I am looking for advice about dual nationality (English/French), I won’t bore anyone with my life story but here’s a snapshot. Moved to France 12 years ago with my wife, son, daughter- in- law and three grandchildren. Purchased a Hotel/Restaurant in the Aveyron. My granddaughter is now 17 (British citizen) and about to finish her education. In order to get the job she wants she must have French nationality but will be given dispensation if she holds dual nationality.
Anyone know how to go about it please?
Along with all the usual stuff, on the Conditions section… it says that a 17 year old can start the process, but that Naturalization will only be applicable on reaching maturity (majorité 18)
If you daughter has been here 12 years, done school etc… I would think this should be straightforward… 
I’m going through the process at the moment, like your daughter, I’ve been here 12 years, (my partner and kids are aveyronnais too but that doesn’t seem to change anything!) I had my interview last week and it’s already taken 9 months to get to this stage. I’ve been told that there shouldn’t be any problems with my application but that it’ll probably take a year to a year and a half before I’m naturalised. The process is long and “heavy”, the dossier is huge and everything is dealt with by the regional centre in Toulouse (for the midi-pyrénées) so no point even asking at hte préfecture in Rodez 
Don’t want to put anyone off applying, just giving first hand experience of the process 
Where’s your hotel/where are you in the aveyron?
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Yes, By the Lac De Pareloup between Pont de Salars and Salles Curran.
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Andrew, I believe 18 months is about the norm. That’s what took me here in the Limousin, on the so-called ‘fast route’ through marriage. Part of that was taken up with ‘not providing documents’ that hadn’t even been asked for on the original application! That happened twice and must have added at least three months to the process.
Hi Norman, mine’s the classic route but with French kids and OH (we’re pacs’d, not married), French business etc. Had my interview May 2018, gendarmes popped round a few weeks later, told at interview that there shouldn’t be any problem at all but that things are taking a long time at the moment… been emailing the various people concerned and it really is taking time, no problems but my dossier still hasn’t left the regional immigration centre in Toulouse !!!
Interestingly we were anticipating the gendarme’s visit, but it simply never happened. Likewise I thought my deafness would be a serious problem, but with my wife doing the translation for me (on the subject in hand) I could participate with a reasonable contribution in French, but not being able to hear the subject was not a main problem on that basis.
I have to say that at the Presentation Day I was very surprised at the sort of people who had been granted Nationality including one Indian guy who seemed stoned out of his mind, and had no idea of where he was or what was going on!
I think that France is more generous and forgiving in fact than most would believe. If the loud mouth yobs of all classes in the UK - including Daily Wail reporters would shut their gobs I am certain the whole thing could be resolved amicably.
I spoke to my 81 year old brother yesterday and he s still spouting the same rubbish that the idiot Farage spewed out two years ago, so he isn’t listening to anything at all, despite Farage gettng his kids German Nationality and earning a fat Fascist salary in the USA.
I suppose we shouldn’t really be surprised by the Rothermere aristocratic lowlifes - they were supporting the Germans and Mosely’s Fascists in the 30’s and are still the scum on the top of the washing up in my view.
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I sent my dossier to the Niort Prefecture in August 2017. Interviews in March/April 2018 and was granted citizenship in December 2018. I am still waiting for a date for the ‘Presentation’ so it seems that in Poitou-Charentes it takes about 18 months also.
I did mine in the '90s and it took about 3 months, it seemed so easy at the time.
Hi Richard, we’re down the road from you so we’ll be along for a meal one day. Do you have a website ?
You ok Andrew ?
Hi Peter, fine thanks but busy as ever so not here much on sfn. Hope things are good with you too. Should have done it years ago too but never found the time or energy to do so until Brexit started becoming a reality. Would have been nice to have it sorted before Brexit but I can wait as I can’t be kicked out anyway what ever happens 
Malcom, August 2017 is when I started the process but I couldn’t get the interview untill May 2018 (in the midi-pyrénées, dossier have to be handed in at the same time as the 1.5 hour interview and it can take up to a year to get the interview! individual préfectures no longer handle dossier here - it’s the regional immigration centre which is why I think it takes longer)
Hi Andrew, any more news on your progress? Where is your Tabac (it IS a tabac isn’t it?) My wife and her sister are off to Italy for their annual holiday in mid-May and I am thinking of doing a few local-ish trips on my own. I live to all intents and purposes in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne so not really a ,million miles away from the Albi Rodez axis. Might also stumble across Michael White’s place if I can find it.
It would be interesting to put together faces and places.
