Civic tests for French residency cards: New official website now open

A new information website has opened to help prepare for French civic tests which some foreign newcomers to the country will soon be required to sit.

It explains the knowledge required, how to obtain the relevant training and how to sit the tests which will be needed from January 1 for people going for a first multi-year residency card or 10-year carte de résident.

However, key parts of the site – including where to sit the tests and how to apply to take them – were still under construction at time of publication.

The new site states that centres for taking the test are set to open ‘at the end of 2025’.

As we explained previously, this affects firstly those who have come to France in recent months or years and who have been going through, or are about to start, the Ofii immigration integration process.

You can try answering the kinds of questions which will be asked at this link.

People going through the Contrat d’intégration républicaine (CIR) scheme at Ofii are, since this summer, offered a revamped programme of civic and cultural training (la formation civique), with additional cultural material, in view of the forthcoming tests. 

On completion of this, a certificate of attendance is issued. However, if applying from January 1 for their first carte de séjour pluriannuelle (multi-year residency card), it is also necessary to have sat and passed a test on this material and submit a pass certificate.

Also affected by this change are people who have been living in France for at least five years on one of various kinds of cartes de séjour (for workers, self-employed people etc) and who now wish to apply for the 10-year carte de résident, a secure status allowing all kinds of work. 

They will need to take and pass a similar test, but at a slightly higher level.

Over-65s are exempt from tests as are people on specific residency statuses outside the CIR process (eg. Brexit WA card; carte de séjour talent…). Also exempt are those who have already had a first multi-year card or carte de résident.

New rules state that from 2026, those applying to become French by naturalisation will also be required to take a test, however, the new website is not currently geared towards this group. 

There is some information for them on the Interior Ministry's website at this link. It suggests that candidates read the free Livret du Citoyen to prepare, as was already the case when this knowledge was tested only via the obligatory prefecture interview. 

What is the formation civique?

The civic training is offered to people who attend Ofii (usually in their first year in France) to sign a CIR. It is spread over four days (not consecutively) and aims to teach key elements of:

• Principles and values of the French Republic

• France’s institutions and politics

• Rights and responsibilities of life in France

• History, geography and culture

• French society

The new website will include sections with further information on the required knowledge in each element. 

What is the exam?

The exam will be a 45-minute multiple-choice test consisting of factual knowledge questions as well as example ‘practical situations’, testing real-life applications of various principles.

People applying for a first multi-year card or carte de résident from January will be asked to submit a certificate showing they passed with at least 32/40 as part of their application for a new card.

The new website

The new site includes a Fiches par thématique section, with revision information on key concepts topic by topic, and also Fiches par journée, showing the subjects covered on each day of the civic training.

Under the Examen civique menu (at the top right of the website) you can find general information on the training and a list of questions you can expect to be asked, depending on level taken, whether multi-year card or carte de résident.

Under the general information section there is a part entitled Tout savoir sur l’examen civique including Quand et où passer l’examen civique (when and where to take the civic exam), however, this does not yet work.

If you scroll towards the bottom of the homepage you will also find a heading entitled Comment puis-je m’inscrire à la formation civique, which will in due course lead to information on signing up for the exam, but this also does not yet work.

What happens now?

Those applying before January 1 for their multi-year card or carte de résident are in theory not subject to the requirement to have passed the test. However, bearing in mind the potential for admin delays, we consider that the later in the year you submit the application, the less likely it will be to be processed under the previous – no test – rules.

This means some may rush to submit their dossiers, others should keep an eye on the formation civique website for updates, and The Connexion’s website, to find out how to take the test as soon as the information is available.

It is expected that candidates will have to pay a fee to take the test, as those subject to language tests also need to do to take these. 

Once passed, the civic test certificate will be valid for life for the level passed (multi-year card, carte de résident…). It can be retaken as many times as necessary.