French passport

Bugsy73 · 2022-12-04T20:27:57+00:00

Hi, have no idea where to post this but hoping someone can advise... my husband is French, has lived in the UK for 20yrs and has British citizenship and passport. I am British and we have 3 children. Ho would we go about getting them French passports? Thank you

Oriunda · 05/12/2022 08:43

Google really is your friend here. Get your husband to sort the children; he’s the French national. uk.ambafrance.org/Passport-21815

Assuming you’ve been married the requisite amount of time, you’re also eligible. I’d get that sorted as surely you’d want the added protection of EU citizenship, especially post Brexit.

Usernamenotallowed · 05/12/2022 14:31

Did you register the children's birth with the French Embassy and get them French birth certificates?

If you didn't register their birth then you will need to to apply for their birth certificate which you will need to apply for their passport - uk.ambafrance.org/Naissance-22334

If you registered the birth it's a fairly straightforward process but you will need to go to the embassy uk.ambafrance.org/Passeport-d-un-mineur-premiere-demande

Apply for their carte d'identité at the same time as their passports too.

Oriunda · 05/12/2022 16:48

Tbh, if your husband gets their ID cards sorted, you might not even need to bother with a French passport right now. They can use the ID card to enter the EU, and then British passport to enter the UK.

Original poster

Bugsy73 · 05/12/2022 18:36

Thanks both. They don't have French birth certificates, can they get one even if they were born in the UK? I have to hold my hands up, we have been utterly useless thus far in attempting to do this for them. I feel like I can blame my husband.... so I will 😆

OP posts:

Oriunda · 06/12/2022 05:07

Yes. The link above from username has all the info. EU citizenship is the best gift you can give your children, so do get this sorted for them.

Gastropod · 06/12/2022 05:29

By the way, you are also probably eligible for French citizenship, if you don't already have it.

Frenchfancy · 06/12/2022 05:43

The DC should be straight forward. But you don't get it automatically by marriage. You need to live in France and speak French.

Gastropod · 06/12/2022 05:54

Frenchfancy · 06/12/2022 05:43

The DC should be straight forward. But you don't get it automatically by marriage. You need to live in France and speak French.

You don't need to live in France, but you do need to speak French, that's true.

Kingstonmumof1 · 06/12/2022 06:05

Yes you need to pass a language test. The kids are easy, they are already french and just need to get registered. Passports for the kids are cheap (15Eur the last time we did it).

Frenchfancy · 06/12/2022 07:50

You need to have a carte de séjour or be an EU national. So residency is necessary in the post Brexit world.

botharna · 06/12/2022 16:51

There's a facebook group Applying for French Nationality which is full of useful questions and answers

Original poster

Bugsy73 · 06/12/2022 19:10

Thank you everyone. So helpful 😍

OP posts:

Gdrykkliijnbxsd · 06/12/2022 19:57

I completed this process last year.
Firstly your husband will need to register both your marriage and your childrens' births at the consulate. This is done by post and will give you a French marriage certificate plus children's birth certificates, all contained in one little booklet called a livret de famille. This bit took around six months to process. He'll need have his own French passport or identity card to do this.
Once he has the livret, he can proceed to apply for the passports or identity cards, which has to be done in person, at the London consulate, with children also present. Identity cards are better IMO as they are free! You'll need one appointment for each child. Appointments are released online a day at a time around six or weeks in advance and get snapped up quickly, check the booking website very early in the day, 7 am eventually did the trick for me! The process took absolutely ages for me as a dual national without French ID, living nowhere near London, and then there was also covid which limited travel and appointment slots. Anyway, well worth the hassle, get your husband onto it ASAP!

BabyBlue777 · 16/12/2023 15:58

To gain French passport as a spouse you must speak French and have lived in France for 3 years continuously. My hubby is French and I am English. We are having visa issues since Brexit. He doesn´t want to live in France so they make it hard for me to get the passport. Marriage for 23 years and a shared child should be enough in my book, to get the passport. But no, they need hoops for you to jump through.

MargotBamborough · 28/12/2023 21:33

BabyBlue777 · 16/12/2023 15:58

To gain French passport as a spouse you must speak French and have lived in France for 3 years continuously. My hubby is French and I am English. We are having visa issues since Brexit. He doesn´t want to live in France so they make it hard for me to get the passport. Marriage for 23 years and a shared child should be enough in my book, to get the passport. But no, they need hoops for you to jump through.

You don't have to live in France.

You can get French citizenship after 4 years of marriage if you have lived in France for at least 3 years, or after 5 years of marriage otherwise. If you live outside of France your marriage must be registered with the French authorities.

You do have to speak French to B1 level though. You can either do a French test for citizenship which is valid for 2 years or you can do a diploma via the Alliance Française which does not expire.