Guides · checked 19 October 2026

French citizenship and residency tests: the complete 2026 guide

Since 1 January 2026, a first multi-year card, a 10-year resident card and French nationality all need proof of your French level, and most also need the new civic exam. This guide sets out which tests apply to you, who is exempt, and how to get ready, in plain English.

At a glance
Find your tests
French level
Civic exam
Exemptions
Step by step
Study time
Costs
Questions

At a glance

What you are applying for	French level	Civic exam	Interview
First multi-year residence card (2 to 4 years)	A2	Yes, CSP version	No
10-year resident card (carte de résident)	B1	Yes, CR version	No
French nationality by naturalisation (decree)	B2, spoken and written	Yes, naturalisation version	Yes
French nationality through marriage (declaration)	B2, spoken and written	No	Yes, with your spouse
Renewing a card you already have	Not needed again	No	No

Before 2026: B1 for nationality, A2 for the resident card, and no level for the multi-year card. Exemptions exist; see who is exempt.

Test finder · question 1

What are you applying for?

Two separate tests

The rules ask for two different things, run by different organisations and booked separately:

Your French level, shown with a language test result or a diploma. The level depends on what you apply for: A2, B1 or B2.
The civic exam (examen civique), a 40-question multiple-choice test in French on the values, institutions, history and daily life of France. It is not a language test, but the questions are in French.

For nationality there is a third step: an interview at the préfecture, after you apply.

The French level

What each level means

Level	What you can do	Needed for
A2	Handle short, simple everyday exchanges: shopping, directions, appointments, a short message.	First multi-year card
B1	Get by in most everyday situations, talk about work, family and plans, give a simple opinion, write a short letter.	Resident card
B2	Follow the news and longer talks, discuss and defend a point of view, write a clear argued text. For nationality, spoken and written.	French nationality

Proof accepted for a residence card (A2 or B1)

A TCF or TEF result less than 2 years old, covering listening, reading, writing and speaking, taken in person on the same day (the TCF IRN and TEF IRN are designed for this)
A DELF, DALF or DELF Pro diploma, a DCL, a DUEF or a DFP at the level required
A French diploma at level 3 or above (for example CAP or BEP), the CFG or the diplôme national du brevet
A professional certification at level 3 or above registered in the RNCP
Diplomas issued abroad are not accepted, even from a French-speaking country

Proof accepted for nationality (B2)

A TCF result (France Éducation International) or TEF result (CCI Paris) at B2, less than 2 years old
A diploma that certifies French at B2 or above, such as the DELF B2 or DALF
The diplôme national du brevet, or a French diploma or professional certification at level 3 or above

The TCF IRN in practice

The TCF IRN (intégration, résidence, nationalité) is the test most applicants take. It has four parts on the same day: listening (20 minutes, 25 questions), reading (35 minutes, 25 questions), writing (30 minutes, 3 tasks) and an individual speaking test with an examiner (10 minutes), 1 hour 35 in all. This format has applied since 12 May 2025, when the test was extended to assess up to B2. One sitting can certify A2, B1 or B2, so the same test serves a residence card or nationality. Results can take a few weeks to arrive. Source: France Éducation International: the TCF IRN changes (May 2025).

Practise TCF IRN-style listening, reading, writing and speaking for free →

The civic exam

40 multiple-choice questions in French, one right answer out of four
45 minutes at most, on a tablet or computer, at an accredited centre
32 correct answers to pass (80%)
Three versions: first multi-year card (CSP), resident card (CR) and naturalisation, each with its own official question list
A pass certificate does not expire, and you can retake the exam as often as you need
A pass in the resident card version also counts for a multi-year card

The questions mix knowledge (28 questions, from the official list for your version) and everyday situations (12 questions, not published). They cover the principles and values of the Republic, institutions, rights and duties, history, geography and culture, and living in French society.

Book with one of the two approved organisations: Book with CCI Paris Île-de-France (Le français des affaires) or Book with France Éducation International. Results usually arrive within a day or two. The ministry’s study sheets and question lists are free: Free official study sheets for the civic exam.

