A question on citizenship

[Marymary]

I hope this post ends up in the right place, I'm a newbie to the forum, so bonjour, and thank you for any help. My husband is eligible for French citizenship because his Grandparents and Father were French. His spoken/ written French is good. We are, however struggling to find out what the process is to make the application, where the forms come from, where they go, does he

have to go somewhere do it in person, which supporting documents are required, is there a fee? Does he need to employ a solicitor. We are currently still living in the UK planning to move to France next year, but I know this won't affect the application in his case. Thanks for any help, particularly from anyone who has been through this process.

[idun]

Most official stuff and lots of general information is on the service-public.fr web site

[KO12]

You need to contact the French Consulate in London. First thing, check their web site.

[Marymary]

Idun, We have looked all through but it is very difficult to find exactly what we need in the question above, so really hoping someone who has been through the process would be able to help. But thanks anyway.

[Marymary]

KO12, Is the consulate something you know as a fact? We have been in touch with them but no joy so far, we can try again if that is definitely what we need to do. Which department? Thanks

[JohnFB]

Check if your husband's birth was registered with the french consulate. If so he will have a french birth certificate and is therefore french. Copies of foreign registered birth certificates have been centralised in Nante. I forget the exact email address sorry. You can search online and get a full copy at no cost. With that the consulate will issue a passport.

Birth were invariably registered to update the liveret de famille which might exist in your family archives.

The above is from personal experience.

[YCCMB]

I think this might be what you need. Really not trying to be rude or clever, but it took me very little time on the Service Public website to find it.

https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1051

Looks like you have to make a personal visit to the Tribunal d'Instance in Paris to get the certificate. The link tells you what documents/evidence you need to provide depending on your husband's specific circumstances.

[Marymary]

Okay thanks guys. But I think you have misinterpreted my question. My husbands father was french, grandparents were french. My husband is English, born in UK. We have all the french birth certificates, passports, war record for my father in law (with the free french airforce, including a medal), and documents for grandparents. My husband want to apply for french citizenship ( dual nationality). This is the info I need and with respect it does not seem to appear in the website that people are referring me to. Or perhaps someone could copy and paste it because I really cannot see the actual relevant info I need. Anyway, thanks all for your attempted help, the search will continue. This is why I am hoping that someone who has been through the process can point me in the right direction.

[YCCMB]

Actually, that's EXACTLY what I pointed you to, but hey...

[EuroTrash]

I confirm, YCCMB's link explains the procedure to be followed by a person in your husband's position who wants to claim French citizenship by blood.

"Le certificat de nationalité française est un document qui permet de prouver sa nationalité française. Le certificat indique la disposition en vertu de laquelle vous avez la qualité de Français (mariage, filiation, etc)." - seems as clear as can be. Why do you not think this is what you need?

I think you may be thinking that this is an unusual situation so you need to be hunting for some obscure complicated bits of legislation, but in fact it's very very common, lots of people go through this process. I say that because as part of my work I translate a steady stream of these applications.

Just to clarify, your husband is not APPLYING for citizenship as such, because he already has it as a birthright. What he is doing is CLAIMING it. So it's simply a case of proving the right he already has, by producing the full papertrail.

[YCCMB]

To add to Eurotrash's post, if you follow the link (and, as you say your husband has good French, this should be easy), you'll find you have a tick box option to select that he was born abroad and has one French parent.

This will then show you a list of the documents you need to get the certificate of nationality, which can then be used to apply for a passport or identity card.

Here it is:

L'un de vos parents est français

- Naissance à l'étranger d'1 ou 2 parent(s) français

(This last sentence, lest there be any doubt, means "born abroad to one or two French parents")

Cette liste est indicative. Des pièces supplémentaires peuvent être demandées pour prouver la nationalité.

1 photo d'identité,

1 justificatif d'identité,

1 justificatif de domicile (facture récente d'électricité, contrat de location, avis d'imposition...),

1 copie intégrale de votre acte de naissance avec indication de votre filiation,

1 copie intégrale de l'acte de naissance de votre parent français,

1 copie intégrale de l'acte de mariage de vos parents ou, s'ils ne sont pas mariés, 1 copie intégrale de l'acte de reconnaissance prouvant votre filiation.

Attention :

l'acte de naissance doit être récent, car un acte ancien ne permet pas de vérifier un éventuel changement de nationalité (jugement d'extranéité, renonciation à la nationalité française...).

[EuroTrash]

YCCMB, you are a Very Patient Person :-)

[ericd]

All depending where you are in the UK, contact your local Consul Honoraire.

https://uk.ambafrance.org/-Consuls-Honoraires-

Alternatively, contact me by Private Message, happy to help