Born in France, adopted by US parents and moved to US am I still a French Citizen?

Question

I was adopted by US parents when I was 4 and moved from France to the US when I was 9. I became a US citizen. Am I still a french citizen also and could I get a french passport and move to Europe? I want to go to the UK and if I am a french citizen then I would be part of the EU and would be able to work. If I go on my US passport, I can't work. The french embassy in the US just doesn't answer me, can anyone help?

Answer 1

Your key paper to find is a birth certificate that will prove your right to citizenship.
Ask your parents which city ("commune") you were born in, send a request for the birth certificate, then go to the embassy.
It will be even easier to go by yourself to the place in france with the adoption papers (needs to be translated).
As born in france, you should be awarded the citizenship but be fast, laws may change in france about the right to citizenship after next election in 2007.

Answer 2

Hi, the old thing about "choosing citizenship" by the time you're 18 or 21 no longer applies. You'll need to contact the french embassy first and ask them for the neccessary paperwork. The problem is going to be establishing that least your biological mother was a french citizen, which may be hard since adoptions (at least in the US) often "seal" the original documents and new/fake/innacurate papers generated.

Answer 3

I was born in the UK but both my parents are Portuguese. I automatically have a British passport and birth certificate however I also consider myself Portuguese so I went to the Portuguese Consulate (not the Embassy) and registered myself as Portuguese. I had to prove that my parents were Portuguese by getting their birth certificates and then pay a fee and it was done. I now have dual nationality making me British Portuguese, you surely have the right to do the same but instead of going to the Embassy try the Consulate or it's French equivalent. Don't give up persevere and you'll get there. You do have the right because it's your birth country.

Answer 4

You should start by talking to your adoptive parents. They will know more about your paperwork then the anyone else. If you aren't comfortable asking them, you might consider finding an adoptee support group in your area (they know a lot about tracking down "original" identity). You could try calling the the US Consulate Generale in France, but your situation is very personal and I don't think that a bureaucratic agency is going to have the answers you are looking for. Another idea is to go to the colleges or universities near you (or not near you - research online) and see if you can find a "center" for international adoption or citizenship issues - check the Law Schools. You might just find someone who can point you in the right direction. You might check some of the adoption boards to see if there is anyone out there in your similar situation - try adoption.com to start and look on the reunion boards. Good luck.

Answer 5

It really all depends upon the rulings of the country of which you wish to belong. For instance, I was born in NZ, adopted by UK citizens, brought up in NZ, and my sister - their natural child - has been able to gain a UK passport by claiming descendency via our father. I, however, cannot, according to the UK. Although my birth family are from the UK (but settled in NZ and are now in Oz), because I was adopted prior to a particular year my claim via my birth family is null and void as they are no longer my legal family. However, the UK doesn't like people who are adopted to gain UK passports, so my adopted right - my *legal* right - to claim UK ancestry is also null and void. Hence, my sister has her British passport and I have not. Unfair, really, but that's the way it goes!

As for France, this country might have similar restrictions and you will need to contact the authorities to check. As the French Embassy in the US doesn't seem to be easily contactable, try the US Embassy in France - send them an email, explaining your situation.

Good luck. The laws in many countries (perhaps all....?) are extremely old-fashioned and the fact that some nations allow *recently*-adopted people to claim ancestry is even more ludicrous!

Fiona

Answer 6

Yes to all of your questions, except for diplomatic staff where the situation is more complicated. At the time of birth, the parents must be subject to US jurisdiction, which some diplomats are not. Keep in mind that women who are in the late stages of pregnancy are not always allowed to fly for medical reasons, and that border officers who believe people may be entering the US to have children can deny people entry. The rule is rather convenient, in that it helps to prevent situations where people are American in every way, having been born here and raised here, but who are not citizens. An enduring problem, however, is that children born abroad who immigrate to the US may not have citizenship if their parents did not naturalize.

Answer 7

Typically, you have to claim your citizenship by the age of 18. If you claimed US only, then your French citizenship lapsed.

You can still move to Europe, but it would be as an American, not as a member of the EU. And you *can* work, you just need certain visas.

Answer 8

Yes you should;

french passport is one of the best since you can go almost everywhere on earth (even in North Korea, what is impossible for US citizens) even I know it could be weird place for vacation......

Answer 9

Yes you can still live in france or any part of europe, if you were born there you can live there

Answer 10

you should be.

if your birth parents were both French, you're in. If they were legal residents, you have to ask for it. If they were tourists or illergals, you're out of luck.

send them a letter, and photocopies of your documentation, requesting a French passport.