How to obtain French citizenship for a Russian citizen in 2021: methods and conditions

France has every reason to be considered one of the most attractive countries for immigration. The status of a French citizen opens up a lot of opportunities, and a French passport will become a kind of passport to a new life. But it’s not easy to get it; you have to work hard for it.

What are the benefits of a French passport?

A French passport opens up many opportunities for its owner, giving him equal rights with native French people. Among them:

• a French passport is prestigious, this country belongs to the category of world economic and political leaders, it is respected throughout the world;
• a French citizen may not have to apply for a visa when visiting 175 countries;
• a French citizen is a priority candidate for employment within his new homeland, as well as within the entire European Union;
• the possibility of preferential conditions for obtaining a visa to the United States of America, Canada, Australia, as well as other highly developed countries of the world is open to French citizens;
• French citizenship ensures receipt of government assistance and subsidies;
• a French citizen has the right to vote and can become a full participant in the electoral process;
• a French passport will provide an opportunity to quickly acquire citizenship of another European country;
• French authorities will make every effort if a citizen of their country gets into trouble abroad;
• the possibility of serving in units of the French army and other law enforcement agencies, and holding positions in government bodies is open to a French citizen;
• a French passport can become a second one, since French laws allow for the possibility of dual citizenship.

It’s not for nothing that there is a well-known aphorism: “See Paris and die.” France is not only one of the most developed countries in the world economically, but also, one might say, the world cultural capital. French citizenship provides the opportunity to join this treasury, fully feeling like a part of French society.

France is not only one of the most developed countries in the world economically, but also the world cultural capital

Benefits of French citizenship

By accepting citizenship of the French Republic, an immigrant receives a number of benefits, including:

• the high authority of the French passport and the prestige of owning this document;
• the ability to move freely throughout the EU countries and the Schengen area;
• the right to exchange a French passport without any problems for the same document from any other EU country and, accordingly, change citizenship to the required one. Citizens of other EU states who need a French passport can do the same;
• the opportunity to work without any restrictions in any country of the European Community;
• a high degree of social protection that a French citizen can count on;
• no problems with obtaining visas to the USA, Canada and other countries. Visa-free visits to many countries with which France has relevant agreements;
• the right to participate in electoral processes, that is, to elect and be elected to public office;
• the opportunity to conduct business in France and the EU, open bank accounts, obtain loans, etc.;
• the right to purchase real estate in any EU country and dispose of it at its own discretion;
• the right to serve in the army, police and other security forces of France;
• the opportunity to contact the country's consulate if problems arise during trips abroad.

A few words about the preparatory stage of becoming a French citizen for citizens of the Russian Federation

Current legislation on citizenship of the French Republic has been in force since 1993. It does not limit the possibility of obtaining French citizenship by citizens of any country in the world if they fully comply with the conditions that apply to a candidate for French citizenship.

Citizens of the Russian Federation can count on receiving a French passport almost only as a result of naturalization. But the passport itself is the result of a long immigration process, divided into several stages. The first step for a citizen of the Russian Federation will be obtaining an entry permit to this country. To do this, you can visit the French embassy in Moscow or a specialized visa center. The addresses of the centers can be found on the website of the French diplomatic mission.

Having arrived in France, you must obtain a temporary residence permit within a three-month period. To do this, you should visit the office of the French immigration service OFII. There is a service branch in any French prefecture, and it is usually located at the police station. When visiting this establishment, you must first register on its website by going through authorization. Submission of documents and applications takes place on the day established by the immigration service. A temporary residence permit will be issued within a month. The standard validity period for such a document is 12 months, after which it must be renewed annually.

Obtaining a permanent residence permit, which is actually a permit for permanent residence in France, becomes possible only after a five-year period of residence of an immigrant in France on the basis of a temporary residence permit. In terms of their rights, a permanent residence holder differs from a citizen very insignificantly. The main point will be the lack of voting rights, which does not make it possible to take part in the electoral process. In other respects, permanent residents of France and its citizens are practically equal. The permanent resident status itself does not expire; the plastic card, which is a document of permanent residence, must be reissued every 10 years.