Hi Norman, sorry to interpose but thought l would just take a minute to say that since your rather sad news in your December post ‘How much does it take to live’ when you were looking to downsize and were facing a quieter existence after losing a loved one, just you, the cats and your huge collection of books and films. That l am so pleased to see that you are beginning to live life to the full again and have found happiness.
At a spritely 80 years of age you are a fine example of how the human spirit can overcome lifes hard times. Keep going - l admire your tenacity and always enjoy reading your stuff. Thankyou😊
Again, sorry to interrupt.
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I sent of application in September 2017 ,interview in Nantes in June 2018 and Citizenship came through exactly 6 months later.
However despite having forwarded with my application the divorce papers justifying keeping my French married name ,my naturalisation decree came through in my Maiden Name
This caused problems at the security gate at presentation ceremony as my Titre De Sejour was in my married name and so didn’t tally with name on list,nearly was refused entry
Also my turn to receive certificate was seco nd from last of 138 when most people had lost interest and were chatting and all the kids were crying!!My maiden name being much further down the alphabet than my married name!
Due to son arriving just before the official time, we were at the last row of the hall anyway and didn’t hear any of the film or the talk from the Sous Prefet(noisy kids)
( However we were first in line for the drinks afterwards so didn’t lose out on all fronts!)
I’m not sure if this is a mistake or not,the irony is that I have apparently a year to get back to the Naturalisation people In Reze if I want to Frenchify my name !
Luckily I have contact details of the admin person who was dealing with my dossier so that is on my "must do "list
I feel it is easier being here if you have a French name and of course the same name as sons.
Mmm… you’ve got me well and truly thinking about how it all works… and, perhaps, why Naturalization comes in maiden (birth) name rather than married name.
Perhaps it is because it takes you back to “square one”… to make you French., and the maiden name is used for major things in my experience…
My driving licence is in my maiden name, with my married name below.
My medical documents/scans etc are all in my maiden name ( EPOUSE Wood)
Can’t locate my voting card… but I know that at the Polling Station, the ladies are listed under the maiden name not the married name…so I’m presuming mine is too.
It makes sense in a way… a person can be married/divorced whatever… but “born”… only once… thus the birth name is the one constant.
(Having said that… adoption name-change… is a grey area… can’t remember how things are worked out. Birth and adoption-name-change papers were necessary, recently… in a Last Will and T situation).
We have gone through all this before, but according to French law, your name is the one you were born with, anything else is a nom d’usage.
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exactly… and it does make perfect sense… 
I suppose was a bit confused as my Titre De Sejour, also issued last year was made out only in my married name as was all the correspondence from the Naturalisation Dept (even the one saying I had aquired French Nationality)
I’m used to my maiden name being on a lot of the official docs but as I have yet to apply for my Carte D’Identité I suppose I’ll find out then if just the maiden name.
One of the reasons I kept my married name after getting divorced was because I thought it would help with my naturalisation application Also still had two sons under 18 ,and wanted same name as them
So arguably no reason to keep it now.
Except it sounds better and gets me(sometimes) to the front of the queue!!!
I throws me completely when someone says aloud…" Madame xxx" and I look around, wondering… then realize that Madame xxx(maiden name) … is the lady I know as Madame zzz (married name).
Funnily enough… I’ve got papers all over the place… and just noticed that the Avis Impots Taxes Foncières… gives OH’s full name and then me… Madame “maiden name” …“christian names” (no hide nor hair of my married name)
hi Dan,
thanks for the kind words. It wasn’t losing a loved one in the usual sense of the word - as in demise, it was facing the collapse of a marriage after some 40 years. A major shock to the system and at my age not something I liked having to face - especially as it came out of the blue! I suppose the age and ‘common sense’ factors came into play though and after going to the edge of the cliff we finally decided that jumping off wasn’t really a good answer, so we have worked something out which isn’t perfect, but is practical - together but apart if you see what I mean?
Thanks again for the thought.
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Hi Norman,
I’m still waiting! It’s been almost a year now since the interview. 18 months since starting the process. I was warned that it’d take this long but it seems that since the départements in the old Midi-Pyrénées pooled their naturalisation/immigration services into a single immigration centre for the whole region, things are taking even longer! I wrote back in February asking for an updata and my dossier hadn’t left the centre in Toulouse, so it still hasn’t even started to be processed in Rèze/Nante.
Yes, I’m a buraliste and run/own a tabac right in the centre of Carmaux - 15km north of Albi on the way up to Rodez
Carol, you were very lucky/that was very quick. I started the process back in August 2017 and I’m a long way behind you in the very, very slow midi_pyrénées!