French Citizenship Language Requirement: What Level of French Do You Need in 2026?

It is one of the most common questions from families planning a move. How good does my French have to be? The honest answer depends on which card you are applying for, and the bar went up sharply on 1 January 2026. Below you’ll find each level, the proof France accepts, the civic exam, who is exempt and how an investor family can plan for it. For the short version, the table in the next section is enough.

What is the French citizenship language requirement in 2026?

Since 1 January 2026 you need level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), both oral and written, to be naturalised. Decree no. 2025-648 of 15 July 2025 replaced the reference to ‘B1’ with ‘B2’ in the nationality rules and applied the change to applications lodged from that date (Légifrance). The same B2 level now applies to a declaration of nationality by marriage (Service-Public).

B2 is a big step up from B1. At B2 you can hold your own in a discussion and write a detailed, well-organised text. In practice, you can handle a meeting at the bank or a letter from the tax office without help. If you are starting from scratch, plan in years of regular study rather than months.

Residence cards set lower levels. The table sets each card against the French citizenship language requirement.

Do investors need to pass a French test?

Not for the investor permit. The ‘talent-porteur de projet’ card for a direct economic investment, the route behind our France Residency by Investment programme, is one of the cards that does not require the integration contract (contrat d’intégration républicaine, or CIR). Service-Public’s table marks the talent and talent-famille cards ‘Non’ for that contract (CIR page). Because the A2 rule and the civic exam for multi-year cards only apply to routes under the contract, neither applies to you or to your spouse on a talent-famille card (language page).

That doesn’t let you off French for good. It comes back twice:

• After 5 years, if you want the 10-year EU long-term resident card, you need B1 and the civic exam, unless you are 65 or over. Service-Public lists ‘Passeport talent/Carte Bleue européenne après plus de 5 ans et famille’ among the cases concerned (civic exam page).
• When you apply for citizenship, generally after 5 years of residence, you need B2 and the naturalisation civic exam, with no age exemption (naturalisation page).

The resident card is optional. The investor card is renewable, subject to continued eligibility, and the naturalisation file asks for a valid residence permit rather than a resident card in particular (Service-Public). A family can skip the B1 step and keep renewing the talent card until they’re ready for B2. For how the two cards compare, see our permanent residence and citizenship pathway.

Which certificates and diplomas prove your French?

Only listed proof counts. A letter from your teacher or an online course certificate won’t do.

For French citizenship (B2)

Service-Public lists the documents accepted for nationality (nationality language page):

• the diplôme national du brevet (the French lower-secondary diploma);
• a diploma issued in the name of the French State at level 3 or above of the national framework of professional certifications;
• a professional certification at level 3 or above that is registered in the national directory of professional certifications (RNCP);
• any diploma that attests a level of French at least equal to B2, such as a DELF B2 or a DALF;
• a TCF pass certificate from France Éducation international, issued less than 2 years ago;
• a TEF pass certificate from the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, issued less than 2 years ago.

The 2-year limit applies to the TCF and TEF certificates. Service-Public sets no such limit for the diplomas on the list. If you reach B2, a DELF B2 or DALF is worth considering for that reason alone.

For residence cards (A2 or B1)

For a first multi-year card or resident card, the rules are close but not identical (cards language page):

• the only language tests recognised by the Ministry of the Interior are the TCF and the TEF, and their certificates are valid for 2 years;
• the test must cover speaking, writing, listening and reading as separate papers, sat in person on the same day, with identity checks;
• the DELF, DALF, DELF Pro, DUEF, DFP and DCL diplomas at the right level are accepted;
• French national diplomas from level 3 (CAP, BEP, CFG) and the brevet also count;
• diplomas issued by a foreign authority in another country are not accepted, even in a French-speaking country.

What is the French civic exam and how does it work?

The civic exam was created by the immigration law of 26 January 2024 and became compulsory on 1 January 2026 for naturalisation and for a first multi-year or resident card on the routes concerned (Service-Public news). It is also a test of your French, because every question is in French.

• Format: a multiple-choice questionnaire of 40 questions, 28 on general knowledge and 12 on real-life situations, with one correct answer out of 4 each time.
• Pass mark: at least 32 correct answers, which is 80%.
• Duration: 45 minutes at most, on a computer. Extra time is only given for a justified medical reason.
• Topics: for the card versions, the principles and values of the Republic, rights and duties, history, geography and culture, the institutions and daily life in France. The naturalisation version covers key events in French history, the principles, symbols and institutions of the Republic, the rights and duties of a French citizen, and France’s place in Europe and the world.
• Fraud: anyone caught cheating is barred from the exam for the next 2 years.

Sources: Service-Public news of 18 December 2025 and the naturalisation civic exam page.

