Comedian Gad Elmaleh Reveals Struggle to Obtain French Citizenship Despite Long-Term Residency

"It’s true, I have my Canadian, Moroccan passport, but not French. When I arrived in France, I had queued for hours in front of the Prefecture to get my residence permit and have the right to work," he confided to Journal du Dimanche. After spending four years in Montreal, Gad Elmaleh settled in Paris in 1992, where he followed an artistic training at the Cours Florent, in free class. At the time, he was 21 years old.

Gad Elmaleh was unable to acquire French nationality. The steps he had taken to obtain it proved unsuccessful. "... it was really too complicated, long and tedious, I got a bit discouraged. Since then, I haven’t renewed it," he revealed. His love for France has not faded. "... I love France, I owe it a lot. I live there and pay my taxes there. My only frustration is not being able to vote."