After the naturalisation decree: Journal officiel, ceremony, birth certificate, ID card

Updated 29 October 2026

The decree is signed: you are French from the date of signature. Here is what follows, in the order it usually happens.

1. Publication in the Journal officiel

You are told by email (or post) that you are listed in the Journal officiel. The decree can be viewed and downloaded on Légifrance. Your unmarried minor children who live with you become French if they are named in the decree; their age is assessed on the date of signature.

A mistake in the decree (spelling, date of birth)? Ask for a correction through the online service if you applied online, otherwise by post or email to the Ministry of the Interior (SDANF).

2. Your French birth certificate

If you were born abroad, the Central Civil Status Service (Scec) in Nantes draws up your French civil status records after naturalisation by decree. You will use this document for every later step as a French citizen. Depending on the prefecture, it may be handed to you at the ceremony. Copies are then requested online. The Scec has no public counter: report a mistake on a record by post.

3. The welcome ceremony

The prefecture (in Paris, the Préfecture de police) holds a welcome ceremony into French citizenship, in principle within 6 months of the decree’s publication. You receive a welcome pack (letter from the President, Declaration of the Rights of Man, extracts of the Constitution, the words of La Marseillaise) and, depending on the prefecture, your nationality and civil status documents. Employees are entitled to at least half a day of leave to attend, not deducted from paid holidays.

4. ID card and passport

With your birth certificate or decree, you can apply for a national ID card and a passport, by appointment at a town hall. If you are between 16 and 25, complete your census registration (recensement) within the following month.

5. What can still happen

The decree can be withdrawn within 2 years of publication if the conditions were not met, or within 2 years of discovering fraud.

Help those still waiting

Your decree date is the rarest and most useful information for other applicants. Add it to your file on Dossiermap: it counts towards your platform’s median time.

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Sources

This guide is for information only and does not replace official texts or legal advice. Check your situation on service-public.gouv.fr or with your prefecture.

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