[DejW]

Hello

I've seen several posts in this excellent forum on Fr nationality (Thank you Bev for your hard work and good sense) and they set me thinking.

I'm a Brit, aged 66, living in France with my French wife. I've lived here for 11 years and see France as "home". I consider myself more "European" than British.

If I were to apply for French nationality I have the right to vote in the French Presidential elections, but what else? Is it worth the admin hassle to acquire Fr nationality?

I value your ideas!

DejW

 

[Bevdeforges]

I resisted taking French nationality for a long time because, quite frankly, it doesn't seem to make much difference - except that you can vote. As an EU national, you probably would find even fewer advantages, since you can at least vote in European elections. And, there is talk (depending on how the elections turn out in May) of allowing foreigners to vote in local elections.

In my case, I wanted to have a European passport - makes life easier living in the EU. And mainly it lets me use the shorter "EEA Passports" line when coming back from a visit to the US. And, to some extent, it's a matter of pride (not to mention a fall back if things get too weird "back home" some day).

Of course if you wait until you hit age 70, you don't have to take the language test!
Cheers,
Bev

 

[jacquest]

Hello

I've seen several posts in this excellent forum on Fr nationality (Thank you Bev for your hard work and good sense) and they set me thinking.

I'm a Brit, aged 66, living in France with my French wife. I've lived here for 11 years and see France as "home". I consider myself more "European" than British.

If I were to apply for French nationality I have the right to vote in the French Presidential elections, but what else? Is it worth the admin hassle to acquire Fr nationality?

I value your ideas!

DejW

Just to give you a different perspective.

Some years ago I decided to "reintegrate" french nationality from my great-great-grandparents. I had no "immediate need" of becoming a french national. I was born "abroad" (in South America) in a family of descendants of french emigrants. "France" had always been present in my family (language, celebration of french historical dates, admiration of de Gaulle and the french quest on WW2), etc.

In my "real" life, I had no "need" of french nationality, as I usually travelled back and forth to Europe without visa with my other nationality, etc. and had no intention of emigrating to France or the EU.

However, at a given point, in one of my trips to France, I decided "internally" that I was more than a "descendant of French", I felt I was french myself.

Therefore I went through the exact procedure from the civil code, put together all my documents, and went through the (rather long and expensive) process of reintegrating nationality. This process also moved a lot of things inside me, links with my grandparents and great-grandparents, family memories, etc.

Nowadays I'm a very proud "bi-national", I hold my french passport, and when travelling to Europe, I evidently show it at the point of entry into the EU.

I'm also very excited in being able to vote in the upcoming presidential elections, and very proud of being French. Besides that, I take the chance in every opportunity to explore the ways of being a "link" between my two countries, be it business, cultural, etc.

I guess this won't be of much use for your decision, but it's "another perspective", as I usually see non-EU people (in this forum, too) trying to get nationality in order to get into the EU in general (or France in particular). My case was more a matter of personal/family history, emotional links to France, etc.

Cheers,
jacques.

 

[windwalker]

Just to give you a different perspective.

Some years ago I decided to "reintegrate" french nationality from my great-great-grandparents. I had no "immediate need" of becoming a french national. I was born "abroad" (in South America) in a family of descendants of french emigrants. "France" had always been present in my family (language, celebration of french historical dates, admiration of de Gaulle and the french quest on WW2), etc.

Do you have a link explaining the rules on this procedure? My great great grandmother came from France and I have wondered about this.

 

[Bevdeforges]

Do you have a link explaining the rules on this procedure? My great great grandmother came from France and I have wondered about this.

Jacquest is the expert here on the process, but you can also get information through the French Consulate that covers your area (probably the LA consulate).

One important element in this, however, is proving your integration into French culture locally. You normally need to speak French reasonably well and have some contact with "French culture" in some form.
Cheers,
Bev

 

[jacquest]

Hi,

If it's your great great grandmother ONLY, then it won't work as french "females" only transmit nationality to their children since 1946, and I guess in your case it was well before.

If it was a "great great grandfather", then all men until 1946, you'd be in the position of analyzing the other "hurdles", including, as Bev said, having maintained or acquired with France strong cultural, economical, professional or familiar links with France.

Sorry.

Cheers,
jacques

 

[hils]

I looked into this for my daughter and myself.

For me, it just didn't seem worth the hassle & I'd have difficulty getting all the historic birth certs etc. Voting (& politics) now are, to me, a spectator sport and I can take some satisfaction out of knowing that whatever cock-ups be perpetrated, they ARE NOT MY FAULT! lol

However, for my daughter (also fraught with hassle) it may prove more beneficial. She's currently 21 and some jobs are closed to her for not being a French National (police, military, etc), not that she's planning a career in that direction, but who knows what may happen in the future? It's not an urgent issue for her, but at least we know what the drill is (vaguely). The cost of renewing a British Passport is a certain deterrent in maintaining "current" British nationality, but, whatever, she'd never lose her nationality of birth - ie she could always seek protection & residence if necessary of/under The Crown.

Every individual surely feels differently, but for me, it really just is not worth the aggro of several years' worth of more bureaucracy than we already have to deal with.

For what it's worth ....
H

 

[jacquest]

If she's 21 (adult), it will make no difference that you get nationality yourself or not (unless nationality comes directly from your parents without skipping generations).

Even if you got it, she might not, as there's the "assimilation" thing involved and each case is different.

Cheers,
jacques.

 

[hils]

If she's 21 (adult), it will make no difference that you get nationality yourself or not (unless nationality comes directly from your parents without skipping generations).

Even if you got it, she might not, as there's the "assimilation" thing involved and each case is different.

Cheers,
jacques.

We've been here 10 years continuously & she's bilingual. If she wants she won't have a problem getting French nationality, except for the delay & hassle of all the paperwork. It might do her some other favours inasmuch as every time she renews her CMU, for example, she has to jump through excessive hoops to prove her residence - and right to residence - in France.

(& when I say "she", of course that means me, 'cos she's far too busy getting on with her own life to be wasting time dealing with mundane things like paperwork!)

H

 

[jacquest]

Sorry! I thought you were commenting on the "réintegration" due to ancestry.

What you mean is a "naturalisation" due to having lived "x" years.

Cheers,
jacques.