French Citizenship Acquisition – The Naturalization Saga: The Beginning

Disclaimer – The Naturalization process in France can vary from Prefecture to Prefecture and from Region to Region, and the list of documents and procedures are reputed to change every six months or so (and do change, in Isère).

This account covers my specific experience of the naturalization process in Grenoble (Isère) starting in 2019. Your experience may be different depending on your circumstances, and when and where you apply. This account is written in American English.

Finally! After years of studying hard, several internships and interviews, I finally had my Master’s degree - the culmination of countless sleepless nights, nerdy vending machine discussions, and hours of threatening to throw my computer out the window. And not only did I have that revered and long-awaited piece of paper in my possession, to my great surprise I was actually hired by a French company at the end of my second mandatory internship!

It’s actually fairly complicated to hire a non-European in France, which is why I didn’t expect anyone to go through all the trouble. Fortunately, the head of my company has a will of steel - she powered through the fairly complicated hiring process like the boss she is, issuing multiple original documents in several copies and papers for my work visa application, and was nice enough to rearrange my schedule for the hours I spent waiting in line at the Prefecture of Isère over several days, trying to get the information I needed to make sure it all went through and I got my work visa.

Fast forward to several years later, and by this time, I was a pro – I had Apostilled every available paper surface, had certified translations of every document I could find, completed by certified translators (of course!), and French documents issued less than three months before my visa appointment (not including my American birth certificate, which is accepted as issued – I still have the original from 1989 - and all other foreign documents).

I even had a giant separate folder on hand for all of the documents and photocopies I thought the Prefecture in Grenoble could ask (and has asked) me for, even if they weren’t on The List. Take that, Bureaucracy! I am Paper-Heavy and Overprepared – I have decimated whole forests in my photocopying quest, and I WILL PREVAIL!

However, all of the back and forth, missed work and hefty visa fees had understandably begun to wear on both myself and my employer. (On a side note - the Isère Prefecture has since gone digital: they have updated their website with the latest requirements and have provided an email address for questions. Vive le progrès !).

Now, I grew up in the French system - my parents worked in a French-speaking country overseas, and the only available international schooling was the government-run French School. I got my baccalauréat (French High School Diploma) in Languages and Literature, and went back to the States for my Bachelor’s, but I kept on coming back to my French-speaking roots, finally ending up in France for my Master’s degree in Specialized Multilingual Translation. As things are now, there are many things I like about France and the French system, many aspects of life in Grenoble that make this city my home.

So, when my boss casually asked me what I thought about applying for French citizenship, I had already seen several documents on the naturalization process in France come through the office for certified translation, and, even though it looked complicated, I squared my shoulders, looked that process dead in the eye and said – “Bring it!”.

Thus, armed with my reams of dead trees and a will of iron (I’m not cool enough for steel yet), I was ready to take the Prefecture bureaucracy by storm. I did my time in line, marched into the “Accueil” (Reception Area) and announced dramatically, “I would like to apply for French citizenship!” (in French, of course). The person at the desk just looked back at me for a moment, then said, “We don’t do that here - You need to go through the PIMMS first.”

Wait a second - Did they just tell me to hit the British hard liquor? Or maybe they were talking about the cookies? If they were telling me I’m going to need sugar and alcohol to get through this, this was obviously going to be harder than I thought.

Just to be safe, I asked them for details. Which is how I found out that PIMMS stands for “Point Information Médiation Multi-Services”, or the Multi-Service Mediation Information Point. I soon discovered that the PIMMS was the holder of all knowledge on the naturalization process in Grenoble (Isère). Fortunately, Grenoble is known for its cultural diversity, as well as its cutting edge research (and a great rugby team), and there are a couple of PIMMS at the Isère seat, along with a number to call for more information.

After so much time going back and forth and waiting in lines, this seemed too good to be true. But, lo and behold, I called the number, someone answered, and they really did tell me everything I needed to do – which was to take a half-day off work, go down to the PIMMS office, wait in line, and see about making an appointment to make an appointment to make an appointment - and no, that is not a typo (Ah, this I know how to deal with!). I have since called them multiple times with random questions on the various documents that are needed for the process, and they have been extremely helpful.

I immediately went back to my boss, received permission to take another half-day off work, and wandered through the back roads of Pont-de-Claix (part of the Grenoble Metropolis) in search of the PIMMS office in its natural habitat. After walking back and forth on the same street a few times, I finally found it tucked behind a family services office, and seeing no one was around, read the notice posted at the door saying they were closed on that same specific day. No problem. I stood back, cracked my knuckles, and started to stretch, because - let the games begin! And the first point went to the PIMMS.

But no worries, we were just getting started – and so begins the naturalization saga, from the first appointment and the great document odyssey, to the second PIMMS appointment and ending with my Prefecture interview, and maybe, if I’m lucky, a PIMMS party to celebrate my French citizenship -because who doesn’t like fruity liquor and cookies?

The naturalization process in France takes years to complete, and I’ll be posting updates as I go along, so stay tuned for the Part 2 of the Naturalization Saga – The First Appointment, coming soon!