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.
Technically this is not a change, it is a ‘clarification’ in a memo sent out by former Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau in May 2025. This technicality is important because new laws must have a start date and can only apply to applications that were submitted after that date.
The ‘clarification’ in the ministerial circulaire, however, can be applied to applications that were submitted months or years ago – and there have been numerous reports of cases where that happened.
But despite only being technically a clarification of existing rules, the memo has had a big impact on how citizenship applications are treated, so we feel justified in describing these as new requirements.
One other important caveat – only people applying for citizenship through residency (par décret) have to meet income requirements. Those applying through marriage or family ties (par déclaration) or through being born in France (droit du sol) do not have to fulfil income requirements so are not affected by the memo (although the separate rules on new French language levels do apply to applicants by marriage).
With that out of the way, let’s look at the new income requirements.
Memo
Here’s what the memo actually says when it comes to requirements on income – the “you” addressed are the préfecture staff who decide on citizenship applications.
Part 1 – Professional integration: “Professional integration is assessed over a period of five years and must therefore enable applicants to have sufficient and stable resources to ensure their financial independence, regardless of their status under employment law (employee, self-employed, liberal profession, entrepreneur, etc.).
“In the case of employees, if professional integration is to be assessed based on the applicant’s overall career path, you will also require a permanent contract (CDI) of more than one year at the date of examination of the application, or continuity of work under temporary contracts (CDD) over a period of twenty-four months.
“Naturally, you will not apply these criteria to people with disabilities or long-term illnesses.
“You may also, of course, subject to exemplary behaviour and full adherence to the essential principles and values of the Republic, take into account the situation of applicants with high potential for our country, in particular high-level students and professionals holding a ‘passeport talent‘, likely to make a significant contribution to France’s present or future influence in the artistic, intellectual, sporting and scientific fields, as well as in applied research in innovative sectors. I would remind you that these applicants can also benefit from a reduction in their probationary period to two years under article 21-18 2° of the French Civil Code.”
Part 2 – French-sourced income: “The level of income determines the applicant’s ability to support themselves and any other dependants
“This level is determined by reference to the minimum wage (SMIC), updated annually and increased according to the composition of the family unit.
“Income must be assessed excluding social security benefits, which means that, barring exceptional circumstances, applications from people whose income is mainly derived from social security benefits should be rejected.
“On the other hand, you will not be able to argue that the applicant’s resources are insufficient when this is the direct result of an illness or disability (CE, 29 November 2019, n04210S0).
“You will also reject, with certain exceptions, applications from applicants whose income comes mainly from abroad, as this situation demonstrates that they have not completely transferred the centre of their interests to France.”
So what changes?
Let’s break down what that means and how it applies to foreigners in France making their applications.
No change – There have always been income requirements for people applying for French citizenship through the residency pathway, and the basic requirements remain the same; sufficient and stable income to support yourself (and dependants if applicable).
As the memo says, this is based on the French minimum wage (SMIC) which is regularly revised but currently stands at €1,443 a month, after tax (or €17,316 net per year).
The requirement for French-sourced income is not new either, and in the past has often tripped up frontaliers (people who live in France and commute to work in another country, such as Switzerland) and those who work remotely for companies outside France.
Those who are of working age but don’t work – for example stay-at-home parents – have also had a hard time getting citizenship, even if their spouse earns enough to comfortably support them.
Changes – what changes is the use of much narrower criteria to define a ‘sufficient and stable income’, and the removal of discretion of préfecture staff to judge an application as a whole, together with an increased emphasis on groups who ‘must’ be rejected.
Job contracts – the stipulation for a permanent (CDI) contract of at least one year, or temporary (CDD) contracts for at least two years is new, as is the requirement to judge an applicant’s finances over the previous five years.
Previously, it was up to the discretion of préfecture staff to judge whether a person was professionally integrated – so that while working-age people with an uneven work history, or remote workers, might get turned down, exceptions could be made for people in other situations.
The big losers here are young people who moved to France with their parents as small children, grew up here, and apply for citizenship once they reach 18 – previously they were likely to be granted citizenship based on their well-integrated lifestyle, even if they couldn’t satisfy the employment conditions due to being at university or just starting out in their careers. Now they seem to be being routinely rejected.
Benefits – likewise the rules on benefits have been tightened with the stipulation that people should be rejected if the ‘majority’ of their income comes from benefits.
This wouldn’t affect low earners who qualify for family benefits or top-up allowances, but would affect job-seekers. Previously people on chômage (unemployment benefit) could be granted citizenship, because the very fact that they had been able to register with the French employment office means they had previously worked in France and therefore ‘paid in’ to the system.
This seems to slam the door on people who have worked, but who then lost their job, perhaps through no fault of their own.
As the memo states, this cannot be applied to people who cannot work due to illness or disability.
French-sourced income – the requirement to reject, with only “certain exceptions” people whose income comes from outside France has disproportionately affected those who retired to France and whose income is a pension from another country.
While working-age people were often previously rejected on not having ‘French-sourced income’, an informal exception was applied to those who had retired to France.
Préfecture staff were able to take into account that they were unable to change the circumstances of their pension and could judge whether they have the “centre of their economic interests in France” in other ways – for example whether they had bought a house in France.
The Local has spoken to dozens of pensioners who have been rejected under this rule since May 2025.
Unlike the other groups, retirees have virtually no hope of ever being eligible as in most cases they cannot change where their pension is paid.
Recent graduates – people who have graduated from a higher education (masters or above) programme at a French university are able to apply for citizenship after two years of residence in France, rather than the usual five.
While previously people in this group often chose to wait until they had worked for at least a year to apply, so that they were able to present a complete dossier, the criteria for employment contracts now seems to make this pathway virtually impossible, especially for graduates who didn’t manage to find a full-time contract straight away on finishing their studies, a common situation in a tough job market.
Talent Passeport – there is some good news, however, for people on the ‘talent’ residency status (previously referred to as the Talent Passeport, the minister seems to have missed that memo), as préfecture staff are instructed to treat them favourably.
People with this status include those in high-earning jobs, employed as a researcher at a university or someone with an international artistic career. They would likely be able to fulfil the citizenship criteria anyway, but this memo may improve their chances.
READ ALSO: ‘Talent’ card: The little-known French visa that could make moving to France a lot easier✎
The special pathway for people who have provided an ‘exceptional contribution’ to France is more unusual and often requires a nomination – full details here.