The civic exam applies to a first multi-year card, a first resident card and naturalisation by decree. It does not apply to nationality through marriage or to renewals.

The civic exam in more detail · Practise the official civic questions for your application →

Who is exempt

First multi-year card

The rules apply only to cards that come with the integration contract (CIR). Talent, student, visitor, trainee, temporary and seasonal worker, ICT, au pair and health cards are not concerned (service-public.fr F17048: who signs the integration contract (CIR)). For the other cards, these people are exempt from both the language level and the civic exam:

People aged 65 or over
Algerian nationals, whose residence rights follow the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement
People who studied in France for at least 1 year of higher education or 3 years of secondary school
People with subsidiary protection or stateless status, and their families
People for whom a health condition or disability makes a test impossible, with a medical certificate (adapted test conditions are also possible)

First resident card

Exempt from both tests: people aged 65 or over, Algerian nationals, and people for whom a health condition or disability makes a test impossible.

Ask your préfecture in these cases, because official pages disagree:

Refugees and subsidiary protection holders. Préfecture pages say a resident card issued because of protection status needs neither test. Service-public says a long-term EU resident card applied for as a refugee or subsidiary protection holder needs B1 and the civic exam.
Studies in France. Some préfectures exempt people who studied in France; the national pages do not list it. A French diploma at level 3 or above, such as the bac or a CAP, proves B1 anyway.
Other bilateral agreements. Some resident cards under bilateral agreements may be exempt.

Sources: service-public.fr F34501: French level for residence cards, service-public.fr F39530: civic exam for residence cards, Préfecture du Tarn: French level, civic exam and exemptions for residence cards.

Naturalisation and marriage

If a health condition or disability makes a test impossible, you can be exempted with a medical certificate. You can also ask for adapted test conditions.
Refugees or stateless people over 70 who have lived legally in France for at least 15 years are exempt from the language proof for naturalisation.
There is no general age exemption for nationality.

Step by step

Check which tests apply to you
Use the test finder above, then confirm with your préfecture if your situation is unusual.
Find your level
Take the free diagnostic: about 10 minutes, no account needed. It tells you how far you are from the level you need.
Study the language and the civic exam together
The language usually takes longer, so start there and fit civic practice around it. Practise all four skills, not just reading.
Pass the civic exam
Book it once you score 36 or more out of 40 in practice. A pass never expires, so you can take it early.
Take your language test
Book the TCF IRN or TEF IRN when you are close to the level. Results can take a few weeks and count for 2 years, so leave yourself time to apply.
Apply
Residence cards go to the préfecture, usually online. Nationality applications are made online or by post; then comes the interview. For naturalisation you sign the Charter of rights and duties of the French citizen at the end of it.

How long it takes to study

Alliance Française publishes the hours of instruction (class time) it takes to reach each level. Your own pace will vary, and study on your own may take longer.

From → to	Hours of study	2 h a week	5 h a week	10 h a week	20 h a week
Beginner to A2	160 to 200 hours	21 months	8 months	4 months	2 months
A2 to B1	200 hours	23 months	9 months	5 months	2 months
B1 to B2	200 to 250 hours	26 months	10 months	5 months	3 months
Beginner to B2	560 to 650 hours	70 months	28 months	14 months	7 months

Source: Alliance Française: hours to reach each level. For the civic exam, at 20 questions a day you see all 259 naturalisation questions twice in under four weeks.

What it costs

Item	Cost	Note
TCF IRN or TEF IRN	About €100 to €200, set by each centre	some centres add a first-registration fee
Civic exam	€60 to €80, set by each centre	Ministry of the Interior, August 2026; official preparation material is free
Nationality application (decree or marriage)	€255 stamp duty (€127.50 in French Guiana)	official, service-public.fr
Residence card	Separate stamp duty for the card itself	check the amount on service-public.fr for your card

Test centres set their own prices. Civic exam range: Ministry of the Interior answer to written question 11488 (JO, 11 August 2026). The language test range is what préfectures and centres quoted in October 2026. Apart from the stamp duty and any sworn translations of your documents, the official procedures are free: you do not need to pay anyone to file for you.

