Citizenship through marriage: when you can make the declaration
Enter your wedding date and where you have lived since: the calculator shows when the declaration becomes admissible and the refusal deadline.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
Declaration possible from
9 July 2026
4 years of marriage required
| Registration can be refused until | 1 December 2027 |
| If the Government opposes | 1 December 2028 |
| Tax stamp | €255 |
| French level required | B2 |
Continuous shared life since the wedding, spouse French on the wedding date; a marriage abroad must be registered in France.
Rules and sourcesThe foreign spouse of a French national can become French by declaration (déclaration de nationalité), with no decree, after 4 years of marriage on the day of the declaration. That becomes 5 years if, since the wedding, the spouse has not lived in France without interruption for at least 3 years, unless the French partner was registered with the consulate (registre des Français établis hors de France) while the couple lived abroad. For a wedding on 9 July 2022, the declaration is admissible on 9 July 2026 after three years in France, otherwise on 9 July 2027. Having a child together does not shorten this, whatever some websites claim. You also need a continuous shared life, emotional and material, a marriage registered in France if it took place abroad, B2-level French and a €255 tax stamp. After the interview, the ministry has 1 year to refuse registration, 2 years if it lodges an objection.
What the calculator works out
It adds 4 years to the wedding date if you have lived at least 3 years without interruption in France since the wedding, or if your spouse was registered with the consulate while you lived abroad together; 5 years otherwise. With the date of the receipt issued after the interview, it gives the last date on which the ministry may refuse registration. The rules come from the official page on the declaration by marriage and articles 21-1 to 21-6 of the Civil Code.
| Situation since the wedding of 9 July 2022 | Period required | Declaration admissible |
|---|---|---|
| Three years or more in France | 4 years | 9 July 2026 |
| Under three years in France, spouse not registered abroad | 5 years | 9 July 2027 |
| Under three years in France, spouse registered with the consulate | 4 years | 9 July 2026 |
Conditions no calculator can check
Your spouse must have been French on the wedding day and still be French. A marriage celebrated abroad must be entered in the French civil registers (transcription). You need a valid residence permit when you file (EU and Swiss nationals excepted) and must not be subject to an expulsion order. A prison sentence of six months or more without suspension bars the declaration. The file goes to the naturalisation platform for your home address, in person or by post depending on the platform, with form cerfa 15277 signed by both spouses.
Decree or declaration?
If you have lived in France for more than 5 years, naturalisation by decree may be possible before the four years of marriage, but it is discretionary and requires the civic exam. The declaration is registered once the legal conditions are met. This is information, not legal advice.