Three versions, one format

There is a ‘multi-year card’ version, a ‘resident card’ version and a ‘naturalisation’ version. Service-Public says a pass in the resident card version also counts for a multi-year card (civic exam for cards). For citizenship, you book the naturalisation version at an approved centre, found through the search tools of France Éducation international and of the Paris Île-de-France CCI. If you live abroad, an Institut français, an Alliance française or the consular authorities can tell you how to sit it (Service-Public).

The pass certificate has no expiry date (Service-Public). The Ministry of the Interior publishes revision sheets by theme on its official civic training website, and Service-Public links to the official list of knowledge questions and the citizen’s booklet for the naturalisation version.

Who is exempt from the French language test?

The list is short, and it isn’t the same for residence cards and for nationality.

Residence cards

• If you are 65 or over, you don’t need to prove A2 or B1 or pass the civic exam for a first multi-year or resident card (Service-Public).
• Talent cards, like any card exempt from the integration contract, escape the A2 rule for multi-year cards (Service-Public).
• A disability or chronic illness can justify adjusted test conditions or, if testing is impossible, an exemption backed by a medical certificate.

French nationality

• A medical certificate showing that your health or disability makes any language assessment impossible (Service-Public).
• Refugees and stateless people who are over 70 and have lived in France for at least 15 years on a valid permit.
• There is no general age exemption for naturalisation. The decree has none, and Service-Public lists only the two cases above.

On medical grounds, both the language test and the civic exam can be taken with adjusted conditions, such as extra time. The authorities can ask for a second medical opinion (Service-Public).

How should an investor family plan for B2?

If you hold an investor card and aim for citizenship, you have roughly 5 years to go from your current level to B2. That’s usually enough if you start early and keep going. This is the order we suggest.

1. Get your level assessed in the first months. A placement test at a language school tells you where you stand. Many adult learners start at A1 or A2.
2. Study every week, not in bursts. Short daily practice, plus a weekly lesson, works better than an intensive course in year 5.
3. Aim for B1 by year 3 or 4. If you want the 10-year EU long-term resident card after 5 years, B1 and the civic exam are part of that file (EU long-term card).
4. Choose your proof for B2. A DELF B2 or DALF diploma has no 2-year limit on Service-Public’s nationality list; a TCF or TEF certificate must be less than 2 years old when you file (Service-Public).
5. Prepare and pass the naturalisation civic exam. Work through the official question list and the citizen’s booklet, then register at an approved centre (Service-Public).
6. File for naturalisation. Generally after 5 years of residence, with the €255 tax stamp, your B2 proof and your civic exam certificate (Service-Public). The prefecture then calls you to an interview.

The rest of the naturalisation file, from tax notices to the decision period, is in our guide on how to get French citizenship through investment.

Checklist: language documents for your file

Check the dates on each document before you file:

• your TCF or TEF certificate (valid 2 years) or your DELF, DALF or other listed diploma, at the level your application needs;
• for a TCF or TEF used for a residence card, a certificate showing your identity as checked on the day and a photo taken before the test;
• your civic exam pass certificate in the right version (multi-year card, resident card or naturalisation);
• any French diploma you rely on instead of a test (brevet, CAP, BEP or a level 3+ diploma);
• if you claim an exemption or adjustment, the medical certificate on the official model.

How much does it cost?

Service-Public does not publish fees for the language tests or the civic exam; each centre sets its own, so ask when you book. The official charges that go with the applications are listed below.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Thinking B1 is still enough for citizenship. It was, until 31 December 2025. Any naturalisation file lodged from 1 January 2026 needs B2.
• Letting a TCF or TEF certificate expire. It must be less than 2 years old when you file. Time the test to your application, or use a diploma instead.
• Relying on a degree from abroad. For residence cards, diplomas issued by a foreign authority in another country are refused, even if the course was taught in French.
• Sitting the wrong civic exam. The naturalisation version is separate from the card versions. Check the ‘mention’ on the certificate before you file.
• Leaving French until year 5. B2 rarely happens in a few months. Start in your first year, even though your investor card needs no test.

Frequently asked questions

How France IDEA helps

We don’t teach French and we don’t run exams. What we do is put the language milestones on your family’s timeline from day one, so none of them comes as a surprise. First comes a free preliminary eligibility assessment. Then we prepare your investor residence file, based on a qualifying direct economic investment in a French operating company, which stays invested for 5 years. Processing takes 2 to 5 months*. We track the dates that matter later on, from each renewal to the point where B1 or B2 and the civic exam come into play. The French authorities make every decision. Read our guide to residency in France for the wider picture, then contact France IDEA.

*Subject to individual eligibility and decisions by the competent French authorities.

Official sources

Last updated: 5 November 2026. General information only, not legal advice. Language and integration rules move often; confirm them on the official pages listed above before booking a test or filing.