French citizenship by descent or birth in France

If you have never held a French passport and your birth abroad was never declared to France, you must apply for a French citizenship certificate or CNF and demonstrate via documentary proof that you satisfy certain particular legal requirements. Our team has developed extensive experience preparing and defending CNF applications over the years. Contact us now for a brief overview of the process provided by phone or video conference at your convenience.

To claim your French citizenship by descent or French citizenship by birthright, you must be able to demonstrate via documentary proof that (1) your French direct parent (mother or father) was a French citizen at the time of your birth and (2) that you or your French parent have not spent more than 50 years living outside of France without holding any French IDs. Please contact us for a personal analysis of your situation and assessment of the documentary proof you hold.

If your parents never declared your birth abroad to the French government, you will likely need a CNF to obtain your first French passport. We will review the facts of your personal situation to determine whether a CNF is required and if it is, whether you are eligible to receive one. Once we determine the appropriate path forward, we can assist you through the full process of either the CNF application first, or the French passport application directly.

We can assist you in applying to declare your child’s birth abroad to the relevant French Consulate. If your application is approved, your child will be issued a French birth certificate and will be added to your French family book (livret de famille). Once those steps are completed, we can then assist you with applying for your child’s French passport.

If your child has not turned 18 yet, you must directly apply for their birth declaration to the French Consulate as soon as possible. Once you have received their French birth certificate, you can then apply for your child’s French passport. If your child has turned 18, your child must first submit an application for their Certificat de Nationalité Française for your child to be recognized by France.

Your adoption by a French citizen must be recognized in France for you to obtain a French passport. If you are the French citizen parent, the adoption recognition petition will be submitted in your name. If you are an adult child of a French citizen, the petition will be submitted in your name directly and the parents’ involvement is not needed. Once the French Court recognizes your foreign adoption as valid in France, you will then obtain a French birth record (akin to your foreign birth certificate, and including all information related to your parents). You may then apply for a passport.