From News Desk
In a significant shift to its immigration policy, the French government has implemented substantially stricter requirements for naturalization since January 1, 2026 while leaving the citizenship by ancestry pathway completely unchanged.
This divergent approach reveals evolving priorities in French nationality policy while creating distinct opportunities for those with French ancestry.
In a circular issued on May 2, 2025, the French Ministry announced the implementation of significantly tightened naturalisation conditions starting January 1, 2026. This shift indicated that naturalisation is not a right, but a privilege granted by the French government to foreign nationals.
A key change to the naturalisation requirement includes a higher language requirement – moving from B1 to B2 French, which demands the ability to understand complex material and communicate with nuance and precision.
Applicants must also show deeper professional integration in France; and their incomes must now come primarily from French sources.
Effective this year, candidates will need to pass a formal civic exam covering French history, values and institutions.
At the same time, strict exclusion criteria apply. Any period of irregular immigration status, even in the distant past, now results in permanent ineligibility for naturalisation, reflecting a zero tolerance approach to administrative or legal irregularities.
The changes have drawn public scrutiny following the recent naturalisation of actor George Clooney and his family, granted by decree shortly before the new requirements came into force. The decision sparked domestic debate over perceived “double standards” in the application of the tougher rules. Against this backdrop, France’s citizenship by ancestry (also known as citizenship by descent) provisions remain entirely unchanged.
This pathway continues to operate under straightforward jus sanguinis (“right of blood”) principles that have governed French nationality law for decades and now stand in stark contrast to the tightened naturalisation requirements.
Individuals with at least one French parent may still obtain citizenship by ancestry without needing to reside in France, demonstrate French language proficiency, or possess any knowledge of French culture or history.
Applicants are typically not required to attend interviews as part of the ancestry‑based citizenship application process; and successful applicants are recognised as French from birth rather than as newly naturalised citizens.
This provides direct access to the powerful French passport and full EU citizenship rights with far fewer barriers than in the standard naturalisation process.
“Holding a French passport means access to one of the most desirable travel documents globally, consistently ranking among the top passports for travel mobility,” Harvey Law Group (HLG) lawyer Lucy Nguyen said.
French citizens enjoy the legal right to live, work and study indefinitely not only in France, but across all EU member states.
Unlike short stay visitors who are restricted by the “90 days in 180 days” rule, French nationals face no such limitations in the Schengen area. They can relocate permanently, accept employment, start a business, or pursue education anywhere within the EU without the need for work permits, long stay visas, or additional hurdles.
Another major advantage is France’s recognition of dual citizenship. Those with a qualifying French ancestral link may apply for French nationality without being required to renounce their existing citizenship.
“This creates a powerful dual passport combination, offering expanded rights and security while preserving one’s original national identity,” Nguyen said.
The status also confers generational continuity as French citizenship automatically passes to children and future descendants, enabling them to hold dual nationality from birth if permitted by their other country of nationality.
The recent naturalisation reform emphasises that France views acquired citizenship as requiring deep integration – linguistic mastery, professional establishment, economic self-sufficiency within French society, civic knowledge and unblemished legal history.
While the French citizenship by descent pathway is appealing, many individuals with legitimate claims still face rejections when applying because they underestimate how complex it is to prove their ancestral connection to the French authorities.
To succeed in a French citizenship by descent application, applicants must prove an uninterrupted line to a French ancestor born in France – ensuring each generation properly secured or retained French nationality – and provide fully legalised, apostilled and correctly translated supporting documents.
News and Opinions... 