UPDATED 03.01.2026: An IMGlobalWealth.com News Report
George Clooney, his wife Amal Clooney, and their two children have been granted French citizenship following a naturalisation decree published in France’s Journal officiel.
The decision, which had circulated quietly for months, was confirmed through official administrative records and subsequently reported by several French and international media outlets.
“France permits multiple citizenships, allowing the couple to naturalise without relinquishing existing nationalities”
The decree confirms that George and Amal Clooney, along with their eight-year-old twins, Alexander and Ella, were granted nationality through France’s naturalisation process. Under French law, minor children are automatically included when a parent is naturalised, through a legal mechanism known as effet collectif.
Civil-status records in France are protected by privacy laws and are not publicly searchable by name, even when they concern high-profile individuals, which explains the understated nature of the announcement.
The move formalises a lifestyle choice the Clooneys have been making for several years. Since purchasing a substantial estate near Brignoles in the Var region in 2021, the family has spent extended periods in southern France.
The property, often described in the French press as a Provençal bastide with a working vineyard, offers space, discretion, and distance from the constant scrutiny associated with Hollywood life.George Clooney has previously spoken openly about his reasons for choosing France, placing particular emphasis on privacy.
“well-known figures, including Richard Gere, now resident in Spain, and Rosie O’Donnell, who has relocated to Ireland, have similarly pointed to quality of life, family priorities, and personal stability as decisive factors”
French law provides strong protections against intrusive photography, especially where children are concerned. Photographing minors without consent, particularly near schools or private residences, can result in significant penalties.
Clooney has contrasted this framework with the relative difficulty of shielding family life from paparazzi in Los Angeles.Naturalisation also provides permanence.
French citizenship confirms that the family’s presence in France is not temporary or symbolic, but a long-term commitment. Clooney has said in past interviews that he wanted his children to grow up in an environment where everyday routines could unfold without constant attention, something he felt was increasingly difficult in the United States.
The family has also become locally engaged. Following severe flooding in the nearby commune of Le Val in 2021, Clooney made a personal donation of €20,000 to support emergency housing for affected residents, a gesture that was noted at the time by local authorities.
Amal Clooney’s professional background further aligns with life in Europe. An internationally recognised human rights lawyer, she already holds British and Lebanese citizenship and is fluent in French. Her work frequently involves European institutions and international courts where French is widely used.
France permits multiple citizenships, allowing the couple to naturalise without relinquishing existing nationalities.
France’s naturalisation process is neither automatic nor fast. It typically requires years of residence, evidence of integration, and a detailed administrative review. In this context, the decree reflects a reality already established on the ground: France had become the Clooneys’ principal family base.
Their decision also aligns with a broader, largely understated trend of North American public figures choosing Europe as a long-term base. In recent years, individuals such as Laurence Fournier Beaudry, the Canadian-born ice dancer, have obtained French citizenship, reflecting professional and personal ties to Europe. Other well-known figures, including Richard Gere, now resident in Spain, and Rosie O’Donnell, who has relocated to Ireland, have similarly pointed to quality of life, family priorities, and personal stability as decisive factors.
Others, including Lily Collins, have established homes in European capitals while maintaining international careers.Rather than signalling withdrawal, Clooney’s move underscores a recalibration increasingly visible among globally mobile elites.
Privacy, legal certainty, and lifestyle considerations are playing a growing role in where even the most recognisable figures choose to anchor their lives.
Trump was not amused
The move drew an unusually public response from Donald Trump, who mocked the decision on social media after France granted citizenship to George Clooney and his family. Trump dismissed the Clooneys as poor political commentators and suggested France was “welcome” to them, framing the decision within his broader criticism of European immigration policies.
Clooney responded with characteristic restraint, telling the Hollywood Reporter that he agreed elections mattered and adding pointedly that change would begin at the ballot box. The exchange underscored how Clooney’s relocation has come to symbolise a wider cultural and political divide between parts of the US establishment and globally mobile elites choosing Europe.
