“Why do you want to become French?”: how to answer
There is no official answer to learn by heart. The assimilation interview checks your knowledge of the citizen’s rights and duties and your commitment to the values of the Republic. Prepare a short, honest answer in three parts: your link with France, your life here with a concrete example, and what nationality changes for you.
1. What this question is for
The assimilation interview takes place at the préfecture (the local state office), if your naturalisation application is admissible, once the background checks are back. It checks your assimilation, in particular your knowledge of the citizen’s rights and duties and your commitment to the essential principles and values of the Republic (decree no. 93-1362, art. 41, amended by decree no. 2025-648).
The question about your motivation is not a trap. It is a chance to talk about your life in France in your own words. An answer that fits your own story matters more than a perfect speech.
2. A simple three-part structure
Prepare ideas, not a script. These three parts help you not to forget anything.
- 1. Your link with FranceHow long you have lived here, and what brought you: studies, work, family. One or two sentences are enough.
- 2. Your life here, in practiceYour job, your children at school, a local association, your neighbourhood. One precise fact is worth more than a general statement.
- 3. What nationality changes for youVoting, getting involved, sharing the same rights and the same duties as other citizens. Say what really matters to you.
Aim for an answer of one to two minutes. If the agent wants to know more, they will ask you other questions.
3. Examples of points to mention
Only use what is true for you. These examples are there to help you find ideas, not to be recited. Each one is in French, with an English translation, so you can practise saying it.
| Theme | Example sentence | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Work | « Je travaille depuis six ans comme aide-soignante à l’hôpital de ma ville. » “I have worked as a care assistant at my town’s hospital for six years.” | Your integration and your place in society |
| Family | « Mes enfants sont nés ici et vont à l’école publique du quartier. » “My children were born here and go to the local state school.” | Your family life in France |
| Involvement | « Je suis bénévole dans une association d’aide aux devoirs. » “I volunteer with an association that helps children with homework.” | Fraternity, local life |
| Values | « Ici, les femmes et les hommes ont les mêmes droits, et j’y tiens. » “Here, women and men have the same rights, and that matters to me.” | Equality, a principle of the Republic |
| Citizenship | « Je veux pouvoir voter là où je vis et où mes enfants grandissent. » “I want to be able to vote where I live and where my children are growing up.” | The citizen’s rights and duties |
4. What to avoid
- A script learnt by heartA recited answer sounds false, and it puts you in difficulty as soon as the next question comes.
- Purely practical reasonsThe passport or travel may be part of your reality. But an answer that stops there says nothing about your life in France.
- A value you can’t explainIf you mention laïcité (France’s secularism) or equality, be ready to say what it means to you, with an example.
- An answer that contradicts your fileWhat you say must match what you declared: where you live, your work, your family situation.
- Rejecting your country of originYou can stay attached to your country of origin. The question is about your link with France, not about rejecting anything.
Be honest. A simple, true answer in your own words is worth more than a perfect speech.
5. On the day of the interview
Bring the originals of your documents: you will be asked for them. At the end of the interview, you sign the charter of the rights and duties of the French citizen (decree no. 2012-127). Missing the interview without a legitimate reason can lead to your application being closed (classement sans suite).
Saying your answer out loud, several times, helps make it sound natural. In our free mock interview, you listen to the question, you answer, then you compare with a sample answer and a self-check list.
The interview questions and the free mock interviewSources
- service-public.gouv.fr, F2213: naturalisation by decree (in French)
- Decree no. 93-1362, art. 41, amended by decree no. 2025-648
- Decree no. 2012-127 of 30 January 2012 (charter of the rights and duties of the French citizen)
- Code civil, art. 21-24
Say your answer out loud before the big day.
Free mock interview on the website, no account: you answer, then you compare with a sample answer written by Recite.
Start the mock interviewGeneral information, not legal advice. For your own application, the official texts and the French administration have the final word. Recite is not affiliated with the French Ministry of the Interior.