Common mistakes

Booking the wrong civic exam version. There are three versions: multi-year card, resident card and naturalisation. A pass counts only for its own version, except that a resident card pass also counts for a multi-year card.
Letting the language result expire. A TCF or TEF result must be less than 2 years old when you apply. Plan the test for the last stretch before your application, not a year ahead.
Taking a test that misses a skill. Residence cards need listening, reading, writing and speaking, taken in person in one session. The TCF IRN and TEF IRN are built for exactly this.
Counting on a diploma from abroad. For residence cards, diplomas issued outside France are not accepted, even from French-speaking countries. A French diploma, a DELF or DALF, or a TCF or TEF result is.
Treating a first multi-year card as a renewal. Moving from a one-year card to your first multi-year card is a first card, so it needs A2 and the civic exam, unless your card is outside the integration contract. Only renewing the same type of card is exempt.
Assuming marriage needs the civic exam. Nationality through marriage needs B2 and an interview, but not the civic exam. Naturalisation by decree needs both the exam and the interview.
Thinking the exam replaces the interview. For naturalisation, the civic exam comes first and the assimilation interview at the préfecture still follows.

Questions people ask

What level of French do I need for French citizenship in 2026?

B2, spoken and written, since 1 January 2026. This applies to naturalisation by decree and to nationality through marriage. Before 2026 the level was B1.

What level do I need for a 10-year resident card?

B1 for a first carte de résident since 1 January 2026, plus a pass in the civic exam. A first multi-year residence card needs A2 and the civic exam.

Do I need the civic exam if I apply for nationality through marriage?

No. The civic exam applies to naturalisation by decree and to reintegration, not to declarations such as marriage. You still need B2 French and an interview with your spouse.

Which language test should I take?

Most people take the TCF IRN (France Éducation International) or the TEF IRN (CCI Paris Île-de-France). Both test listening, reading, writing and speaking in one session. A DELF or DALF diploma, or a French school diploma such as the brevet, also counts.

How long is a TCF or TEF result valid?

Two years. It must be less than 2 years old when you submit your application. DELF and DALF diplomas do not expire.

How hard is the civic exam?

40 multiple-choice questions in French in 45 minutes, and you need 32 right answers (80%). The 28 knowledge questions come from an official list the ministry publishes (the naturalisation list has 259 questions, the resident card list 209 and the multi-year card list 191); the 12 situation questions are not published. You can retake it as often as you need, and a pass never expires.

I am renewing my residence card. Do I need the tests?

No. The language level and the civic exam apply to your first multi-year card or first resident card, not to renewals of the same card. Moving from a one-year card to a multi-year card, or from a multi-year card to a resident card, counts as a first card.

I am over 65. Am I exempt?

For a multi-year card or a resident card, yes: people aged 65 and over are exempt from the language level and the civic exam. For naturalisation there is no general age exemption; only refugees or stateless people over 70 with 15 years of legal residence are exempt from the language proof.

How long does it take to go from B1 to B2?

Usually 200 to 250 hours of study, according to Alliance Française. At 5 hours a week that is about 10 months; at 10 hours a week, about 5 months.

How much do the tests cost?

Centres set their own prices. The civic exam costs €60 to €80, according to the Ministry of the Interior (August 2026). The TCF IRN or TEF IRN costs about €100 to €200, and some centres add a first-registration fee. A nationality application costs €255 in stamp duty.

Official sources

This guide summarises the official rules as checked on 19 October 2026. It is not legal advice, and your préfecture has the final word. Test my French is an independent practice site, not affiliated with the Ministry of the Interior, France Éducation International or the CCI Paris Île-de-France. Get an email when the rules change.

Start with the free diagnostic

See your French level and how far you are from the civic exam pass mark, in about 10 minutes.

Take the free diagnostic