https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The French government has significantly increased the fees for residency permits and French citizenship from May - here's a breakdown of the new fees. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260224/france-hikes-prices-for-french-citizenship-and-residency-permits Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:34:15 +0100 france-hikes-prices-for-french-citizenship-and-residency-permits France's rules on citizenship have undergone several big changes in the last year - so we held a live Q&A to answer the key questions from members of The Local. Here's a roundup of the main topics. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260324/it-seems-very-unfair-key-questions-answered-on-french-citizenship-changes Tue, 24 Mar 2026 14:38:16 +0100 it-seems-very-unfair-key-questions-answered-on-french-citizenship-changes The Local France's Editor Emma Pearson was live online on Friday to answer member's questions on the new rules around French citizenship. You can read her answers in the comments section on this article. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260319/join-our-live-qa-on-frances-new-citizenship-rules Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:05:32 +0100 join-our-live-qa-on-frances-new-citizenship-rules Changes to the application of rules around income are making it tougher to become French - here's a look at what the rules say, and what has changed. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260227/explained-frances-new-income-requirements-for-citizenship Fri, 27 Feb 2026 13:03:29 +0100 explained-frances-new-income-requirements-for-citizenship France's new tougher rules on French citizenship have seen an increasing number of people rejected on economic grounds - including young people who have spent almost their entire life in France. We spoke to some of those affected. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260225/its-not-just-a-piece-of-paper-i-want-to-belong-in-france-rejected-citizenship-applicants-speak-out Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:55:55 +0100 its-not-just-a-piece-of-paper-i-want-to-belong-in-france-rejected-citizenship-applicants-speak-out French citizenship brings with it many benefits, but tough new rules mean an increasing number of candidates are being rejected - so is it still worth spending the time and money to apply? And how likely is your application to succeed? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260225/analysis-is-it-still-worth-applying-for-french-citizenship Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:35:55 +0100 analysis-is-it-still-worth-applying-for-french-citizenship Foreigners in France scrambled to make citizenship applications before the introduction of tougher language requirements at the start of 2026 - but some who applied before the deadline have also been asked for the B2 French test. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260226/given-up-hope-french-citizenship-applicants-hit-by-new-language-rules Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:41:30 +0100 given-up-hope-french-citizenship-applicants-hit-by-new-language-rules New data from the French Interior ministry shows that citizenship applications in December doubled, as people scrambled to get their applications in before the start of tough new language requirements in 2026. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260226/foreigners-in-france-scramble-to-apply-for-citizenship-before-rule-change Thu, 26 Feb 2026 11:26:52 +0100 foreigners-in-france-scramble-to-apply-for-citizenship-before-rule-change Becoming French requires you to be 'sufficiently economically integrated' - but what does this mean in cash terms? Will you be penalised for being on minimum wage or accepting social benefits? And how much does it cost to become French? https://www.thelocal.fr/20250225/how-much-money-do-i-need-for-french-citizenship Tue, 25 Feb 2025 13:59:10 +0100 how-much-money-do-i-need-for-french-citizenship Recent changes to the rules on applying for French citizenship have made the process especially difficult for young people - even if they arrived in France as young children and spent their whole life here. We want to hear from young people (or their parents) affected by this. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260220/questionnaire-french-citizenship-for-under-30s Fri, 20 Feb 2026 11:52:24 +0100 questionnaire-french-citizenship-for-under-30s France has brought in some changes to how income rules are applied for citizenship - which have potentially huge consequences for children who moved to France with their parents at a young age and grew up here. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260216/what-new-french-citizenship-rules-mean-for-children-raised-in-france Mon, 16 Feb 2026 14:24:52 +0100 what-new-french-citizenship-rules-mean-for-children-raised-in-france French senator Nicole Bonnefoy - who has recently raised a series of question in the Senate on this issue - told The Local that new guidance on income requirements for French citizenship must not unfairly penalise retirees or children who grew up here, and says decisions should be based on "the whole life story". https://www.thelocal.fr/20260220/it-must-be-humane-and-individual-meet-the-senator-challenging-frances-strict-new-citizenship-rules Fri, 20 Feb 2026 16:48:15 +0100 it-must-be-humane-and-individual-meet-the-senator-challenging-frances-strict-new-citizenship-rules A British man who has lived in France since he was three years old and who hoped to join the French fire service has told how his French citizenship application has been turned down as his €1,600 a month income was deemed not to be 'sufficient and stable'. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260216/british-wannabe-firefighter-denied-french-citizenship-for-insufficient-income Mon, 16 Feb 2026 12:53:46 +0100 british-wannabe-firefighter-denied-french-citizenship-for-insufficient-income Anyone wanting to become a French citizen, now has to take a 40-question civics test and it’s not that easy, writes The Local’s Ben McPartland. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260210/opinion-warning-the-new-french-civics-test-for-citizenship-is-harder-than-i-imagined Tue, 10 Feb 2026 16:28:46 +0100 opinion-warning-the-new-french-civics-test-for-citizenship-is-harder-than-i-imagined A new rule on French income that effectively excludes foreign retirees from ever becoming French has led to a significant fall in the number of people being naturalised, according to the Interior Ministry. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260128/french-citizenships-fall-after-new-rule-blocking-retirees Wed, 28 Jan 2026 13:41:10 +0100 french-citizenships-fall-after-new-rule-blocking-retirees The French Interior Minister has told senators that he will review how naturalisation rules are applied to foreign retirees, something many feel has been made almost impossible following last year's circulaire to prefectures. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260207/french-minister-to-review-how-naturalisation-rules-for-retirees-are-being-applied Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:19:53 +0100 french-minister-to-review-how-naturalisation-rules-for-retirees-are-being-applied People applying for French citizenship as well as certain residency permits now have to take a new civics test, but the cost will vary depending on where you take it. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260122/how-much-will-it-cost-to-take-the-new-french-civics-test Thu, 22 Jan 2026 22:04:17 +0100 how-much-will-it-cost-to-take-the-new-french-civics-test New data shows that France stripped citizenship from 19 dual nationals in 2025 following serious criminal convictions. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260108/19-dual-nationals-stripped-of-french-passports-in-2025 Thu, 08 Jan 2026 13:01:00 +0100 19-dual-nationals-stripped-of-french-passports-in-2025 They own a house here and they say they love France, but as people on this path will know, there's a little more to applying for French citizenship than that. So how did George and Amal Clooney become French? https://www.thelocal.fr/20251230/just-how-did-george-and-amal-clooney-get-french-citizenship Tue, 30 Dec 2025 10:52:32 +0100 just-how-did-george-and-amal-clooney-get-french-citizenship France’s new civics test for citizenship and certain residency permits is "an added stress" applicants do not need, French civil rights groups have warned. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260102/an-added-stress-critics-blast-frances-new-civics-test-for-foreigners Fri, 02 Jan 2026 16:22:35 +0100 an-added-stress-critics-blast-frances-new-civics-test-for-foreigners