'Rules have changed' - Préfecture confirms they can refuse French citizenship to retirees

Local France

3 days ago

Retirees in France have recently begun running into problems with the citizenship applications, with
numerous reports of citizenship being refused
due to not having sufficient French income.
The change appears to be linked to a recent
circulaire
from the Interior Minister - but now one préfecture has confirmed to The Local that they are indeed treating applications differently, and are routinely rejecting people whose income is mainly derived from a pension from another country.
The préfecture of Deux-Sèvres told The Local that the "rules had changed after May 2nd", which is when French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau sent out a
circulaire
(memo) clarifying how préfectures should process citizenship applications.
READ MORE:
Why do French ministers love to send 'circulaires'?
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.
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"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.
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What counts as 'French income' when it comes to citizenship?
"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."
What does this change mean practically?
This insistence on French-sourced income would seem - if applied strictly - to make it impossible for people who have retired to France (as opposed to those who worked in France and then retired) to ever gain citizenship.
Two foreign retirees who both met the other criteria for French nationality, such as language acquisition and integration in their local community, were denied citizenship by the Deux-Sèvres préfecture on the basis that they did not have sufficient French income.
READ MORE:
'Doesn't seem fair' - British pensioners speak out over apparent change to French citizenship rules
A circulaire is not supposed to change the law, just clarify how administrative staff interpret it.
So far, it is clear that the préfecture of Deux-Sèvres has taken a strict interpretation of the circulaire and has interpreted it as a 'rules change'.
This does not mean that other préfectures have taken the same approach, and it is common for variations to exist between préfectures.
However, The Local has received reports of other retirees being rejected in recent weeks for the same reasons in the préfectures of Gironde and Haute-Garonne.
The Local reached out to the Interior Ministry and other préfectures to confirm whether there has been a change in procedure.
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Meanwhile, several of the retirees who told The Local they were rejected have appealed, which means they may still have a chance of gaining nationality, depending on the interpretation of the administrative court of Nantes.
It is also possible that the interior ministry will offer more clarification in the future to préfectures on how to approach retirees with a majority non-French income.
Crucially, these changes are being applied to people who made their applications months or sometimes years ago. This is contrary to full legal changes - such as the revised standards for French language levels - which
can only be applied to new applications
.
What did the
circulaire
say exactly?
To clarify, a
circulaire
cannot change the law, but it can offer 'clarification' for how préfecture staff ought to process citizenship applications.
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."
Retailleau did not reference any exceptions for retirees, though he did remind préfecture employees not to reject applications with 'insufficient income' if the applicant is ill or disabled.
The interior minister also explained that this requirement is to demonstrate 'integration' to France and a long-term commitment to the country.
He also 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.
"The applicant's autonomy must be based on proven and sustainable professional integration that provides them with stable and sufficient resources."