Today, the prospect of a significant tightening of immigration rules, as well as introducing corresponding changes to the legislation on citizenship, is being actively discussed. The French Parliament has already held several hearings on this issue. In the near future, it is expected that a corresponding bill will be introduced, which will most likely be adopted by parliamentarians.

If a foreigner plans to acquire French citizenship, he must live in France as a permanent resident for at least five years, and of the last 12 months before submitting the application, he can be absent from French territory for no more than three.

Today the situation with migrants in France is very tense

It should also be understood that there is a certain category of persons who should not even expect to apply for a document of French citizenship. Among them:

• immigrants suspected of collaborating with terrorists or extremists;
• persons convicted of hostile activities towards the French Republic;
• immigrants who have serious problems with the law in their home country, in the European Union or in France itself;
• applicants who cannot confirm the availability of sufficient income and its legality;
• foreign nationals who were unable to successfully pass language or immigration testing.

Citizenship by naturalization

Naturalization is a special process that step by step turns a citizen of another state into a Frenchman: you study the language, traditions, responsibilities of local residents, live in France for at least 5 years, after which you become a citizen of this country legally.

Please note that if you graduate from a local university while living here, the mandatory period of stay here is automatically reduced to 2 years. In addition, working for a local employer is an advantage for a future French resident.

Before your dream comes true and you finally become French, you will have to collect an impressive package of documents. Include:

• Certificate of successful passing of the French language exam;
• Certificate of passing tests for knowledge of the history and culture of the country.
• An employment contract with a French employer valid for more than a year.
• A bank account statement confirming your good financial situation.
• Documents on ownership of real estate or a long-term rental agreement for an apartment or house in France.

A carefully compiled package of documents is submitted to the prefecture at your place of residence, or, if you are outside France, to the Consulate in your country.

Be sure to make copies of all documents, as well as their translation by a qualified, certified translator. You can find such a professional in the wide-ranging company Cofrance SARL.

Cofrance SARL specialists will get involved in obtaining French citizenship at any stage: they will help you obtain a visa and residence permit in France, find suitable housing, organize air travel and much more.

After submitting the documents, you will receive a special receipt for payment of the state fee. You will have enough time - up to 18 months. At this moment, you have the right to change your last name (either yours or your children’s).

If, during the examination of the application for French citizenship

If you have to move suddenly, you should inform the prefect immediately.

If the decision to issue citizenship is positive, you will be notified about this. The last thing you have to do is sign the naturalization decree. Once you do this, it will take effect immediately.

How can you become a French citizen?

You can become a subject of the French Republic either by birth or through naturalization. Among immigrants, France is considered a state that distributes its passports very stingily. Apparently, the French themselves are so proud of their country that they are reluctant to share the right to be called its citizens with residents of other parts of the world.

From a practical point of view, it is much easier to obtain a French passport by exchanging a passport from another European Union state. In this case, it is best to acquire citizenship of Poland, Greece, Bulgaria or Romania. Immigration laws in these countries are more liberal. For EU citizens there is the possibility of preferential entry into French citizenship. International agreements stipulate that a citizen of any country that is part of the European Union can become a French citizen in just two years. By and large, EU citizenship in any case gives the right to enjoy all the benefits provided for citizens of any country of this interstate formation. But there are cases when an immigrant needs a French passport. In this case, it will be much easier for him to follow the path described above.

Citizenship at birth

French citizenship will be unconditionally assigned to a child born in France if either his father, his mother, or both parents have French citizenship. The path to citizenship is also open to foundlings found on French territory whose parents have not been identified. Such a child will be considered a citizen of the French Republic automatically. But if during the first five years of his life one or both of his parents are discovered, then in this case his citizenship will be determined in accordance with the citizenship of the discovered parents. From the age of five, children found on French territory become French citizens, so to speak, definitively.

