A parent's naturalisation: the collective effect for a child

A child can become French at the same time as their parent

When a parent acquires French nationality, their minor child may benefit from the collective effect. This mechanism does not automatically apply to every child declared as part of the family: several conditions must be met and the child's name must appear in the relevant decree or declaration.

For naturalisation by decree, check this issue as soon as you start preparing the application. An omission discovered after publication is more difficult to correct.

Main conditions

The child must be a minor and unmarried on the date the parent acquires nationality. Their parentage with that parent must have been legally established while they were a minor and before nationality was acquired.

They must also have the same habitual residence as the parent who becomes French, or live alternately with that parent in the event of separation or divorce. Finally, their name must be included in the decree when the parent becomes French by decision of the public authority.

Age is assessed on the date the decree is signed. A child who turns 18 while the application is being processed may therefore fall outside the mechanism even if they were a minor when it was submitted.

Which supporting documents should you include?

Service-Public notably requires each child's birth certificate and, in the event of adoption, the corresponding judgment. Depending on the circumstances, add:

• documents establishing parentage;
• proof that the child habitually resides with the parent;
• a school attendance certificate;
• documents concerning shared custody or a court decision;
• an identity document and travel document;
• translated, apostilled or legalised records where necessary.

The personalised list may require additional evidence, particularly where parents are separated or a civil-status record has been corrected.

Child living abroad

A child who lives abroad on a long-term basis and does not habitually reside with the parent does not necessarily meet the residence condition. Do not assume that parentage alone is sufficient. Describe exactly where the child lives and the custody arrangements.

This situation may also lead the authorities to examine where the applicant parent's centre of family ties is located.

Check the decree as soon as it is published

After approval, download the decree from Légifrance and check the parent's identity and the names of the children concerned. Keep this document: it will be used to establish nationality and apply for identity documents.

For a child who became French through the collective effect after 25 July 1993, the parent's decree or declaration bearing the child's name is among the evidence requested when applying for a French nationality certificate.

If the child is not listed

Start by comparing the decree, the copy of the application and the documents submitted. Promptly contact the competent department with the ministerial number. The solution depends on why the child is absent: an omission, an unmet condition or a change in circumstances during processing.

In certain circumstances, a child who remains a foreign national may be the subject of a separate application. Service-Public notably refers to a minor who lived in France with the parent during the five years preceding that application.

Frequently asked questions

Must the child take the civic exam?

The collective effect links the minor child to the parent's acquisition of nationality; it is not an ordinary adult naturalisation application.

Must a 13-year-old child consent?

Written consent is notably required for certain requests to change a first or last name. Distinguish the collective effect from the francisation of names.

Official sources

• Naturalisation: supporting documents for minor children
• French naturalisation by decree

Article updated on 16 September 2026. Check the child's circumstances before submission and when the decree is published.