19-02-2025
Can I change my job, address or marriage if I have applied for French citizenship?
Although processing times vary depending on how you are applying and the area you live in, it's generally advised to think in terms of years rather than months if you are applying to become French.
But while you're waiting for your application to be dealt with, life continues - perhaps you will change your job, move house, start or end a relationship or want to start a new business.
So how does all this affect your citizenship application? And do you really need to put your life on hold while the préfecture processes your paperwork?
It's worth noting that all citizenship applications are decided on their own merits and there are significant differences in the process depending on whether you are applying through residency (par décret) or through marriage or family ties (par déclaration) - so this article is intended as an overview of whether a change may potentially be a problem.
If you need individual advice on the citizenship process, it is a good idea to ask a lawyer who specialises in French immigration law.
Moving house - if you are applying from within France, then applications are dealt with on a local level, by the préfecture, so the key question here is whether you are moving to a different département. If you are moving within the same département this should pose no problems - you will have to update your address on your application (if you are applying par décret you can change this via the ANEF website), and if you have a carte de séjour remember that you will need to get a new one with your new address.
If you are moving to a different département then things become more complicated, since the application will have to change to the new préfecture. Some préfectures may want to restart the process of checking documents, so this is likely to lead to a delay.
Another question is where you are within the application process - if you have already had the interview at your local préfecture, then you should not expect to have to restart the process if you move. At this point, your application should have been passed along to SDANF (a sub-section within the French interior ministry), so it is no longer in the local préfecture's hands.
Changing jobs - if you are just changing employer this in unlikely to be a problem as long as your overall status remains the same, so if you were a salaried employee when you applied and you remain a salaried employee, albeit with a different company, that's unlikely to cause a problem.
If you want to change from being an employee to self-employed, or retire from your job, then you may need to supply extra documents. This wouldn't necessarily stop you from becoming a French citizen as long as you still fulfil the criteria around being economically self-sufficient, but it's likely that you would be asked to supply extra documents proving evidence of your new situation, and your new finances.
If you lose your job and are on chômage (unemployment) you can still apply for French citizenship as a job-seeker.
Getting married/divorced - an ongoing citizenship application doesn't necessarily mean that you need to put your love life on hold - but this will depend on how you are applying. If you are applying through residency then your relationship status is less important, you can simply update your details from single to married (or vice versa) and supply a marriage/divorce certificate. If you move house as a result of your new relationship status you will also need to update those details.
If, however, you are applying for French citizenship through being married to a French citizen, then your relationship status is obviously crucial.
You must remain married and living together throughout the process, and if you are applying from France you will likely receive a home visit from gendarmes checking that you are indeed living together as a couple.
If you divorce within two years of receiving French citizenship via marriage then your application can be reviewed - however your citizenship can only be withdrawn if there is evidence that your marriage was never real to begin with.
Leaving France - if you are applying through residency then you need five years of continuous residency in order to make your application (although this can be cut to two years if you have completed higher education in France).
That's not the end of the story, however, because you also need to be still living in France during the application process, and the citizenship law states that you must still be living in France when the application is granted.
As the process itself can take several years, in reality this means that you're probably committing to around seven years of residency in total. Once your citizenship is granted with the result published in the Journal Officiel, then you can leave France (and you can make your application for a French passport from abroad if necessary). Once you're French you can of course come and go as you please, with no limits on time spent outside France.
Getting benefits/grants/government financial aid - people with an ongoing citizenship application are often reluctant to take any kind of government financial aid, due to the belief it will make them look like they are not self-sufficient.
In reality it's not quite that simple - the economic test is that you have a 'regular and stable' income in France. There isn't a minimum amount - although the French minimum wage is often used as a guideline and that works out at about €21,000 a year (before tax) - but you will be expected to show that you have some kind of regular income.
grant for home improvements or the annual government training budget to improve your workplace skills.
As mentioned, receiving unemployment benefit does not preclude you from becoming French - if you are receiving chômage it's a sign that you have previously worked and 'paid in' to the system, and that you are looking for work.
Getting involved in politics or activism - another common misconception is that you cannot say or do anything that might be perceived as criticising France while you are waiting for the application to be decided.
Becoming French requires you to be integrated into French life and have a knowledge of, and support for, French values such as freedom of expression and equality between men and women. The most obvious place to demonstrate these is at your interview - it's probably a good idea not to spend the entire interview complaining about France, but as long you show you understand and support fundamental French values, there is nothing to stop you criticising France itself.
The application process also involves a check by the French Interior Ministry, which can block applications on security grounds - this would likely apply to people involved in violent protests, those who are fiché-S (on a security watchlist) or are involved in criminality.
In daily life there is nothing to stop you getting involved in politics - perhaps joining a political party or attending meetings - or activism such as joining protests and getting involved in campaigns for organisations such as Greenpeace. In fact, being actively engaged in the democratic life of the country is more likely to count in your favour than against you.
How do I update my details?
If you have applied par décret and used the new online portal, then you can make changes to your application online. Just login to the ANEF site, find your application and click on the option to update your details.
The site also includes an option to cancel an application, if you have changed your mind or your circumstances have changed in a way that make you ineligible for citizenship.
If you have applied par déclaration, or you applied par décret before the process moved online, then you will have to contact your local préfecture directly - every préfecture has a slightly different contact process, but their website should outline how to update details.
If your circumstances have changed between making the application and the interview, it's a good idea to bring along documentation proving your new status to the interview - your interviewer may decide it's not necessarily, but a good rule of thumb in French admin is that it's better to turn up to an appointment with too much paperwork than too little.
