Can I claim French citizenship by descent if my French father passed away in 1992?

Question

My father was a French citizen but he passed away in 1992 in India. He lived in France and passed away during his visit to India. My mom and I are still Indians as we couldn't track my dad's documents. He had French citizenship at the time of my birth. Now we have found his French passport. I am 32 years old. Can I claim for French citizenship using my dad's French passport and other relevant documents?

Answer 1

You should contact your nearest French consulate. Here are some indicators:

• Wikipedia on French Nationality law

The child (legitimate or natural) is French if at least one parent is French.

[...]

Parentage to the parent from whom the French nationality is claimed, must be established while the child is still a minor (under 18).

• The french service public has a list of required documents to issue a certificate of French nationality (click "Pièces à fournir" - "Vous êtes né à l'étranger et l'un de vos parents est français", in French, you guessed it):

  • 1 photo d'identité,
  • 1 justificatif d'identité,
  • 1 justificatif de domicile (facture récente d'électricité, contrat de location, avis d'imposition...),
  • 1 copie intégrale de votre acte de naissance avec indication de votre filiation,
  • 1 copie intégrale de l'acte de naissance de chacun de vos parents, tous documents concernant vos parents justifiant de la possession d'état de Français (carte nationale d'identité, passeport, carte d'immatriculation consulaire, certificat de nationalité, livret militaire, carte d'électeur...),
  • 1 copie intégrale de l'acte de mariage de vos parents ou s'ils ne sont pas mariés 1 copie intégrale de l'acte de reconnaissance prouvant votre filiation.

in my very loose translation that would be

• a photo
• an ID
• a proof of residence (utilities bill, rent contract, ...)
• full copy of your birth certificate with indication of your parentage
• full copy of both of your parents' birth certificates and all documents regarding the French nationality of your parents (ID card, passport, ...)
• fully copy of the marriage certificate of your parents or if unmarried a fully copy of proof of your descendance

Answer 2

Since he lived in France, the passport isn't even needed (it would go some way towards establishing possession d'état de Français but that's only relevant for people living abroad for a long time). The main hurdle for you is establishing that he is your father. Specifically, you need a birth certificate and, if that's not enough to establish he is your father, something certifying that.

Then, you will need to gather a bunch of other documents and apply for a certificat de nationalité française. Among the documents you need is your father's birth certificate but you can obtain that yourself from the relevant municipality, provided you can prove he is indeed your father.