Section 2: French nationals by birth in France

A child born in France of unknown parents is French. However, he or she will be deemed never to have been French if, during his or her minority, his or her filiation is established with regard to a foreigner and if, in accordance with the national law of his or her author, he or she has the nationality of the latter.

Is French: 1° A child born in France of stateless parents; 2° A child born in France of foreign parents for whom the foreign laws of nationality do not in any way allow him to be transmitted the nationality of either of his parents. However, he will be deemed never to have been French if, during his minority, the foreign nationality acquired or possessed by one of his parents comes…

A child whose birth certificate has been drawn up in accordance with Article 58 of this Code shall be presumed to have been born in France.

A child born in France is French if at least one of its parents was born there.

However, if only one of the parents was born in France, the French child, by virtue of Article 19-3, has the option of renouncing this status in the six months preceding his majority and in the twelve months following it. This option is lost if one of the parents acquires French nationality during the child’s minority.