How long does it take to get citizenship in France?

The naturalization process in France takes 8–36 months on average (16 months typical). You need 5 years continuous residence before applying.

What are the steps to get France citizenship?

1. Dossier submission at prefecture (0.5–3 months). 2. Prefecture review (3–12 months). 3. Ministry decision (4–18 months). 4. Decree publication (0.5–3 months)

What is the residency requirement for France citizenship?

You need 5 years continuous residence to be eligible for naturalization in France. B1 French required.

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Immigration Tracker

France — Citizenship Timeline

5 years continuous residence → 4 processing steps → passport

Average Total

16mo

Range

8–36mo

Speed Rank

#12 of 20

Residency Req.

5 years

Processing Steps

1Dossier submission at prefecture1mo avg (0.5–3 months)

2Prefecture review6mo avg (3–12 months)

Local investigation, interview

3Ministry decision8mo avg (4–18 months)

Transferred to Ministry of Interior

4Decree publication1mo avg (0.5–3 months)

Published in Journal Officiel

Total processing time

Moderate16 months average

Important Notes

B1 French required. Dual citizenship allowed. Impatriate regime available for 8 years.

How France compares

Average naturalization processing time, all 20 countries. France highlighted.

Key Insight

Préfecture wait times vary significantly by department

Based on 100 community-tracked data points.

Source: Service-public.fr, community reports · Last updated: 2026-04

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