The number of French nationals living in the UK who apply for British citizenship has almost tripled over the past decade, according to the latest Home Office figures.
French citizens rank fourth among nationals of the 27 European Union member states seeking naturalisation in the UK, with nearly 2,500 applications recorded during the first three quarters of 2025.
They come after Italians, who account for the highest number of applications, followed by Polish and Romanian nationals.
The Home Office said: “These three leading nationalities accounted for almost half (48%) of grants of British citizenship to EU nationals over that period and have consistently represented more than 40% of grants each quarter since 2013.”
At the other end of the scale, Luxembourgian and Slovenian nationals recorded the lowest number of applications.
The disparity largely reflects the size of each community in the UK.
According to the 2021 Census, around half a million Italian nationals live in the country, compared with just 1,255 Luxembourg citizens, based on the latest figures from the Luxembourg government.
Applications from French nationals surged in the aftermath of the Brexit referendum.
Between 2016 and 2017, the number of applications quadrupled and continued to rise, reaching a record high in 2021, when the UK formally completed its departure from the European Union.
Since then, application numbers have remained at a comparatively high level, averaging around 2,500 per year.
Muriel Girard-Perichon, who has lived in London for more than 20 years, is among the French nationals who chose to apply.
Brexit prompted her and her husband to seek British citizenship, although the process was completed before the UK’s formal exit from the EU.
She said: “We immediately suspected that it would change a lot of things.
“Our children, now aged 27 and 21, were raised here and wanted to continue their studies.
“It was easier for everyone to have a British passport, while keeping our French one.”
Girard-Perichon, who runs her own company, LearnArtory, said citizenship has made her feel more protected.
She said: “Everything is simpler, especially when crossing borders.
“My children also pay the same university fees as British students and are even eligible for student loans.”
Others say their decision was driven by a growing sense of insecurity.
Charlotte, a 35-year-old French national, waited a year after obtaining settled status, as required by the rules, before applying for British citizenship.
She said: “I was afraid I might one day lose my rights.”
The banker said she had not forgotten the experience of the Windrush generation, Caribbean migrants who arrived in the UK between the late 1940s and early 1970s and were granted permanent residency, but were later wrongly classified as illegal immigrants.
She said: “For me, citizenship makes life easier.
“All I have to do is show my passport to prove that I have the right to live and work here.”
For Lydia, who has just submitted her application, the motivation was political.
She explained: “I had been living in London for just over five years and had settled status, but I was frustrated at not being able to vote in elections.”
EU nationals with permanent or temporary residence can vote in local elections, but not in general elections.
The 30-year-old said: “I pay my taxes here, so I should have a say in the policies that are implemented.
“With the far-right gaining popularity, I’m concerned about what could happen, especially after having heard that some politicians want to reform the indefinite leave to remain.”
But applying for British citizenship has a cost. The price of the application itself – excluding the ceremony and two mandatory tests – has even doubled over the past ten years, according to Home Office data.
Lydia said she paid nearly £2,000, including the citizenship ceremony, the Life in the UK test and the English language exam.
She said: “But it’s an investment in myself. I have absolutely no regrets.”
The price can be significantly higher. Girard-Perichon, for example, applied through a solicitor, bringing the total cost for her family to around £9,000.
She said: “That’s the price of peace of mind.
“If your goal is to stay in the UK long-term, raise children here, travel freely or start a business, then it’s worth applying. If not, settled status can be sufficient.”
Immigration lawyers say this reasoning has become increasingly common.
Hélène Bérard, a solicitor specialising in British immigration law, said many of her French clients insist on applying for citizenship, even when it is not strictly necessary.
She explained: “Applying for citizenship is not required if you already have settled status, as it automatically grants indefinite leave to remain.”
Her colleague Nilmini Roelens, also an immigration solicitor, adds that citizenship offers a sense of permanence that residency status does not.
She said: “People, who have strong ties to the UK and a settled status that can be lost after five years abroad, generally prefer to apply for British nationality.
“It allows them to come and go freely in what they consider their long-term home.”
Feature image credit: Leila Lamnaouer
Join the discussion