If you're starting or continuing a naturalisation application this year, the question always comes up: "how long will it take?" The administration in principle has 18 months from the date the récépissé is issued to respond (12 months if you can show at least ten years of habitual residence in France), a deadline that can be extended once by three months with a justified decision (source: service-public.fr, fiche F34708). This deadline is indicative and doesn't let you predict an exact date for your own file. Still, here are the concrete steps and the orders of magnitude generally cited, to calibrate your expectations without relying on a promise.
The three main phases of a naturalisation file
Phase 1 — Filing and préfecture review
This first phase covers filing the complete application, the civics exam (mandatory since the law of January 26, 2024 to control immigration and improve integration), a background check, and the assimilation interview, which is mandatory once the file is declared admissible. It generally takes 3 to 9 months, depending on the préfecture and how complete the file was at filing — a figure often cited, without an official national statistic.
An incomplete file at filing (missing document, expired proof) gets sent back and can cost time: it's worth double-checking the exact list of documents requested by your préfecture before filing, and bringing both originals and copies to any appointment.
The assimilation interview, a step not to underestimate
The interview takes place at the préfecture or sous-préfecture of your place of residence, in French, with an official. It generally lasts 20 to 50 minutes — a figure often cited, without an official national statistic — and covers three areas: your personal background, your adherence to the values of the Republic, and your basic knowledge of France — the same knowledge covered by the civics exam. A B2 level (spoken and written) must be evidenced by a diploma or a recognised test; the assimilation interview is an additional requirement on top of that. A summons can arrive with little notice: it's worth reviewing the official sheets at formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr well before, not the day before.
Phase 2 — Central review
Once the préfecture review is done, the file is transmitted to the Ministry of the Interior (the sub-directorate for access to French nationality). This central review phase generally takes an additional 3 to 8 months — again a figure often cited, without an official national statistic by phase.
Phase 3 — Decree and ceremony
After a favourable decision, notification of the decree and the invitation to the naturalisation ceremony generally take 1 to 3 months.
What this adds up to
Adding up these three phases, the total duration generally cited is between 12 and 18 months depending on the préfecture, sometimes more depending on the complexity of the file — a figure often cited, without a consolidated official national statistic. The indicative deadline of 18 months (or 12 months) set by the administration from the date the récépissé is issued, extendable once by three months with a justified decision, frames the procedure without letting anyone predict an exact date: nobody, including us, can promise you one.
By the end of the year: what's realistic
For a file filed in the second half of 2026, a response before December 31 cannot be presumed: base your own timeline on the date your récépissé was issued and the indicative deadline that applies to your situation (18 months, or 12 months if you can show at least ten years of habitual residence), rather than on a general estimate.
What stays within your control to avoid losing time unnecessarily:
- Take the civics exam early in the process, not at the last minute — see our article on the civics exam price and conditions.
- Check the exact list of documents expected by your préfecture, which can differ slightly from one préfecture to another.
- Gather both originals and copies of civil status, residence and income documents in advance: their absence, more often than their content, is what costs weeks at the interview stage.
- Respond quickly to any request for additional documents: every pending follow-up slows the file down.
Appointments linked to naturalisation
Some steps (filing, interview) require an in-person visit to a préfecture or sous-préfecture, with slots that open in batches and fill up fast. You can track availability by process and by department on our live map.
What remains uncertain
- Delays for the central review phase at the ministry are not published in detail per department.
- The volume of files filed in 2026 (the first year the civics exam is generalised) could lengthen or shorten the delays observed so far; no consolidated data is available yet to confirm either way.
- An interview summons or a request for an additional document can happen at any time and prolong the review of part of the file.
Perfecture is an independent service, not affiliated with the préfectures or the French administration.
- https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34708 (response deadline, naturalisation by decree)
- https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000049040245 (law No. 2024-42 of January 26, 2024)
- https://www.immigration.interieur.gouv.fr/documentation/guides-textes-et-brochures/lexamen-civique-pour-demande-de-naturalisation-ou-de-reintegration-dans-nationalite-francaise.html
- Decree No. 93-1362 of December 30, 1993 (legifrance.gouv.fr)
- https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2213 (assimilation interview, naturalisation by decree)