[chairman]

Hey guys this my first post but have been reading the forum for a while. I was wondering if someone knows the logistics of receiving French citizenship. I was born in France and lived there for 2 years before moving away. In the last few years, with the decline of America (financially and otherwise), it has sparked an interest of pursuing my passport. This year, I decided to take the year off of high school and move back to France to reach fluency and to put another year under my belt. I have read that there are some regulations stating that I have to live here 5 years but, I have also seen that if you have been deemed fit (knowing french, culture, etc) it can be bypassed. So, does anyone know where I stand and if I will need to spend more time here to go ahead and fill out the paperwork? Also, I am 16 so I don't know if that effects anything. I know my situation is very complicated but the EU passport is worth its weight in gold so any info is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[mofo]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_nationality_law

[chairman]

Thanks I have already seen that but it isn't extremely clear on all the circumstances for someone born in France.

[chairman]

Also if someone has experience with another country and obtaining passports that would be interesting.

[Super Etoile]

On first look it seems like you get citizenship automatically if at least one of your parents was born in France.
If not you're gonna have to go to school for at least 2 years if my understanding is correct...........

Have you had a word with the French Embassy/Consulate yet?

[The_CEO]

French Foreign Legion.
Afterwards you get French Citizenship plus some cash.
And you will not be back here asking about low carb diets advice and how to be less "beta" either

[mofo]

(02-01-2012 06:06 PM)The_CEO Wrote:  

French Foreign Legion.
Afterwards you get French Citizenship plus some cash.
And you will not be back here asking about low carb diets advice and how to be less "beta" either

How many years do I have to serve there to get a French citizenship?

[chairman]

(02-01-2012 06:06 PM)Super Etoile Wrote:  

On first look it seems like you get citizenship automatically if at least one of your parents was born in France.
If not you're gonna have to go to school for at least 2 years if my understanding is correct...........

Have you had a word with the French Embassy/Consulate yet?

No i have not. I think I am going to speak with a lawyer about the issue and see his opinion. And it sucks because my parents will not allow me to go to a French University because they are (underfunded and overcrowded).

[Tigre]

Neither of your parents have French citizenship?

Looks like you won't qualify for the moment. As well as being born in France, you'd need to have lived there for 5 years, between the ages of 11 and 18. You won't be able to fulfill that.

The regulations are here: vosdroits.service-public.fr/N111.xhtml

A couple of ways to speed up the process.

1. Since you're born there, you would instantly get nationality if you joined the regular army: vosdroits.service-public.fr/F295.xhtml

2. If you study in French higher education for two years (as well as meeting all other requirements), you would be able to apply at that moment: vosdroits.service-public.fr/F2213.xhtml

For option 2, keep in mind that the process might take a while to complete, and you'd need to still be living there when they grant you citizenship. So find out how long that determination process takes (18 months, maybe?) and include that in the time you're planning on living there.

Before putting any time and money into a plan, you should read the fine print. Check and double check that you meet all the requirements.

There are some options for becoming a citizen if the nation thinks you deserve it for some special reason. Forget about qualifying for that unless you have friends in extremely high places who will call in favours for you.

[The_CEO]

(02-01-2012 06:09 PM)mofo Wrote:  

(02-01-2012 06:06 PM)The_CEO Wrote:  

French Foreign Legion.
Afterwards you get French Citizenship plus some cash.
And you will not be back here asking about low carb diets advice and how to be less "beta" either

How many years do I have to serve there to get a French citizenship?

Not sure..probably between 3-5 years.

http://www.legion-recrute.com/en/

[scotian]

(02-01-2012 06:26 PM)The_CEO Wrote:  

(02-01-2012 06:09 PM)mofo Wrote:  

(02-01-2012 06:06 PM)The_CEO Wrote:  

French Foreign Legion.
Afterwards you get French Citizenship plus some cash.
And you will not be back here asking about low carb diets advice and how to be less "beta" either

How many years do I have to serve there to get a French citizenship?

Not sure..probably between 3-5 years.

http://www.legion-recrute.com/en/

I read a book about an American guy who joined the Legion for something exciting to do, basically you go to a recruiting centre, hand over your passport, then do a series of mental/physical tests. If you pass, they ship you off to basic training in Castelnaudry (nice area in SW France), then you basically give them 5 years of your life and in return you get French citizenship. You'll likely serve in some of France's former colonies in Africa (Djibouti, Cote d'Ivoire, etc) or DOM-TOM (French Guyana, etc).

Also, if you're the kind of guy who wants to run away from life's problems and start anew (new name, identity, etc), this may be a decent option!

[chairman]

Does anyone know what constitutes as living in a country for a year? Do you have to be in the country for more than 9 months out of the year for it to count or is it stricter (or more lenient)?