A practical guide to French naturalization in 2026. This covers the new B2 language requirement, the mandatory civic exam, the raised fee, and the full application process from eligibility to decree.
Planning your application with information from before this year? Some of what you’re working from is already out of date. Three changes landed in 2026, and together they make this a meaningfully different process.
The language bar rose from B1 to B2. This took effect on 1 January 2026. It’s a real step up, not a formality.
A mandatory civic exam was introduced. Also from 1 January 2026, applicants for naturalisation by decree must pass a written exam before filing.
The fee more than quadrupled. From 1 May 2026, the stamp duty went from €55 to €255.
All three are confirmed on the official Service-Public portal and trace back to specific 2025 and 2026 legal texts.
This is the standard route and the most commonly used. It requires at least 5 years of continuous legal residence in France. Unlike the routes below, it’s discretionary. Even applicants who meet every formal condition can be refused, because the administration retains judgment over the overall quality of someone’s integration.
The 5-year threshold drops to 2 years in two situations: holding a French Master’s-level diploma (Bac+5) or above, or having rendered notable services to France. Recognised refugees and certain stateless persons face no minimum residence period at all.
This is a declaration, not a decree. It’s available to non-EU spouses of French citizens after 4 years of marriage. The couple must have lived in France for at least 3 of those years. If they mostly lived elsewhere, the requirement rises to 5 years.
This route works differently in an important legal sense. If all conditions are met, the administration is legally required to accept the declaration. It doesn’t exercise the discretion it holds over the decree route.
The language requirement is the same as the decree route, though: B2 since 1 January 2026, oral and written. What it does not require is the civic exam, which applies only to procedures by decree.
A handful of specific situations fall here. Three situations fall here. Children born in France to a parent legally resident for 5+ years before the birth. Non-EU parents of a French citizen, after 5 years of residence as an ascendant. And siblings of French minors, in certain circumstances. These cases carry enough legal nuance that a proper assessment before applying is worth the time.
You need 5 continuous years of legal residence, documented through residence permits covering the full period without gaps. A single absence of more than 6 consecutive months can be read as a break in that continuity, potentially resetting the clock.
Student permits are worth flagging separately. A standard étudiant permit generally counts toward the 5 years only at reduced weight. A Talent Passport or a post-graduate work permit counts more fully. Our France Talent Passport guide covers how that permit works and why time spent on it counts toward this threshold.
Since 1 January 2026, naturalisation by decree requires a B2 level of French, both oral and written. This replaced the previous B1 threshold.
Accepted proof includes the DELF B2, DALF C1 or C2, TCF, or TEF. A French university degree at Licence level or above serves as proof on its own, with no separate certificate needed.
If you’re currently at B1, budget 3 to 6 months for B2 preparation before filing. That timeline should factor directly into your planning.
This is the genuinely new piece. Since 1 January 2026, a written civic exam is mandatory, and it must be passed before you file your application.
The format is fixed: computer-based, 45 minutes, 40 questions, with a pass mark of 32/40 (80%). The questions split into 28 knowledge questions and 12 situational ones. Two operators are approved by the Ministry of the Interior: the CCI Paris Île-de-France (CCIP) and France Éducation International (FEI).
The exam isn’t limited to naturalisation. Since 1 January 2026 it’s also required for first issuance of a multi-year residence card or a resident card, with a different difficulty level for each. Renewals of a permit you already hold are exempt, and so are naturalisation applications made by declaration rather than by decree.
Two exemptions exist. Applicants over 65 aren’t required to pass the exam at all. Separately, a disability or chronic health condition can justify either an adapted sitting or a full exemption, on production of a medical certificate.
Two practical points are worth knowing. Once obtained, the pass certificate has no expiry date. And if you break the exam rules your result is void, while attempted fraud bars you from retaking the exam for 2 years.
The reference material is the official livret du citoyen, approved by an Arrêté dated 3 July 2026.
There’s no fixed minimum income. What you need to demonstrate is financial autonomy and stable professional integration. Being properly registered in the French system helps here, and our PUMA health coverage guide covers that side of settling in. A permanent employment contract, sustainable self-employment, a pension, or substantial savings all support a strong file. Heavy reliance on social welfare can work against an application, and full tax compliance for every year of your residence period is expected.
