I have French citizenship! How to obtain ID documents

After a long red tape, an endless dossier and a Interview with the Prefecture, in 2024 I got the French citizenship! The natural consequence was the request for French documents. Incredible but true, it was perhaps the simplest and most pleasant administrative procedure of all my "carrier" as an emigrant!

Once the Prefecture has approved your request for naturalization, you will receive an e-mail In short, the next bureaucratic steps will be explained. From experience, if within 6 months of the naturalization interview you have not received news, I advise you to regularly check the spam. It does not happen every day to receive messages from the Ministry of the Interior, so it is possible that your inbox will missign it as spam.

The e-mail that you will receive, pay close attention to the following indications, currently mandatory for the request of French documents:

• on naturalisation decree, which you will have to download from the site LegiFrance so that the Anagrapher can have a concrete proof of naturalisation. Simply select the date of publication and number of the decree of your interest (both indicated in the e-mail) and choose the address book "extrait du Journal officiel containant les informations nominative".
• the "pré-demande", accessible through This link.

First step: Do the pré-demande online

To access the pré-demande you will also need to create a free account France Titres (ANTS) or connect via the platform France Connect, that with a single password allows to centralize tax requests, the renewal of French documents or still procedures related to health.

You will see a module online which will be carefully completed with various information, including civil status, department of French residence, generalities of your parents etc. You will of course be required to indicate the type of document you wish to obtain, your identity card or passport. My advice is to apply for both in one pré-demande: You will have two important documents simultaneously and save valuable time.

Once completed pré-demande online, it will be important to reread all the information provided before clicking on "valider but pré-demande". Once validated, the module will no longer be editable. You will immediately receive a "numéro de pré-demande", to be carefully printed and kept for the issue of documents.

Second stage: make an appointment at a Mairie of your choice

The next step will be to book an appointment at one of the municipalities of your city of residence. For those who live in Paris, it is not necessary to book exclusively at corn edarrondissement where you reside. If you are lucky, you can find an appointment quickly, at times compatible with your business commitments and, for those who do not work on weekends, also on Saturdays. In my experience, your presence will be required for a few minutes, so you will not have to overly sacrifice your lunch break!

Do not forget to take with you:

• pré-demande number and photocopy of the pré-demande created online;
• at least a couple of photos;
• stamp brand, where required (necessary for the creation of a first passport).

For those living in Paris, it will be useful to create an account MonParis to carry out these procedures, and not only. A summary of all stages related to the request for documents is available HERE.

Third and last stop: wait for a text!

Except for unforeseen circumstances, your first French documents should be ready after a maximum of 8 weeks. In my case the wait was very short, less than 3 weeks, but the timing may vary depending on the turnout, the period and the office of reference. A simple SMS on your mobile number will notify you of their presence taken at the same office to which you entrusted your pré-demande. After receiving the message, you have up to 3 months to withdraw the French documents, without appointment.

After all this bureaucracy, grand celebrations are more than deserved. And the French know how to properly celebrate a fresh countryman of naturalization. But I will discuss this in a next article. See you soon!