Immigration Services in Nice, France
I practise immigration and nationality law from my office in Nice. For now, I don't take asylum applications before the OFPRA or appeals before the CNDA; I can put you in touch with a colleague who does this work full time. I do handle Dublin procedures and temporary protection.
A first consultation
Tell me where things stand and bring what you have: letters, permits, the refusal if there is one. I'll explain which procedure fits, what it will ask of you and where it tends to go wrong. If you don't need a lawyer for it, I'll tell you.
If you decide to go ahead, I prepare the file, submit it and follow it through. Some files take weeks or months, others much longer. I'll help you see when a delay is normal and when it's time to act.
Appointments are at my office in Nice or by video call.
French naturalisation in Nice: applications and appeals
You become French by decree, after several years of residence in France, or by declaration, in particular after several years of marriage to a French citizen. The application is made online and includes an interview at the préfecture. Count in years, not months. If the answer is a refusal or an adjournment, a mandatory appeal to the minister comes first, then the tribunal administratif de Nantes (administrative court).
Is this your situation?
- You have lived in France for several years with a residence permit and want to become French.
- You are married to a French citizen and are thinking about a declaration of nationality.
- You have received a refusal or an adjournment.
- Your application was filed long ago and you have heard nothing.
What can go wrong
- The file is submitted too early, before the conditions are met. It is declared inadmissible or adjourned. It is better to wait and submit a complete file.
- Your resources are judged insufficient or unstable, for example after a recent change of work. I can advise you on how to present them, or whether to wait.
- The appeal to the minister gets no answer. After a period set by law, the silence counts as a refusal, and the court can then hear the case.
- An unfavourable decision is taken straight to court. Without the prior appeal to the minister, the claim is inadmissible.
Common questions
- How long does it take to get an answer?
- Count in years, not months. It depends on the préfecture and on the service's workload. I will let you know if a wait becomes abnormal.
- My spouse is French. Should I apply for naturalisation?
- Not necessarily. After several years of marriage and life together, a declaration of nationality is possible. The conditions are different; I can help you see which route is simpler for you.
- My application was adjourned. Is that a refusal?
- No. An adjournment asks you to wait and apply again later. It can also be challenged, by the same mandatory appeal and then before the tribunal administratif de Nantes.
Contact meI sign a written fee agreement with you before any work starts, and I accept legal aid (aide juridictionnelle). Details: legal notice.
Written by Paula Rocha Castanheira, lawyer at the Nice Bar.
General information, reviewed on . Your case depends on your decision and your file.