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Citizenship
A French citizen has French nationality. The State protects them, and they must respect its laws. They are called a "national" (ressortissant) of the country.
Key points of the sheet
- The citizen has civic and political rights, such as the right to vote. They also have duties: respecting the laws, paying taxes, fulfilling military duties…
- Citizenship is a fundamental right linked to freedom.
- The citizen is free to express their opinions, to vote, to get involved, to travel…
- Foreign people who live in a country without having its nationality do not have all these rights and duties.
- French citizenship is written in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789. This text is addressed to the citizen as much as to Man.
- Deprivation of nationality (déchéance de nationalité) is an administrative decision of the State. It takes French nationality away from a person under certain conditions.
- With this measure, the person loses the rights and freedoms linked to citizenship. For example: the right to vote, the French passport, the State's diplomatic protection.
Words to know
- citizen (citoyen)
- The French citizen has French nationality; the State protects them and they must respect its laws.
- national (ressortissant)
- The citizen is called a "national" (ressortissant) of the country.
- civic and political rights (droits civiques et politiques)
- These are rights of the citizen, such as the right to vote.
- freedom of expression (liberté d'expression)
- It is the citizen's freedom to express their opinions.
- Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen)
- It is a text from 1789 in which French citizenship is written as a fundamental right.
- deprivation of nationality (déchéance de nationalité)
- It is an administrative decision of the State that takes away French nationality under certain conditions. The person then loses the rights and freedoms linked to citizenship.
Test yourself: 3 questions
To whom is the 1789 Declaration addressed?
In French, the language of the exam: À qui s'adresse la Déclaration de 1789 ?
The 1789 Declaration is addressed to the citizen as much as to Man.
What word describes the citizen in relation to their country?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel mot désigne le citoyen par rapport à son pays ?
The sheet says that the citizen is a "national" (ressortissant) of the country.
Who decides deprivation of nationality?
In French, the language of the exam: Qui décide la déchéance de nationalité ?
Deprivation of nationality is an administrative decision of the State.
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Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
- What condition is needed to vote in elections in France?
- Who can vote in elections in France?
- Which is the founding text of the rights and duties of the French citizen?
- What does it mean to be a citizen of a State?
More in this topic (Fundamental rights)
- A fundamental right: the right to make decisions about your own body
- Economic and social rights and so-called third-generation rights
- Introduction to fundamental rights
Source
Sheet “La citoyenneté” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.