Tougher language requirements and new civic and cultural knowledge tests for many applications for French nationality and for certain residency cards are to begin from January 1, 2026, it has been confirmed.
The changes have been pending – they were laid out in a 2024 immigration law – but decrees have now set the date and clarified the rules.
This comes as training offered to newcomers signing a Contrat d’intégration républicaine (CIR) has also been changed.
Christophe GontardOfii
We discussed this with the new deputy head of France’s Ofii immigration service, Christophe Gontard, who has recently arrived from Côte d’Ivoire to take up his post.
Several changes relate to newcomers who are invited to local Ofii offices to take a French test and sign a CIR a few months after arrival.
In the CIR, they promise to respect principles and values of French society and the Republic, to complete civic training and, if necessary, take language lessons.
The CIR lasts a year (extendable for one year if necessary) and the person is invited back before its end to review what they have learned.
Having followed the requirements seriously is a condition of later obtaining a ‘multi-year’ (two- to four-year) residency card under the same heading (eg. salaried work) as a person’s initial visa/card.
The new changes do not affect those exempt from the CIR, such as talent visa holders, students, retirees on ‘visitor’ visas/residency cards, or holders of Brexit Withdrawal Agreement cards.
There are four days of CIR civic training on French values and the country’s institutions, spread over four months. Since July, there have been extra cultural and historical elements to this.
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Previously, free language lessons were offered if a person did not have the most basic European level A1 French (but there was no obligation to reach a certain level).
Now training will be proposed if a person does not have A2.
At this level a person should be able to communicate in simple, routine tasks on familiar topics and have short conversations. They should be able to write short notes and read simple texts.
Language training will now in most cases be via an online module accessible at all times which the person can use at their own speed during the year of their CIR.
Only those unable to read or write in French (eg. because they are illiterate or learned a different alphabet or script) will be offered in-person lessons (to a total of 600 hours).
CIR signatories typically hope to obtain a ‘multi-year’ residency card on renewal of their initial one-year visa / first one-year residency card as this avoids annual renewal formalities.
However, from January 1, applicants must have passed a language testat A2 to be issued an ‘multi-year’ card.
Previously, applicants were only asked to have been ‘assiduous’ in taking lessons if they had been initially assessed as having less than A1.
As was already the case for those applying for French nationality or for a 10-year carte de résident (a card giving strong residency rights and unconditional work rights), they will have to book an approved test, such as the TCF, TEF or Delf, at an accredited centre which costs around €100.
Formerly (but no longer), it was optionally possible for CIR signatories to take a free test at Ofii to certify language level.
It is also no longer possible to renew a one-year residency card (a first card after coming on a one-year visa counts as one renewal) more than three times, meaning many, especially those coming to France to work, now risk not being able to remain legally after four years if they do not learn French.
Civic tests
Obtaining a first multi-year card will also now be dependent on passing a multiple-choice civic test at 80% or more (32/40) including French values (gender equality, freedom of speech…), rights and responsibilities, history, geography, culture, institutions and politics.
These will be paid for and run at state-certified centres, as for language tests, rather than Ofii. No list of centres or prices is yet available.
“The civic training now aims to prepare signatories for this exam, while continuing to help ease their integration,” Mr Gontard said.
Those aged 65+ will be exempt from language and civic tests, and disabled people will be able to request adaptations or (if unable to take a test) be exempt.
People will be able to take the tests as many times as necessary.
The new rules are stated in decrees to apply from January 1, but it is unclear as to the treatment of applications already being processed on that date.
Claire Bizzarri of Alliance Française Aix-Marseille-Provence, which offers language tests, said she understands the new rules will apply to anyone submitting a first multi-year card application from January 1.
Also affected by changes are applicants for a first 10-year carte de résident (this is not part of the Ofii/CIR process) who will have to obtain level B1 (intermediate), up from A2, and also pass a civic test. Exemptions apply as above.
Finally, most people applying for French citizenship from January 1, 2026 must obtain a language pass at level B2 (advanced intermediate), up from B1. As now, the main exemption is inability to take a test due to disability.
For nationality, the new rules are stated by law to apply only to applications submitted on or after January 1.
Those applying for citizenship by naturalisation from January 1 will also have to pass a civic test, whereas at present this is assessed only in the obligatory prefecture interview.
This was called for by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau in his recent circular asking prefects to take a tougher attitude to the granting of citizenship.
Mr Gontard said: “Passing a civic test corresponding to the multi-year card will not automatically allow a person to obtain a carte de résident. Each card, and naturalisation, will have a specific test.”
The new ‘24/7’ online language training is now in place, and working without bugs, Mr Gontard said.
“There is no reduction in service or quality of the lessons, just greater flexibility. We have made sure that the syllabus content and objectives assigned to users are high-quality and the same as before.”
He added that numbers of people signed up for language training have “exploded” since the new online training was put in place. “More than 10,000 signed up in the first week.”
The online system will be sufficient to reach the required A2, as long as the person also makes efforts to integrate via work, hobbies etc, Mr Gontard said. “And as it is online they can redo exercises as many times as they want and spend more time on aspects they are struggling with.”
A reader's challenges with tests
Reader Liz Godfrey from Aveyronpreviously told of how she had failed to pass the written section of a ‘TEF’ test at B1 for a nationality application, partly due to the obligation to take it on a French Azerty keyboard – she is used to touch-typing on a UK Qwerty layout.
Liz Gofrey: 'still pursuing French nationality'
She said other issues included a “dirty, sticky” mouse pad and the fact that there were distractions from new candidates arriving (and receiving instructions) during her test.
Part of the test involved tasks with full sentences, such as writing an email and a letter, she said, though the rest was multiple-choice and was easier.
Possible solutions to the keyboard problem include asking several centres to find one offering Qwerty or a handwritten test.
Ms Godrey reports she is “still pursuing French nationality” and will now be taking the Delf level B1 in Toulouse.
“I will do it handwritten this time – I just hope they can read my writing,” she said.
“The results will be out before the end of the year so hopefully my application will be made before January. If I don’t get the B1, whether I do B2 remains to be seen.
“I’m 80 now and my husband is French via a French parent but I would like to be able to vote and have no plans to go back to the UK. Since Brexit I can’t even vote in the commune elections, even though I both live and pay my taxes here.”
Who is affected by new civic and language tests?
People who sign a Contrat d’intégration républicaine (CIR) including employees on permanent work contracts, self-employed people on entrepreneur/profession libérale visas and people moving due to French family links (not applicable if they are joining a Brexit WA card holder or talent card holder).
People applying for a 10-year carte de résident (eg. due to family links or five years of stable residency).
Applicants for French nationality by naturalisation (via integration in France over at least five years) or (language test only) by declaration through marriage.
