France Tightens Naturalization Rules as Approval Rate Falls to 50%
Obtaining French nationality is becoming more difficult. An official report shows that the share of favorable recommendations for naturalization fell to 50% at the end of 2025, from more than 70% at the beginning of the year. Meanwhile, applications continue to pour in.
The drop has been sharp. More than seven out of ten naturalization recommendations were favorable during the first months of 2025. The rate fell to 57% in June, before rising to 61% in July and then dropping back to 54% in August. In the fourth quarter, it averaged just 50%, according to the report to Parliament published on October 14 by the French Interior Ministry.
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This decline comes after the May 2, 2025 circular signed by Bruno Retailleau. The text called on prefects to apply stricter criteria when granting French nationality, particularly regarding compliance with the law, French proficiency and financial independence. The tougher naturalization requirements, announced in spring 2025, are now reflected in the official statistics.
At the same time, applications are multiplying. The administration recorded 178 879 applications in 2025 across all routes to nationality, compared with 151 156 the previous year. Services have sped up processing but have been unable to keep pace with the influx.
More applications, stricter decisions
In total, 117 866 applications were processed in 2025, compared with 105 941 in 2024. Yet the number of acquisitions of nationality handled by the Interior Ministry fell by 6.8% to 62 235. The report attributes this decline to the new integration requirements introduced by the May circular.
Another major change: since a decree dated July 15, 2025, naturalization offices may waive the required interview when reviewing the application documents reveals unfavorable information. The administration can therefore reject some applications without inviting the applicant to an interview.
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Requirements became stricter still on January 1, 2026. Naturalization applicants must now pass a civics test designed to assess their knowledge of the institutions, values and principles of the French Republic. This test is in addition to the administration’s assessment of their integration.
French proficiency is another obstacle. The required French level for naturalization has risen from B1 to B2, both orally and in writing. This new language requirement also applies to people seeking French nationality by declaration after marrying a French citizen.
