What is the welcoming ceremony in French citizenship?
Verified 09 July 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)
The welcoming ceremony in French citizenship concerns people who have just acquired French nationality.
The prefect of department (in Paris, the police prefect, abroad, the competent consular authority) organizes the welcoming ceremony in French citizenship.
The mayor, asregistrar, may be authorized to organize the ceremony.
You must be invited to a welcoming ceremony in French citizenship if you have just acquired french nationality.
However, this ceremony does not concern you if you have made a declaration of French nationality due to your state ownership of French.
You can become French following the following procedures:
- Naturalization granted by decree
- Reinstatement in French nationality granted by decree or by declaration
- Declaration due to your marriage to a French person
- Declaration as an ascendant of a French person
- Declaration as a brother or sister of a French person
- Declaration due to your birth in France of 2 foreigners parents
- Declaration due to your simple adoption or your collection by a Frenchman.
The welcoming ceremony in French citizenship is in principle organized within 6 months from the acquisition of French nationality.
The starting point of the deadline varies according to the procedure by which you became french:
- From the registration of the declaration, if you have acquired French nationality by declaration (marriage, ascendant of french, brother or sister of french),
- From the publication of the Order in Council to the Official journal of the French Republic, if you acquired French nationality by naturalization,
- From the issue of the 1st certificate of French nationality, if you have acquired by operation of law french nationality by your majority.
If you are employee, you and your spouse have the right to benefit from a leave of at least half a day to attend the ceremony.
You must present your employer with the invitation to the welcoming ceremony in French citizenship.
The duration of this leave cannot be deducted from your paid annual leave.
You receive a welcome file in french citizenship.
This folder contains the following documents:
- Welcome letter from the President of the Republic
- Information leaflet on the organization of public authorities and the rights and duties of citizens (charter of rights and duties of the french citizen)
- Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789
- Extracts from the Constitution of the Fifth Republic
- Text of the national anthem.
According to the prefectures, the French nationality titles and the civil status documents can be handed over during the reception ceremony in the French citizenship.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
You can get help with the online filing of your application for French naturalization and have information on the follow-up of your file.
By phone
0806,001,620 (number not overtaxed) in metropolitan France, from overseas territories and the foreigner.
Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.
- House of Justice and Law
Welcoming ceremony in French citizenship
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