The French Interior Ministry confirmed on 14 December that, from 1 January 2026, most non-EU nationals who hope to stay in France for more than one year will have to pass a new, state-run “examen civique”. The measure, published in the Official Journal last July but now entering its final implementation phase, applies to first-time applicants for the four-year carte de séjour pluriannuelle, the ten-year carte de résident and to all naturalisation cases. Holders of short-stay visas and students renewing a one-year permit are not affected.
The exam is the centre-piece of the January 2024 Immigration and Integration Act, which shifted French policy away from discretionary interviews towards measurable language and civic knowledge standards. Candidates must demonstrate A2-level spoken French and answer a 30-question multiple-choice test on French history, values and administrative life. Training modules delivered by the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) are free but compulsory; online mock tests are already available on a newly launched ministry portal.
For those juggling tight timelines and complex paperwork, VisaHQ’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can help streamline the journey. The platform offers real-time visa and residence-permit requirements, digital document uploads, and one-click courier booking, allowing both employers and assignees to focus on exam preparation rather than administrative logistics.
![France tightens residency rules: new mandatory “civic exam” for multi-year permits and naturalisation]()
Corporate mobility teams face practical consequences. Whereas renewal of existing multi-year permits will remain largely automatic, first-time transferees and new hires arriving after 1 January 2026 will need to schedule the civic exam early—current prefecture backlogs mean test slots can already stretch three months ahead in Paris and Lyon. Employers sponsoring “Passeport Talent” transferees or EU Blue-Card holders should build extra lead-time into relocation calendars and warn assignees that failure to pass the exam could jeopardise family-reunification visas.
Immigration lawyers note that the change aligns France with neighbouring Germany and the Netherlands, which also require language and civic tests for long-term status. Yet critics argue that it risks prolonging administrative limbo for circa three million foreign residents currently holding temporary documents. NGOs have called for additional budget so prefectures can deliver exams region-wide rather than concentrating capacity in major cities. The Interior Ministry says an extra €18 million has been earmarked for 2026.
For global employers, the message is clear: any staff planning assignments of over one year who have not yet lodged their first multi-year permit should aim to file before 31 December 2025, when the older, less stringent rules still apply. HR teams should also audit long-term foreign payroll, identify staff who will face the new test in 2026, and budget for paid study time or language coaching where necessary.
The exam is the centre-piece of the January 2024 Immigration and Integration Act, which shifted French policy away from discretionary interviews towards measurable language and civic knowledge standards. Candidates must demonstrate A2-level spoken French and answer a 30-question multiple-choice test on French history, values and administrative life. Training modules delivered by the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) are free but compulsory; online mock tests are already available on a newly launched ministry portal.
For those juggling tight timelines and complex paperwork, VisaHQ’s France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can help streamline the journey. The platform offers real-time visa and residence-permit requirements, digital document uploads, and one-click courier booking, allowing both employers and assignees to focus on exam preparation rather than administrative logistics.
Corporate mobility teams face practical consequences. Whereas renewal of existing multi-year permits will remain largely automatic, first-time transferees and new hires arriving after 1 January 2026 will need to schedule the civic exam early—current prefecture backlogs mean test slots can already stretch three months ahead in Paris and Lyon. Employers sponsoring “Passeport Talent” transferees or EU Blue-Card holders should build extra lead-time into relocation calendars and warn assignees that failure to pass the exam could jeopardise family-reunification visas.
Immigration lawyers note that the change aligns France with neighbouring Germany and the Netherlands, which also require language and civic tests for long-term status. Yet critics argue that it risks prolonging administrative limbo for circa three million foreign residents currently holding temporary documents. NGOs have called for additional budget so prefectures can deliver exams region-wide rather than concentrating capacity in major cities. The Interior Ministry says an extra €18 million has been earmarked for 2026.
For global employers, the message is clear: any staff planning assignments of over one year who have not yet lodged their first multi-year permit should aim to file before 31 December 2025, when the older, less stringent rules still apply. HR teams should also audit long-term foreign payroll, identify staff who will face the new test in 2026, and budget for paid study time or language coaching where necessary.
