do so. 

Bear in mind residency issues also. If your son obtains a permanent stay Withdrawal Agreement residency card he may stay away from France for up to five years before losing the residency rights this confers. 

Read more: What is the difference between a French carte de séjour and a titre de séjour?