Your criminal record extract needs to be clean. An active OQTF (obligation to leave French territory) disqualifies an application outright. Serious offences lead to near-automatic rejection.
One thing worth knowing: the administration can refuse an application without giving a specific reason. Naturalisation remains a discretionary act of the state, not an entitlement, even when every formal box is ticked.
Since 1 May 2026, the stamp duty for naturalisation is €255, up from €55. In French Guiana it’s €127.50. The increase came from Article 128 of the 2026 Finance Law, confirmed on Service-Public.
This fee applies more broadly than many people expect. It also covers reintegration by decree and the declarative routes. That means marriage to a French national, being an ascendant of one, or a sibling of one. So the marriage route, despite its lighter language and exam requirements, isn’t exempt from the higher fee. Our French citizenship reintegration guide covers that separate route in detail.
Timing matters here, and it differs from residence permits. The stamp is payable when you file, not when naturalisation is granted. Under Article 958 of the General Tax Code, the electronic stamp must be attached to your naturalisation file. If it’s missing, the file is inadmissible, or at best sent back for completion, which delays processing by months. If you apply from abroad, payment is made at the consulate when you deposit your file.
Beyond the stamp duty, three costs follow. The civic exam is charged per attempt by the approved centre, so a failed sitting means paying again. Sworn translations of foreign documents add more. So does B2 certification, if you don’t already hold proof. Neither the exam fee nor the certification fee is set by decree, so check the current price directly with your centre before budgeting.
If approved, a naturalisation decree is published in the Journal Officiel, followed by a citizenship welcome ceremony. From there you can apply for a French national ID card and passport.
Two outcomes short of approval exist, and they’re meaningfully different.
An adjournment isn’t a refusal. It means the administration identified specific weaknesses, commonly financial instability or thin integration evidence. You’re invited to reapply after 2 years, once those are addressed. Treat the adjournment letter as a direct roadmap for what to fix.
A rejection is a formal denial. You have 2 months from notification to challenge it. Two routes exist: a recours hiérarchique to the Minister of the Interior, or a contentious appeal before an administrative court.
Realistically, reversals on appeal are uncommon unless there’s a clear administrative error or a factual inaccuracy in how the file was assessed. A well-prepared reapplication after closing the identified gap is often the more effective route.
Do I have to give up my original nationality? No. France permits dual and even multiple nationality. You’d only renounce your original citizenship if your home country’s own laws require it. Our French-US dual citizenship guide covers what that means in practice for American applicants, including the tax side. For British applicants, our dual residency UK and France guide covers the cross-border tax questions.
Does the B2 requirement apply to the marriage route too? Yes. Since 1 January 2026, B2 applies to the marriage declaration, naturalisation by decree, and reintegration by decree alike. What differs is the civic exam: it’s required only for the decree procedures, not for declarations.
Can I apply while on a student residence permit? A standard student permit generally counts toward the 5-year requirement only at reduced weight. Your specific permit history determines your real eligibility timeline.
Am I exempt from the civic exam? Possibly. Applicants over 65 are not required to sit it. A disability or chronic health condition can also justify an adapted sitting or a full exemption, with a medical certificate.
What if I had my file mostly ready before the 2026 changes? The B2 requirement and civic exam apply based on the rules in force when your file is processed. The standard that applied when you started preparing doesn’t carry over. If you were targeting the old B1 threshold, budget extra time.
Is the €255 fee refundable if I’m refused? No. The stamp duty isn’t refunded regardless of the outcome, which is exactly why a complete, compliant file matters the first time.
How much does French naturalization cost in total? The €255 stamp duty is the fixed part. On top of that come the civic exam fee, charged per attempt by your chosen centre, plus translation and B2 certification costs. Since the exam and certification fees aren’t set by decree, confirm them directly with the centre you register at.
Every residence history is different. Whether your student years count fully toward the 5-year threshold. How close you are to B2. What your specific prefecture expects at the interview. These are exactly the kinds of complexities our team at LegalMova handles every day.
Book your free consultation with our team and let us assess your situation in full. No commitment, no jargon, just clear answers about your path to French nationality.
