# Should I get French citizenship? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 27, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495 "2011-07-27T15:44:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Anchuldigs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anchuldigs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anchuldigs)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/1 "2011-07-27T15:44:47Z")
My father was born in France to Polish refugees of World War II. He immigrated to the USA when he was 3 years old but never held a French passport (I think the family came over on refugee visas). Is my father a French citizen? If yes, how can he be recognized as a citizen and what procedures would he need to follow in order to get a French passport? What would be the obligations of having French citizenship while living in the USA (e.g. would he need to file a French tax return each year)? Overall, is getting French citizenship a good idea or not? Would I be able to get French citizenship too based on my father having been born in France? Thanks in advance! ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/2 "2011-07-27T18:17:17Z")
> **[French nationality law](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_nationality_law)** > > French nationality law is historically based on the principles of jus soli (Latin for "right of soil") and jus sanguinis, (Latin for "right of blood") according to Ernest Renan's definition, in opposition to the German definition of nationality, jus sanguinis, formalised by Johann Gottlieb Fichte. > The 1993 Méhaignerie Law, which was part of a broader immigration control agenda to restrict access to French nationality and increase the focus on jus sanguinis as the nationality determinant for ... > [@](#): > > Simply being born in France does not confer French nationality except in the case of a child born to unknown or stateless parents, or to aliens whose nationality is not transmitted to the child. Doesn’t sound like your father automatically qualifies for French citizenship. Therefore, neither do you. ---
**Author:** ![Anchuldigs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anchuldigs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anchuldigs)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/3 "2011-07-27T18:30:13Z")
Well he doesn’t automatically qualify but would he be considered “Stateless” (which would confer nationality upon birth) because his parents were refugees? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/4 "2011-07-27T18:45:04Z")
> [@Anchuldigs](#): > > Well he doesn’t automatically qualify but would he be considered “Stateless” (which would confer nationality upon birth) because his parents were refugees? Considering that the OP’s dad is currently in his late 60’s / early 70’s, I highly doubt that he is currently stateless. But who knows. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/5 "2011-07-27T19:05:15Z")
I would bet that dad would have to apply for/ clarify citizenship first? But still, unless they qualify him as citizen since birth there is no reason he would have a citizenship to confer on number one son. Should you get it? Yes, if you can it does not hurt. IIRC the USA is the only place that makes citizens who have no residence/connection left pay taxes forever to the country, so there’s probably no tax liability unless you move there. You do get the right to live/work anywhere in the EU as a citizen of a member country, IIRC. If you are thinking about doing that… ---
**Author:** ![Anchuldigs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anchuldigs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anchuldigs)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/6 "2011-07-27T20:11:57Z")
Well my father has been a US citizen since he came over but the question is what his citizenship status was when he was born in France. I doubt that he was a US citizen. And I doubt that his parents’ Polish citizenship was transmitted to him. So what was he? Stateless? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/7 "2011-07-27T20:13:49Z")
If his parents were Polish citizens, then I think it’s likely that he was born a Polish citizen, and hence not a French citizen. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/8 "2011-07-27T20:22:16Z")
Sounds like the OP is trying to find some back door way of obtaining French citizenship, via his father’s birth. It doesn’t sound like his father is really that interested in obtaining such a citizenship. For what purpose? If it’s that important…move to France, after five years of living there, apply for naturalised citizenship. ---
**Author:** ![Anchuldigs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anchuldigs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anchuldigs)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/9 "2011-07-27T20:45:26Z")
Well I’m considering working in Europe for a few years and I assume that would be a lot easier if I were French. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/10 "2011-07-27T20:47:19Z")
> [@Anchuldigs](#): > > Well I’m considering working in Europe for a few years and I assume that would be a lot easier if I were French. Since Poland is part of the EU, have you checked up on whether you are entitled to Polish citizenship? ---
**Author:** ![Anchuldigs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Anchuldigs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anchuldigs)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/11 "2011-07-27T20:56:34Z")
I wouldn’t want to bring that up with my grandparents - they wouldn’t want me to get Polish citizenship after what they went through during the war. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/12 "2011-07-27T20:58:31Z")
Maybe you wouldn’t even need to bring it up with them. What documents do you have on hand relating to the nationality of your parents and grandparents? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-i-get-french-citizenship/590495/13 "2011-07-27T21:02:27Z")
Sounds like Polish citizenship would be easier for you: [Polish nationality law - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_nationality_law) Except for this: > [@](#): > > between 1918 and 1951, acquisition of another citizenship caused the loss of Polish citizenship.