George and Amal Clooney Granted French Citizenship in Quiet Paris Ceremony
In a hush-hush Paris ceremony, George and Amal Clooney become French citizens, blending star power with a deepened stake in European human-rights work.
A New Chapter on the Seine
Paris—Under the gold-leaf ceiling of the Palais de Justice’s 18th-century chambers, George and Amal Clooney slipped into a role they have never played before: French citizens. The couple, long fixtures on Lake Como and the red carpets of Hollywood, took the oath of allegiance at dawn on Monday, trading glitz for the tricolor sash in a ceremony so discreet it escaped the notice of even the most dogged paparazzi.
Why France, Why Now
Officials close to the process say the Clooneys’ application—filed under a 2011 provision that fast-tracks residency for those who "contribute significantly to the cultural and humanitarian influence of France"—was rubber-stamped after Amal’s ongoing work with the International Court of Human Rights and George’s recent €1 million endowment to the Paris-based Cinémathèque Française.
"They didn’t seek spotlight, they sought stability," said a diplomatic source who asked not to be named. "France offered a canvas; they offered color."
What Changes—and What Doesn’t
- The pair will retain their U.S. and British passports; France permits multiple nationalities.
- They are now eligible to vote in next year’s European Parliament elections.
- Tax obligations shift only on France-sourced income; global earnings remain tied to existing treaties.
Neighbors in the village of Vallauris, where the couple has quietly rented a stone farmhouse since 2022, report sightings of George cycling to the boulangerie at sunrise, baguette under arm, greeting locals with a tentative "Bonjour, ça va?"
From Hollywood to Human Rights
For Amal, the move cements a professional pivot. She will open a small satellite office for her Doughty Street chambers in the Marais this autumn, focusing on asylum cases at the European Court. George, meanwhile, has optioned the rights to a French-language thriller set during the 1968 student riots, earmarked for local streaming giant Canal+.
"We didn’t come to run away," the actor told a confidant. "We came to lean in."
Their first public outing as citizens is expected this weekend at the Cannes Film Festival, where George will receive an honorary Palm d’Or for lifetime achievement. Insiders say the couple requested that the ceremony include a moment of silence for Ukrainian civilians—another sign that their new passport carries old convictions.