Changes to French citizenship rules

France’s Interior Ministry recently confirmed a change in the way that French citizenship applications are dealt with, specifically when it comes to income requirements.

Last week, France’s Interior Ministry confirmed to The Local that retirees applying for naturalisation based on residency would be refused if their income comes mainly from abroad, including those living on a pension from another country.

While the expectation that applicants should demonstrate stable and regular income – in addition to the fact that France is the ‘centre of their interests’ – is not new, the way that local authorities have been told to interpret this when it comes to retirees has changed.

These standards were spelt out in a memo (circulaire) sent out by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to préfecture staff in May 2025, and as a result, several retirees who might have qualified under previous standards have seen their applications rejected.

Many of our readers have questions and concerns about the future, and here we try to answer those questions;

What if I’m applying by marriage?

The rules for applications by marriage and family ties (déclaration) are different from those by residency (décret). The circulaire is focused only on applications based on residency.

A foreign retiree requesting citizenship based on marriage or family ties would not need to demonstrate that the majority of their income comes from French sources.

What do they mean by ‘French-sourced income’?

Broadly, ‘French-sourced’ income (revenu, or ressources) is exactly what it sounds like – salaries and wages, investments, real estate earnings and pensions – that come from France.

One of the easiest ways to answer this question is to look at where the income should be declared on your French tax declaration. If it is categorised as ‘overseas’ income (source étrangère), then it is not French-sourced.

What if I’m a freelancer working for foreign clients?

If you are registered as self-employed in France, and you declare your income to the tax authorities as French income, then it counts as French – even if you’re being paid by clients in another country.

The broad rule of thumb is to look at your annual tax declaration – anything you have declared as ‘source étrangère’ is foreign income, the rest is French.

That said, some freelancers report being quizzed about their clients if they work only for foreign clients or foreign companies.

What if I have a French pension?

The biggest problems are for people who retire to France, that is, they have never worked here.

People who move to France to work and then retire will qualify for a French pension, although it may not be very large if they have only worked in France for a short time.

The requirement is for the ‘majority’ of your income to be French-sourced – if you have a very small French pension and a much larger pension from another country, you may still encounter problems. If you meet the other criteria, it is better to apply while you are still working.

How much of my income should come from France? And for how long?

This part is still a bit of a grey area. Technically, the circulaire says only that applicants should demonstrate ‘a majority’ (ie more than half) of their income is from French sources.

The circulaire also specified that you must earn at least the French minimum wage (Smic). This is regularly revised but currently stands at €21,600 per year, pre-tax. Other circumstances – such as owning your own home outright – may be taken into account too.

As for the timeline, currently, applicants must demonstrate three years of tax returns when applying for French nationality.

However, Retailleau also said in the circulaire that “professional insertion is judged based on a period of five years”.

What if I transfer my foreign pension to France? Or move money around so the majority of my income is ‘French-sourced’?

You should weigh your needs and priorities, as well as speak with a qualified tax adviser, before making any changes to your financial situation.

You should also keep in mind that in 2024, France passed a new immigration law, and the country could pass another in the future. As such, rules related to citizenship could change again.

Unfortunately, there is no guarantee of French citizenship. In the circulaire, Retailleau wrote; “French case law establishes naturalisation not as a right, but as a sovereign decision of the government.

“Meeting the conditions laid out in the Code Civil does not confer any right to naturalisation.”

Should I start working in France in order to get some French income?

Firstly, you need to establish whether you have the right to work in France – if you are an EU citizen or you have the Brexit Article 50 TUE carte de séjour then you have the right to work in France. Otherwise, you will need to check whether your visa/residency card allows work in France – the ‘visitor’ status requires you to give an undertaking that you will not work in France.

If you do have permission to work, you will also need to ensure that, if you are working as a freelancer or contractor, you are correctly registered, including with URSSAF, and that your profession is not a ‘registered profession’ in France. Naturally, you will need to pay income tax on all your French earnings.

What about if I have already applied?

As circulaires are not technically laws, they operate in more of a grey area. This means that the date that a circulaire is published is the date that the advice takes effect.

Unfortunately, this has resulted in retirees whose applications were already being processed (sometimes for several years) being subject to the new interpretation of the law.

In contrast, normally when a new law is brought in, French lawmakers specify the date it takes effect, as well as whether or not it will be retroactive – for example the new language requirements take effect on January 1st 2026, and don’t affect people who applied before that date.

What does this mean for residency?

The circulaire is only focused on citizenship applications, and has no impact on requirements to either get or renew a residency card.

For retirees who are disappointed by the news and worried they may no longer qualify for French nationality, the 10-year carte de résident may be an alternative option. Brits who have the post-Brexit Article 50 TUE carte de séjour (sometimes known as the WARP) already qualify for permanent residency.

That said, the circulaire does seem to be emblematic of a rightward drift in French politics when it comes to immigration, so we cannot guarantee that there won’t be further changes in the future that might affect residency.

We will of course be reporting any changes that affect foreigners in France; you can find the latest in our residency permits section.

What exactly did the French Interior Ministry say? Has there been a public announcement?

