A clear guide to the French language requirements that took effect on 1 January 2026, and to the civic exam that now goes with them. It covers the level attached to each permit and the proof France accepts. It also covers who is exempt, and which applications escape the reform entirely.
France used to measure integration by effort. You attended your language hours, and your attendance counted. Since 1 January 2026, it measures results. You now have to produce a certificate.
The reform comes from Article 20 of the law of 26 January 2024. Two decrees of 15 July 2025 put it into effect, one for residence permits and one for nationality. Four orders followed, in October and December 2025, setting the exam programme and the list of accepted proof.
Two things changed at once. The required levels went up. And a new civic exam became compulsory for most first applications.
One point matters more than any other. These rules apply to first applications only. Renewing a permit you already hold does not trigger them.
The level follows the card you are applying for. It does not follow how long you have lived in France.
You need level A2 for a first carte de séjour pluriannuelle. This is the card you request after your first year in France. It applies whether you arrived on a long-stay visa or held a one-year temporary card.
The card keeps the same category as the one you held before. A salaried employee on a one-year card moves to a multi-year salarié card, and the A2 applies.
The rule also reaches further than the official pages suggest. A spouse of a French national moving from a long-stay visa to a multi-year vie privée et familiale card falls under it. The dedicated government pages do not mention the A2 at all.
A2 is a basic level. You can handle familiar expressions, routine tasks, and immediate needs.
You need level B1, in speaking and writing, for a first carte de résident, the 10-year card. The same level applies to the EU long-term resident card and to the permanent resident card.
B1 is a real step up from the A2 that applied before 2026. You need to follow clear conversations, produce a simple connected account, and set out an idea.
The law lists exactly which cards are concerned:
You need level B2, in speaking and writing, for French naturalisation and for reintegration into French nationality. The same B2 applies to a declaration based on marriage to a French citizen.
B2 is an upper intermediate level, the same standard many universities ask of foreign students. It is the highest of the three, and no age exemption exists for it.
Several situations fall outside the reform entirely.
Algerian nationals, British citizens holding a Withdrawal Agreement card, and some bilateral agreement holders follow separate rules. Check your own situation before assuming the general regime applies.
The civic exam is new, and it is where most applicants lose time.
The exam is a multiple-choice test on a computer, in French. It has 40 questions and lasts 45 minutes at most. You need 80 percent, which means 32 correct answers.
Each question has one correct answer. A wrong answer and a blank answer both score zero.
The order of 10 October 2025 sets the exact spread of questions. Eleven cover the principles and values of the Republic. Eleven cover rights and duties. Eight cover history, geography and culture. Six cover the institutional and political system. Four cover daily life in France.
Twelve of the forty are situational questions. The knowledge questions are published in advance on the Ministry of the Interior website.
The exam comes in three versions: multi-year card, resident card, and naturalisation.
There is a useful shortcut here. Passing the resident card version also satisfies the multi-year card condition. Passing the multi-year card version does not work the other way round.
Your pass certificate has no expiry date. You obtain it before you file your application, not during processing.
Approved centres set their own price. The Interior Minister gave a range of 60 to 80 euros in an answer published on 11 August 2026.
Coverage is now wide. The same answer reported 444 approved centres across every department as of 26 May 2026. By that date 71,125 people had sat the exam, with an average pass rate of 81 percent.
Note the distinction on cost. The 24-hour civic training delivered through the integration contract is paid for by the State. The exam itself is not.
You can retake the exam as often as you need, at any time. The law says so expressly.
Fraud is treated differently. Cheating, false identity or substitution voids the exam and bars you from retaking it for two years.
France accepts two routes, and the list is closed.
A French diploma can replace a test. The order of 22 December 2025 accepts four categories:
Diplomas have no expiry date. If you hold a French brevet, a CAP or a BEP, a prefecture should not ask you for a language test on top.
Only two tests qualify: the TCF, delivered by France Éducation international, and the TEF, delivered by the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce.
The conditions are strict and cumulative. The test must have four separate papers, covering speaking, writing, listening and reading. All four must be taken in person, on the same day, in a single session, with anti-fraud supervision and an identity check.
Your certificate carries your photograph and is valid for two years. Plan your timing around that window.
Applicants over 65 are exempt from both the language condition and the civic exam, for a multi-year card and for a resident card.
This exemption stops at the border of nationality law. There is no general age exemption for naturalisation or for a declaration based on marriage.
A medical certificate opens two doors. You can obtain adapted exam conditions, such as extra time, enlarged papers, amplified sound or accessible premises. Or you can be exempted outright where assessment is impossible.
The certificate follows a model set by order. The administration may ask for a second opinion from an approved doctor.
Two specific rules apply. Candidates who communicate only in sign language are exempt from the language test. Candidates who read only braille are exempt from both the language test and the civic exam.
Holders of certain permits are exempt from the republican integration contract. The list includes students, temporary workers, visitors and most talent passport categories. That exemption removes the A2 condition for a first multi-year card.
Do I need to retake a test when I renew my card? No. The language condition and the civic exam apply to first applications. A resident card is renewable as of right, subject to public order and habitual residence.
I passed the A2 test last year. Can I use it for a resident card? No. Each level has its own requirement, and B1 is a higher standard. You will need a new certificate at B1.
Does the B1 cover speaking and writing? Yes. The accepted tests must assess speaking, writing, listening and reading as four separate papers.
Is the civic exam required for nationality through marriage? No. The list of documents for a marriage declaration does not include a civic exam certificate, while the list for naturalisation does. You still need B2 and the prefecture interview.
How long is my civic exam certificate valid? It has no expiry date, unlike a language certificate.
Can I prepare for free? Yes. The Ministry of the Interior publishes the knowledge questions and thematic sheets online, with no registration needed.
Do these rules apply if I filed before January 2026? For nationality through marriage, the new rules apply to declarations submitted from 1 January 2026. In practice, the administration counts a file as submitted once it is complete, so an incomplete file left pending can fall under the new regime.
Are foreign diplomas accepted? The order lists French diplomas and the TCF and TEF. Official guidance states that foreign diplomas are not accepted, including from French-speaking countries.
How much should I budget in total? Expect 60 to 80 euros for the civic exam, plus the cost of a language test, plus the stamp duty for your application. Language test prices are set by the operators and are not published in any official schedule.
The level you need depends on the exact card you are applying for, and on whether it is a first issue. Exemptions add a further layer, because they sit in two different codes. A single misreading can cost you a test fee and several months.
Our team at LegalMova works through these situations every day, from a first multi-year card to naturalisation. We will tell you which level applies and which proof the prefecture will accept. We will also tell you when to book your test, so your certificate is still valid on the day you file.
Book your free consultation with our team. No commitment, no jargon, just a clear answer on where you stand.
