What are you applying for?
Information, not legal advice. Your answers stay in your browser.
Who has to take the civic exam in 2026?
Since 1 January 2026, the civic exam (examen civique) has been required for a first multi-year residence card (carte de séjour pluriannuelle), a first 10-year resident card (carte de résident) and naturalisation. It is not required to renew a card, or for a declaration of nationality by marriage. The level of French you need depends on the application.
The exam is a multiple-choice test of 40 questions in French (28 knowledge questions and 12 real-life situations), lasting 45 minutes at most. You need 32 correct answers. The pass certificate does not expire: keep it safe.
| Application | Civic exam | French level |
|---|---|---|
| First multi-year card, including after a 1-year card | Yes, multi-year card version | A2 |
| Resident card (10 years), EU long-term resident, permanent resident | Yes, resident card version | B1 |
| Naturalisation or reinstatement by decree | Yes, naturalisation version, then an interview | B2 |
| Renewing a multi-year card or a resident card | No | — |
| Declaration of nationality by marriage | No | B2 |
Marriage: B2 for declarations made since 1 January 2026 (B1 before that).
Sources:CESEDA, art. L413-3 ; CESEDA, art. L433-4 et R433-5 ; CESEDA, art. L413-7 et R413-15 ; Code civil, art. 21-24 ; Code civil, art. 21-2 ; Décret n° 2025-647 du 15 juillet 2025 ; Décret n° 2025-648 du 15 juillet 2025 ; Fiche F39530 ; Fiche F39426 ; Fiche F34501 ; Fiche F11926
Exemptions and special cases
Over 65. No civic exam and no language requirement for the multi-year card and the resident card. There is no age exemption from the naturalisation exam.
Sources:CESEDA, art. L433-4 et R433-5 ; CESEDA, art. L413-7 et R413-15 ; Décret n° 2025-647 du 15 juillet 2025 ; Fiche F39530
Disability or health condition. The exam can be adapted, or you can be exempted from the certificate if your health makes the assessment impossible, with a medical certificate (official form). This also applies to naturalisation. The authorities can ask for a second medical opinion.
Sources:Arrêtés du 30 décembre 2025 (certificat médical) ; Décret n° 93-1362, art. 37 et 37-1 ; Fiche F39530 ; Fiche F39426
International protection and stateless people. No exam and no language requirement for the multi-year card of people with subsidiary protection, stateless people and their families. According to the ministry, beneficiaries of international protection are not concerned, but the EU long-term resident card applied for after 5 years is. Naturalisation still requires the exam.
Sources:Fiche F39530 ; Actualité A18713 ; formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr
Cards without a republican integration contract. Student, visitor, talent, temporary worker, seasonal worker, intern, au pair: no exam and no language requirement for these multi-year cards. A resident card applied for later does require it.
Sources:Fiche F17048 ; Fiche F39530
Algerian nationals. Certificats de résidence (Algerian residence permits) fall under the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement. The ministry says that some bilateral agreements rule out the exam, without an official list: check with your préfecture. For naturalisation, the general rules apply.
Sources:Accord franco-algérien de 1968 ; formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr ; Fiche F17048
Morocco, Tunisia and other agreements. No official source names these countries for the civic exam. Check depending on the card you are applying for.
French diploma. It can prove your level of French, but it does not exempt you from the civic exam.
Sources:Arrêtés du 22 décembre 2025 (preuves de langue) ; Fiche F34501 ; Fiche F11926
Civic training or CIR completed before 2026. We found no transitional exemption in the texts: do not count on one.
Sources:Décret n° 2025-647 du 15 juillet 2025
Proving your level of French
- Multi-year card and resident card
- TCF (France Éducation International) or TEF (CCI Paris Île-de-France): all 4 tests on the same day, in person, and the certificate is valid for 2 years. Also accepted: DELF, DALF, DELF Pro, DCL, DFP or DUEF at the required level, an RNCP certification or a French national diploma at level 3 or above, or the diplôme national du brevet. Diplomas issued by a foreign authority are not accepted.
- Naturalisation and declaration by marriage
- The diplôme national du brevet, a French state diploma or RNCP certification at level 3 or above, any diploma showing at least level B2, or a TCF or TEF certificate less than 2 years old.
Updated 13 October 2026