French citizenship will also be issued to a child adopted by a French family. The necessary conditions in this case are the official adoption process and the fact that the child must not be an adult.

Among immigrants, there is an opinion that you can come to France, give birth to a child on its territory, and he will subsequently be granted French citizenship. And it is true.

There are two fundamentally different foundations on which immigration policies regarding the issuance of citizenship to foreigners by different countries are built. In one case, we are talking about the “right of blood,” when the blood of the people inhabiting a given country must flow in the veins of a citizen. The second option recognizes the “law of the soil.” This means that a child born on the territory of a certain country has the right to become its subject (regardless of whether the blood of the people of this country flows in him or not) because he was born on its soil. Each of the described options is acceptable for a certain category of countries. A mononational state, as a rule, establishes the “right of blood” as the basis of citizenship. Another category of states, usually multinational, is guided by the “law of the soil.” But practically mononational France is a rare exception in this case.

A child who was born on French territory and whose parents did not have French citizenship becomes a citizen of the Republic of France. Citizenship can also be applied for by adult foreigners born in France to parents who do not have French citizenship, provided they have lived legally in that country for at least five years. In this situation, an interesting feature is that similar conditions exist for children born even in the overseas territories of France.

Video: 12 unexpected facts about France

https://youtube.com/watch?v=-Jr2dx9tiNw

Naturalization and citizenship

The vast majority of foreign citizens who immigrate to this country become French citizens through naturalization. For a more complete understanding of the picture, we will consider each of the methods of obtaining citizenship through naturalization in more detail.

The social system here is structured in such a way that the state is obliged to protect you. If you have officially rented a home, the owner does not have the right to unexpectedly raise your rent or evict you from the apartment. If you get a job, you get access to all social guarantees. Some people take advantage of this. The normal practice here is to go to the doctor, get a certificate stating that you are depressed, sit at home and get paid for it.

Anastasia Faley

https://prian.ru/pub/32642.html

Marriage in France

Creating a family with a French citizen will definitely enable a foreigner to confidently begin the process of naturalization in France. Moreover, the required period from the moment of marriage to applying for citizenship is significantly reduced. To apply for French citizenship, a foreign spouse only needs to live for one year with a temporary residence permit, and then another two years with a permanent residence permit. The documentary basis for requesting citizenship will be a marriage certificate. It must comply with French laws, so documents received outside France will require legalization. The birth of children will not speed up the process of obtaining citizenship of the French Republic by a foreign spouse.

The process of acquiring French citizenship for foreign participants in unregistered marriages seems much more complicated. The process of legalization and waiting for French citizenship in this case will be longer and more complex. A foreigner living in an unofficial marriage with a French citizen can obtain a temporary residence permit, then a permanent residence permit, only upon the application of his French life partner. In this case, you initially receive a temporary residence permit, and after a year - a permanent one. You must have been a permanent resident or resident of France for five years before applying for citizenship. In total, more than six years pass from the moment she arrives in France until she receives her passport.

Fictitious marriages in France are a fairly common phenomenon used by foreigners when obtaining citizenship. Therefore, the country's immigration authorities try to control mixed marriages as strictly as possible. There are many methods of control, from visits to newlyweds by immigration officers to secret surveys of their neighbors. Over the past three years, more than 150 fictitious marriages have been exposed in France.

Creating a family with a French citizen will definitely enable a foreigner to confidently begin the process of naturalization in France

Citizenship and military service

There is one very effective way to get your hands on a French passport relatively quickly. This is service in the French Foreign Legion. The Legion is a separate unit of the French army, open to representatives of all nationalities. French laws provide that after three years of service in this military formation, one can unconditionally obtain French citizenship. This is exactly what most legionnaires do. If a legionnaire is wounded in battle, he can immediately apply for citizenship. In this case, the legislation of the republic is guided by the principle of “the French for shed blood.”