Aside from publishing the circulaire, the Interior Ministry has not released any public announcements regarding the eligibility of retirees for French nationality based on residency.

The Local sent a press request and received a statement from the head of communications for the office of the director general of foreigners in France on Wednesday, August 20th.

The spokesperson wrote: “There was previously a measure of goodwill for people over the age of 65 whose income came mainly from abroad that allowed foreigners to obtain French nationality.

“The May 2025 circulaire (memo) removes this tolerance, specifying that, with only a few exceptions, applications from applicants whose income primarily comes from abroad will be refused.

“It does not matter whether the applicant is retired or still working.”

What is a circulaire?

A circulaire is an administrative document that is meant to inform and clarify to members of the French bureaucracy how they ought to enforce the law. In English, we might describe it as a memo.

A circulaire can be sent by any government minister or the head of a public administration body without having to gain the approval of parliament.

In order to be legal, a circulaire must follow existing law.

In this case, the circulaire sent out by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau offers clarification on two existing laws: the portions of the code civil related to acquisition of French nationality by décret, and another law from 1993, which, for instance, gave details related to the documents that might be requested when applying for nationality.

In an interview with The Local, lawyer Daniel Tostado said: “A circulaire is always paper-thin – they’re not writing a new law or applying something crafted by the legislature; they’re just clarifying.

“They say ‘we’re not changing the rules, this is just how they should be applied'”.

Does this mean a new interior minister could scrap this circulaire?

Yes. Daniel Tostado explained that “each subsequent circulaire nullifies the previous.”

So, is it fair to say this is a ‘rules change’?

While it is true that a circulaire does not change the law, it can change how the law is applied, and préfectures do seem to be treating it as a change. The Préfecture of Deux-Sèvres described this as a ‘rules change’.

The spokesperson said: “Each application is subject to an individualised, in-depth, and reasoned review, in accordance with the applicable regulations.

“Prior to the circulaire of May 2nd, 2025, naturalisation applications were processed based on a comprehensive and global assessment of the applicant’s situation.

“Thus, retirees receiving only a foreign pension as income could have their naturalisation application accepted, as long as the necessary conditions were generally met.

“After May 2nd, the rules changed. In order to assess the applicant’s financial independence, income derived mainly from abroad is no longer taken into account (except in very limited circumstances), on the basis that the applicant’s centre of interest has not been completely transferred to France.

“Based on this criterion alone, the application for naturalisation may be refused. For practical purposes, people who are refused naturalisation do have legal avenues and time limits for appeal. These are referenced in their notification of rejection.”

Why is France doing this?

The main question from readers of The Local is why France is doing this, since it doesn’t seem to present any kind of benefit or saving to the country and might even drive away people who had previously spent their foreign income here.

The only answer we can give is ‘politics’ – the policy seems to be driven far more by political than practical considerations, namely appearing to be ‘tough on immigration’. It may also be connected to the well-documented political aspirations of the interior minister himself.

But if you want to know the official rationale for the change, here’s what Retailleau says in the third section of the circulaire – titled ‘the autonomy of the applicant’.

Retailleau instructed staff on what to consider regarding l’insertion professionnelle (professional integration) and le niveau et l’origine des revenues (the amount and origin of income).

Retailleau wrote: “You will also, with some exceptions, reject applicants whose income comes mainly from abroad, as this shows they have not completely transferred the centre of their interests to France.”

The minister said this requirement is to demonstrate ‘integration’ in France and a long-term commitment to the country.

He wrote: “The applicant’s autonomy must be based on proven and sustainable professional integration that provides them with stable and sufficient resources.

“This not only demonstrates the stability of their settlement in France, but is also an essential element of their integration into the national community.”

What about exceptions?

The spokesperson for the Interior Ministry specified that there would be “an exception for retirement pensions drawn from an activity carried out in an international organisation.” For instance, a person who worked for the United Nations in France might qualify for this exemption.

She also noted that the interior ministry does not have a set list of exemptions, and each application is still considered based on its own merits.

“This will be at the discretion of the administration, the person examining the application, or the préfet,” the spokesperson clarified to The Local.

“If a person shows they are very engaged in the community, perhaps there could be an exception,” she added.

Each application is still decided on its own merits, and previously some préfectures have proved stricter than others when it comes to applying the letter of the law.

What are the chances of a successful appeal?

There is no harm in appealing a rejection. On top of that, it remains to be seen how the Court of Nantes will respond to appeals launched by pensioners who were rejected in May and June.

Nevertheless, lawyer Daniel Tostado was pessimistic about the possibility of success.

He told us, “Unfortunately, I would be very pessimistic about any successes on appeals based on people arguing age discrimination”.

Are there other changes?

The other significant citizenship update is that new language standards – an increase from the B1 to B2 level – will come into effect starting January 1st, 2026.

This change will affect all new applications submitted after December 31st, so applications currently being reviewed will not be affected.

The French government will also bring in a new civics test from January 1st. In terms of the knowledge being tested, this seems likely to be largely based on the Livret du citoyen, and therefore is essentially the same knowledge that people are already required to have for the citizenship interview.

Do you have any other questions? Let us know in the comments below.

Changes to French citizenship rules

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