Foreign residents who hope to obtain a French passport will now have to satisfy far stricter, French-sourced income tests after the Interior Ministry issued a detailed “clarification” to prefectures. A ministerial circular dated May 2025 but only fully applied from 1 January 2026 requires would-be citizens applying by residency (par décret) to demonstrate five consecutive years of stable earnings that are largely earned in France and to hold either (a) a permanent contract (CDI) valid for at least 12 months on the date their file is examined, or (b) a series of fixed-term contracts (CDD) covering 24 months. Prefecture officials are told to reject cases that rely mainly on social-security benefits or on income paid from abroad, a change that is already catching cross-border commuters, fully-retired expatriates and remote workers who invoice foreign clients. (thelocal.fr)
The memo also narrows discretionary powers that once allowed officers to weigh an applicant’s overall integration. Young adults who grew up in France but are still studying, for instance, can no longer rely on parental support; pensioners drawing an overseas retirement are likewise finding applications refused because their economic “centre of interests” is deemed to lie outside France. Prefectures must now document professional integration over a rolling five-year window and may only set aside the rule for people with illnesses or disabilities.
There are, however, limited carve-outs. “Passeport Talent” card-holders, high-level researchers, artists and start-up founders may still obtain favourable treatment, and the circular reminds officers that the usual five-year residency period can be reduced to two years for those judged to make an “exceptional contribution” to France’s influence. But immigration lawyers report that even graduates of French grandes écoles are being asked for proof of long-term French employment before their dossiers move forward.
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In practice, navigating these nuances can feel daunting. VisaHQ—a global visa and passport facilitation platform—offers a dedicated France resource (https://www.visahq.com/france/) where prospective citizens can upload payslips, tax notices and contracts for a preliminary compliance check; its consultants flag any gaps in income history, advise on acceptable documentation and help assemble the translated, certified file that prefectures now require, saving applicants weeks of administrative back-and-forth.
For employers, the change raises the stakes of contract structure: HR teams will need to convert fixed-term deals to CDIs earlier if they want to retain globally-mobile staff who hope to naturalise. Mobility managers also warn that employees seconded to European headquarters from outside France may find their careers—and family settlement plans—disrupted if salary is routed through a payroll abroad.
Practically, the tougher income filter adds several months to dossier-building. Advisers recommend that applicants gather three years of French tax assessments, full payslips and evidence of any business turnover before booking the mandatory naturalisation interview. Failure to meet the new thresholds now leads to immediate rejection rather than the previous practice of allowing applicants to supplement files later. (thelocal.fr)
The memo also narrows discretionary powers that once allowed officers to weigh an applicant’s overall integration. Young adults who grew up in France but are still studying, for instance, can no longer rely on parental support; pensioners drawing an overseas retirement are likewise finding applications refused because their economic “centre of interests” is deemed to lie outside France. Prefectures must now document professional integration over a rolling five-year window and may only set aside the rule for people with illnesses or disabilities.
There are, however, limited carve-outs. “Passeport Talent” card-holders, high-level researchers, artists and start-up founders may still obtain favourable treatment, and the circular reminds officers that the usual five-year residency period can be reduced to two years for those judged to make an “exceptional contribution” to France’s influence. But immigration lawyers report that even graduates of French grandes écoles are being asked for proof of long-term French employment before their dossiers move forward.
In practice, navigating these nuances can feel daunting. VisaHQ—a global visa and passport facilitation platform—offers a dedicated France resource (https://www.visahq.com/france/) where prospective citizens can upload payslips, tax notices and contracts for a preliminary compliance check; its consultants flag any gaps in income history, advise on acceptable documentation and help assemble the translated, certified file that prefectures now require, saving applicants weeks of administrative back-and-forth.
For employers, the change raises the stakes of contract structure: HR teams will need to convert fixed-term deals to CDIs earlier if they want to retain globally-mobile staff who hope to naturalise. Mobility managers also warn that employees seconded to European headquarters from outside France may find their careers—and family settlement plans—disrupted if salary is routed through a payroll abroad.
Practically, the tougher income filter adds several months to dossier-building. Advisers recommend that applicants gather three years of French tax assessments, full payslips and evidence of any business turnover before booking the mandatory naturalisation interview. Failure to meet the new thresholds now leads to immediate rejection rather than the previous practice of allowing applicants to supplement files later. (thelocal.fr)
