How does my wife become an EU national?

Question

My wife is a US citizen whose mother and grandmother are French and German citizens. She now wants to become an EU national so that she may obtain French citizenship. How and who do we see to accomplish this?

Answer 1

Of course, you know that there is no such thing as an "EU national." I presume you meant that she wants to become a citizen of an EU country - or perhaps more than one, apparently.

Both France and Germany allow derivative citizenship based on the nationality of either the mother or the father (not a grandparent) at the time a child is born, regardless of where the child is born. This means that if her mother was both a German and a French citizen when she was born, your wife may apply for both and have three citizenships, if she wants to.

She needs to visit the nearest French and/or German embassy or consulate with proof of her mother's citizenship and her own birth certificate, along with whatever else they tell her she needs to provide to convince them that she is one of them. Here is how to locate the consulates:

http://www.info-france-usa.org/intheus/consulates.asp
http://www.germany.info/relaunch/info/missions/consulates.html#Finder

Answer 2

I would check with the French embassy's website and ask them.

Answer 3

You need to consult with a French or European immigration lawyer.