Here is a Facebook posting from an hour ago:
"After residing in France for 9 years , two years of efforts completing the application and a very positive interview I have just received a letter informing me that they have rejected my application because I haven’t any income based in France. I am 74 years old, retired and receive my pensions from U.K. How could I have earned money in France ? If I had known this was a criteria I would have known not to apply! "
Because he’s one in a long line of colleagues and retired colleagues here in Strasbourg to go for citizenship and nobody so far has had any problems. He has superb French. He’s worked for an international organisation for decades (but our pensions are considered foreign source). He’s integrated. His kids were born here. Etc etc.
There is no reason not to grant him citizenship. Other than this new instruction to disregard foreign-source income.
Again, we don’t know if this is the full story and how strong the overall dossier was in demonstrating that they had transferred their interests to France and met all the other criteria. And how zealous an Agent!
We also don’t yet know what will happen on challenge as the first level is just to write back and say they are wrong because of x and y. I expect that these will be overturned as legal basis for circular is not that solid.
But it is getting tighter
That fuller description makes the point more clearly! But father of French child should trump foreign income easily .
Actually I’ve just remembered his kids were born in England. And moved here when they were very young. The family has literally been here for decades.
If the article is to be believed, it was for citizenship, not residency which is what probably most of us have.
Yes indeed - but it’s a short step from one to the other should politicians be so minded.
Anyway, in the words of Corporal Jones, “don’t panic Mr Mainwaring!” 
Well, if someone’s posted it on Facebook it must be true 
There are well over 300,000 CdS issued each year - a lot for work, students or family which are beneficial to France. A handful of elderly brits living off UK pensions are really neither here nor there.
Why wouldn’t it be true? Is everything a lie now? What would motivate someone to post this and ask for help just for giggles?
Because they post what they want readers to hear, and not always the full story.
Interesting. I wonder how the “sauf exception” will be interpreted ? I also have my doubts as to whether the presumption made in relation to majoritarily foreign sourced revenue would be considered appropriate and proportionate under EU law. That should make for some interesting case law should any aggrieved person choose to take it the CJEU, and/or ECHR.
Exactly my thinking. The circular represents the typically ill thought out desiderata of a particularly right-leaning Minister of the Interior, the courts will decide, and who knows his circular might be replaced by one from a new incumbent if the present government collapses again.
A two-minute search search on Facebook just discovered this:
“The DMV have just announced that all electric vehicles must have their battery motors replaced with V8’s. MAKE AMERICA SOUND GREAT AGAIN!!!”
So while I am sure there is useful, accurate information to be found on the platform there is also plenty of nonsense and pure mischief. Caveat emptor …
Regarding income source…Just done the interview at the Prefecture. A red biro note was made on the notes the interviewer had in front of her as I told her my income was derived in the UK. Knowing M. Retailleau ´s advisory circular to highlight this point , in advance of it becoming part of the January directive to prefectures, I have written an e.mail to point out that as an ex- teacher, the dual taxation agreement between France and the UK prohibits public servants from paying taxes to France ( a credit system applies). Income is exclusively regarded as derived in the Uk and taxes payable to the Uk.My pension as an ex-teacher has to be taken in the UK, as also any other public servant, eg, nurse ,police, army etc.
We haven’t a choice. This ,unless challenged,is both discriminatory ,pas égalité,and may prove to have been an expensive and time- consuming effort , if my application is rejected on financial grounds.
To add insult to injury, we spend our pension here.
Out of interest, did the lady who interviewed you specifically ask about the source of your income? Because none of my colleagues were asked at the interview stage. But they all obtained citizenship before this new circular was issued.
Yes,I was asked,but my wife ,also an ex- teacher was not asked. Explain that!
As an update,I wrote to the préfecture after the interview… ( please excuse any errors)
Pendant l’entretien réglémentaire le 19/06/2025, j’étais demandé si mon centre des financier était en France ou en Royaume Uni.
Je voudrais clarifier sur en tant qu’enseignant et donc fonctionnaire, mon pension de retraite restent imposables au Royaume -Uni en raison d’un accord double nationalité.
Cependant, mon centre des financier reste en France. Pouvez-vous m’assurer que ça sera noté,s’il vous plaît.
I think all this will do is confirm the idea that my source is the Il and not France and will probably not be taken into account.
So, I’ve just rung the Teachers’ Pension base in Darlington and I am told it is perfectly possible to have my tax deducted at source in the UK and then they will transfer the remainder of my pension to the Crefit Agricole account ,in euros obviously and subject to the volatile exchange rate prevalent on the day of transfer.
Basically, my wife and I will wait for any rejection letter from the Prefecture and re- apply, having then re- arranged the ´source of income’ issue as explained above.
Hopefully this can be done before Retailleau’s directive comes into force in January, as that would mean my wife will have to obtain B2 and we’d both have to do a silly written history test.
I was asked some really docile questions in the interview. However do know les droits back to front and all about separation of church and state stuff.
Hopefully it won’t be an issue for you Len and you will get your citizenship but does arranging for your after-tax pension to be sent to the Credit Agricole really alter the source of the income? To my mind, it doesn’t.
Thanks.
I agree .However, in the interview next time , It will be a matter of my interpretation of ‘source’ .
If rejected, there will be an awful lot of ex- Uk retirees unable to become French.
Not great.