Naturalisation decree delay: how long after the interview or a favourable decision?

After the interview, two clocks split: the legal time for a decision, then — if there is a decree — Official Journal publication with no official calendar.

Official Journal publication delay after the naturalisation interview

“How long after the interview?” and “how long after a favourable opinion?” are not the same question. The interview does not start an official countdown to the Official Journal. A favourable opinion does not either.

This page separates the decision deadline set by the texts from the wait for publication, which has no announced date. It does not give an average: there is no official one.

It covers naturalisation by decree. People who become French by declaration (marriage, ascendant, sibling) do not appear in these decrees. Different procedure, different follow-up: Service-Public.

📌 Two delays that are often mixed up

The first delay starts from the receipt, not from the interview.

According to the naturalisation-by-decree page (checked 16 July 2026), the administration has 18 months at most from issuance of the receipt to respond to an application for naturalisation or reinstatement. That period drops to 12 months if you show habitual residence in France for at least 10 years on the date of the receipt. It may be extended once by 3 months, with reasons (Civil Code article 21-25-1).

That is the decision clock. Not the Official Journal clock.

The second period starts only if there is a favourable outcome and a decree. It has no official calendar. Decrees can appear on any day. The Official Journal goes online at midnight, Paris time.

The interview sits between the two: it is part of instruction. It triggers neither the 18 months nor an Official Journal date.

📝 What the 18- or 12-month period actually covers

The receipt is issued when you have supplied all the documents requested. That document starts the response period.

When the instructing service records the application, you receive an email with a ministerial number, often called the REZE number. That number is what you will later use for the Official Journal. See REZE number and ministerial number.

At the end, if a decree is made, an email gives the decree date and the Official Journal publication date. Those are not the same date.

⏳ After the interview or a favourable opinion: no Official Journal date

There is no official publication date after the interview, after an opinion, or after signature. Durations circulate in file discussions. They are not on Service-Public. They are not treated here as rules.

The decree takes effect on the date it is signed, not on the day you read it in the Official Journal, and not at the welcome ceremony. Publication lets you consult and download the extract. It also starts the withdrawal period: two years from Official Journal publication, after a conforming opinion of the Conseil d’État, if the administration finds the conditions were not met.

After publication, you are told by email that you have been entered in the decree (or by post if you did not give an email). To download the text you need the Official Journal publication date. Since 1 February 2023, that date appears on the personal account if you have an online space. How to download: finding your decree.

📢 The real 2026 publication rhythm (not a forecast)

Volumes and dates move from one issue to the next. This is not a timetable. It is a snapshot from the AlertJo archives.

As of 31 August 2026, the latest analysed issue is decree no. 198 of 26 August 2026 (298 naturalisations). In August, volumes run from 57 people (14 August, no. 189) to 986 (6 August, no. 182), with 713 on 20 August (no. 193) and 197 on 2 August (no. 179).

July is no more “regular”: 1,012 people on 9 July (no. 159), 771 on 14 July (no. 163), then 491 on 23 July (no. 170), 251 on 28 July (no. 174) and 590 on 29 July (no. 175) — two Official Journal issues on consecutive days. June: 1,129 on 5 June (no. 130) and 1,185 on 20 June (no. 143). May: 1,239 on 14 May (no. 113) and 551 on 20 May (no. 117).

April stacks several close dates: 975 (5 April, no. 82), 928 (11 April, no. 86), 721 (16 April, no. 90), 286 (17 April, no. 91), 931 (26 April, no. 99). 28 March (no. 75) counts 265 naturalisations.

The simple lesson: a small issue does not announce the next one, and a large issue does not rule out a gap afterwards. Between 20 June and 9 July, there is no issue in this list. That is not a “typical delay after the interview”. It is the actual rhythm of the analysed Official Journal.

🔎 Signature, Official Journal, ANEF: what you can follow

Three distinct pieces of information often appear in emails and the personal account:

the decree signature date (date of effect);
the Official Journal publication date (publicity, download, withdrawal clock);
the ministerial number, often called the REZE number, which identifies the file in the decrees.

Labels shown in ANEF may change as the file moves. Service-Public does not publish an official list of codes. What is documented is an email at each step, the email attributing the ministerial number, the closing email with the two dates, and, since 1 February 2023, the Official Journal date on the personal account.

⚖️ Why you cannot “calculate” your Official Journal date

Working out a date from the interview, an opinion or a signature would mean inventing a rule. The texts frame the administration’s response time, not the publication calendar.

✅ Watch publications rather than estimate a delay

During that wait, check your ministerial number. Search is free. If the decree is not out yet, turn on the alert: AlertJo analyses each new Official Journal from midnight, all series, and emails you when the number appears. That is this page’s only product call to action: paste the number, rather than guessing the next date.

Conclusion

The 18-month period (or 12 months, extendable once by 3 months) starts from the receipt and frames the decision. It does not say when the Official Journal will appear after the interview. There is no official publication calendar. The decree takes effect on signature. The Official Journal provides publicity. AlertJo’s 2026 dates show an irregular rhythm, not an average to copy.

FAQ

How long after the interview is the decree published?

There is no official delay. The interview does not start an Official Journal calendar.

Do the 18 months start at the interview?

No. They start from the receipt for a complete file. 12 months if you show at least ten years of habitual residence in France on that date; a one-time 3-month extension is possible, with reasons.

Does a favourable opinion give an Official Journal date?

No. Service-Public does not set a publication delay after an opinion. At the end of the procedure you receive an email with the decree date and the Official Journal date.

Does nationality start on Official Journal day?

No. The decree takes effect on the date it is signed. The Official Journal publishes the decree and lets you download it.

How do I follow publications without a calendar?

See the decree archives or enter the ministerial number on AlertJo. The Official Journal goes online at midnight, Paris time.