Chapter V: Acts relating to the acquisition or loss of French nationality

Declarations of nationality made either because of marriage to a French spouse, pursuant to article 21-2, or because of the status of ascendant of a French national, pursuant to article 21-13-1, or because of the status of brother or sister of a French national, pursuant to article 21-13-2, are received by the administrative authority. Other declarations of nationality are received by the director of the court registry services of the…

Any declaration of nationality must, on pain of nullity, be registered either by the director of the judicial registry services of the judicial court, for declarations subscribed in France, or by the Minister of Justice, for declarations subscribed abroad, with the exception of the following declarations, which are registered by the administrative authority designated by decree in the Conseil d’Etat: 1° Those made on the grounds of marriage to a…

The seat and jurisdiction of the judicial courts or local chambers competent to receive and register declarations of French nationality shall be determined by decree.

The Minister or the director of the judicial registry services of the judicial court shall refuse to register declarations that do not satisfy the legal conditions. The declarant shall be notified of the reasoned decision and may contest it before the judicial court within a period of six months. The action may be brought personally by the minor from the age of sixteen. The decision to refuse registration must be…

If registration is not refused within the legal time limit, a copy of the declaration is given to the declarant bearing the registration notice. Within two years of the date on which it was made, the registration may be contested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office if the legal conditions are not met. The registration may still be contested by the Public Prosecutor’s Office in the event of lies or fraud…

Subject to the provisions of the second paragraph (1°) of article 23-9, declarations of nationality, once they have been registered, take effect on the date on which they were made.