But this method of obtaining French citizenship is open only to soldiers of the French Foreign Legion. In other parts of the French army, foreigners are not allowed to serve.

I have heard many stories about serving in the French Foreign Legion. But each time it was about losers who, for one reason or another, could not become legionnaires. But I happened to meet one of the former legionnaires quite by chance during his visit to his homeland. Dima (this is the name of my interlocutor) entered the French Foreign Legion quite deliberately. He was a doctor by profession, but this had no meaning in the legion. Arriving in France on a Schengen visa, he went to the legion's assembly point on the outskirts of Paris. At the checkpoint, it was enough to say a few words in English that he wanted to become a recruit. Then there were many interviews and checks, three months of training at a base in the suburbs of Marseille and service in Africa. A foreigner who becomes a fighter in this legendary formation can count on a salary of about a thousand euros when serving in France. Only those who express voluntary consent can be sent beyond its borders to hot spots. As it turns out, a legionnaire will not be sent by force to a hot spot. But the salary of the same first-year legionnaire, for example, in Africa will already be three thousand euros. Every year it will grow and directly depend on the place and length of service, military rank, as well as military merits. The French Foreign Legion is considered an elite military unit that is part of the French Land Forces, where men aged 18 to 40 are eligible to serve. The first contract can be signed for a five-year period. A private serves for a maximum of 15 years; for command personnel, the service life is not limited. Legionnaires have the right to unconditionally receive French citizenship. But to enter the legion, you must have a high level of physical fitness, shoot accurately and generally have an adequate attitude towards military service. After three years of service in Africa as part of the security of the French embassy, ​​which was handled by legionnaires in one of the African countries, Dmitry applied for citizenship. I had to wait about three months to receive a French passport. Legionnaires do not recognize the division between citizens and non-citizens of France. Therefore, a French passport did not mean anything directly for service in the legion. Five years later, Dima finished his service and decided to stay in France, opening his own small business related to the provision of medical services. Today he is a full-fledged French citizen, has started a family, has a sufficient income and is quite satisfied with life. Describing this method of obtaining a French passport, my interlocutor considers it relatively simple and quick when compared with obtaining French citizenship by most other categories of immigrants.

A legionnaire can become a French citizen after three years of service

Family ties

Obtaining citizenship of almost any European power on the basis of closely related ties with its citizens is a fairly common and popular method. And France will not be an exception to this list. It has traditionally been a country in which Russian immigrants settle. Therefore, Russians may well have close relatives in France who are ready to issue a special invitation. With it you can get a French visa, a residence permit and gradually move on to a French passport. For foreign relatives of French citizens, local legislation provides certain benefits. In particular, I will need them to undergo testing for integration into society. But the family reunification program provides for the participation of only the closest relatives.

I heard that the naturalization procedure is a long, nervous and not always successful process, but outside the window it was a cloudy November, my work contract ended a few days ago, my favorite TV series had already been watched - in general, there was nothing to do that month, and Another bureaucratic procedure would greatly amuse me. Out of curiosity, I went to the website of Anthony’s favorite prefecture - and here a surprise awaited me: it turned out that they do not deal with citizenship, but send everyone to the main prefecture of the department - Nanterre. I knew two things about Nanterre: a) Among my friends, she is recognized as the Best-in-the-World and b) My friend G., while we were freezing in the pre-dawn queues, sent documents for the renewal of a residence permit to this prefecture by regular mail. The dossier could be submitted within a month - I clicked on the “Take a rendezvous” button and printed out the instantly received confirmation that on December 9 at nine in the morning they were waiting for me with all the diplomas and tax returns.

