How to Apply for French Citizenship Online Through ANEF

Applying for French naturalisation by decree is now done online, through the ANEF platform run by the Ministry of the Interior. ANEF stands for Administration Numérique pour les Étrangers en France. The paper-and-counter process that many older guides describe has been replaced, and your whole file is built, submitted, and tracked through this single portal. Knowing the shape of the process before you start makes a long procedure feel manageable.

Before you open the platform

The application itself is the easy part. The work is in the file behind it. Before you log in, confirm you meet the conditions for naturalisation by decree: at least five years of residence in France, stable resources, no disqualifying criminal record, a B2 level of French you can prove with a recognised certificate or diploma, and a pass in the civic exam introduced in January 2026. Gathering the evidence for these takes most applicants several weeks, sometimes longer, because some documents have to come from abroad.

The documents

The exact list depends on your situation, but most files include the same core pieces. You will need a full copy of your birth certificate, often with a sworn translation and sometimes legalised or apostilled depending on the issuing country. You will need proof of identity and of your residence permits covering the qualifying period. You will need evidence of your resources, such as tax notices and pay slips, and proof of where you live. You will need your B2 language certificate and your civic exam pass certificate. Criminal record extracts may be required from countries where you have lived.

Translations must be done by a sworn translator. Foreign civil-status documents often need to be recent and properly legalised. These requirements are the most common cause of delay, so it is worth checking each document carefully against the current list on service-public.fr before you upload anything.

Submitting through ANEF

Once your documents are ready, you create your application on the ANEF portal and upload them. The platform guides you through the sections and lets you save and return. After you submit, you receive confirmation, and the file moves to the prefecture or to the responsible platform for your area for examination. You can follow the status of your application through your ANEF account, and the system notifies you at each stage by email.

What happens after you submit

Submission is the beginning, not the end. The prefecture checks that your file is complete and may ask for additional documents, so keep an eye on your messages and respond quickly. You will be called for the assimilation interview, an in-person conversation in French that assesses your integration and your grasp of French values. Your file is then sent to the central administration for a final decision. If naturalisation is granted, your name appears in a decree published in the Journal officiel, and you are invited to a welcome ceremony.

The realistic timeline from submission to a published decree is long, commonly well over a year. Our post on French naturalisation processing times sets out the legal limits and what to expect in practice.

A note on accuracy

Document lists and platform steps change, and your case may have specifics that the general process does not cover. Always confirm the current requirements on the official service-public.fr and ANEF pages, and consider a qualified adviser if your situation is complicated. Treat this post as a map of the journey, not a substitute for the official instructions.

While your file works through the system, the civic exam is the one condition you can fully prepare for now. PassCitizen has the complete official civic question set, organised by topic, with practice mode and timed mock exams, free and with no account.

Start practising now