years' residence since age 11. between 16 and 18 upon request by the child and if resident in France with at least 5 years' residence since age 11. between 13 and 16 upon request by the child's parents and if resident in France continuously since age 8. if born in France to parents born before independence in a former French sovereign colony/territory: at birth, if born in France before January 1, 1994. at age 18, if born in France on or after January 1, 1994. A child who was born abroad and who has only one French parent can repudiate their French nationality during the six months prior to their reaching the age of majority, or in the year which follows it (article 19-4 of the Civil Code). French citizenship by birth abroad to at least one French citizen The child (legitimate or natural) is French if at least one parent is French. In the case of an adoption, the child has French nationality only under the "full adoption" regime. Parentage to the parent from whom the French nationality is claimed, must be established while the child is still a minor (under 18). When the child is born abroad from a French parent, it is essential for the French parent to record the birth of the child in the French civil register. In the event of litigation or to establish definitive proof of French nationality (or request a French passport) French nationality may be established by petitioning for a French nationality certificate from the Tribunal d'Instance (local court) of the person's place of residence, or if residing abroad, via the Paris Court (service of French nationality) having jurisdiction over French persons residing abroad. French citizenship by descent limitations Article 30-3 of the French Civil Code (previously numbered Article 95 of the French nationality code) is a "long-standing bone of contention" in French nationality law that can act as a practical limitation on the number of generations under which French citizenship by descent may be transmitted through births outside France. Under that provision, a person cannot prove his French citizenship by descent to French authorities when neither that person nor his French parent(s) had, for fifty years, "possession d'état de Français" (contact or links with French authorities, such as a French passport renewal, voting registration, French consular registration, and so on), while residing outside France. The 1993 legislation did insert a