Anna

https://irano.livejournal.com/69862.html

French real estate and citizenship

Real estate in France can only be purchased by a person who has resident status in a republic or another EU state. If one relies only on French property ownership as the basis for the naturalization process, then such an approach will be clearly futile. Real estate cannot be the direct and sole basis for obtaining a temporary or permanent residence permit, much less citizenship. When moving to each subsequent immigration stage, you will need to confirm that the immigrant has a place to live in France. If he owns real estate, this will be a definite advantage. Thus, owning French real estate is only an auxiliary factor in obtaining French citizenship. But it can only be taken into account by the immigration authorities if the object costs at least 300 thousand euros. This is the minimum figure that must be indicated in the state real estate register of the French Republic.

It is also possible to purchase real estate in the overseas possessions of France. As a rule, it is much cheaper there than in France itself. At the same time, the minimum value of real estate in French overseas possessions is set at the local level. And citizenship acquired in an overseas territory is also French. Therefore, some immigrants who purchase property in the French overseas lands can save significant amounts.

Owning French real estate is only an auxiliary factor in obtaining French citizenship

Citizenship for investors and businessmen

In France, as in many European countries, there are preferential immigration programs for holders of foreign capital. Investors can expect to obtain French citizenship, usually through normal naturalization and progression from one immigration stage to the next. But the existing minimum threshold of 1 million euros makes this method of obtaining a French passport very expensive, so not everyone can use it. If a foreign investor who has citizenship of a country outside the European Union is willing to invest at least 5 million euros in the French economy, then he can apply for permanent residence in France. Investors who are willing to place their capital in France in excess of 10 million euros can directly apply to the French government to apply for citizenship.

It must be said that investors’ applications are initially reviewed by the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the French Republic. Investments that have an opaque origin are not accepted for placement. The French authorities are very scrupulous about the purity of capital invested from abroad.

Family members of investors also have the right to naturalization and accelerated acquisition of citizenship. For example, large investors who immediately request citizenship can request it not only for themselves, but also for their spouses, parents, and minor children.

There is another way to relatively quickly obtain French citizenship. For nationals of countries that were previously French dominions, it is possible to pick up their own French passport within three years of arriving in France. Some particularly savvy immigrants actually buy citizenship in some African countries that were formerly French colonies. Considering the highest level of corruption, purchasing citizenship in one of these states is absolutely not difficult. And now a citizen of country N, which was previously under French rule, comes to the former metropolis and immediately becomes its permanent resident. And in this status, he will have to live in France for only three years, after which he can safely apply for a passport. By the way, he may not even be second, but, for example, third. When purchasing a passport in country N, it is unlikely that a Russian passport was returned.

Video: how to obtain French citizenship

How to get a French passport as a refugee

In terms of time frames, there are no benefits for persons who are officially recognized as refugees by the French authorities. But the procedure for obtaining citizenship in this case is somewhat different.

France is one of the European countries that is very aggressively attacked by migrants from Syria, Iraq, and African countries. Therefore, this problem is very painful for the republic. The French authorities stated that every year about 3 thousand immigrants from the CIS countries request refugee status in France. And only every fifth person receives it. Therefore, requesting asylum in France should hardly be considered as a promising way to obtain French citizenship.

The corresponding status will be assigned to a refugee for five years. If the French authorities, after monitoring the situation, consider that it is unsafe for him to return to his homeland, they will issue him a permanent residence permit. And after five years, you can move on to requesting citizenship.

In 2021, France issued residence permits to 262 thousand immigrants. Compared to 2016, their number increased by almost 14%. Almost 82 thousand immigrants received citizenship this year.

Special conditions

French immigration law is quite variable. For example, the residency requirement may be reduced for immigrants who received an academic degree while studying at a French higher education institution. But for this you will need to submit a corresponding request to the French immigration authorities. Also, citizenship can be issued in a special manner to foreign politicians, athletes who competed in international competitions under the French flag, scientists, and so on. In this case there are no additional requirements. The basis will be only a separate decision of the French government.

Drinking alcohol in Russia is considered more of a vice, but here it is considered a sign of prosperity