From 1 January 2026 all new applicants for France’s multi-year carte de séjour, ten-year carte de résident and naturalisation must now prove their integration by passing two state-run examinations: a French-language test and a 45-minute computer-based “examen civique”. The change flows from the 2024 Immigration and Integration Act but was only brought into force at the start of the new year after months of decrees setting out technical details. The Interior Ministry has fixed the minimum language levels at A2 for the four-year residence permit, B1 for the ten-year card and B2 for citizenship, while the civics exam—40 multiple-choice questions on republican values, institutions, daily life and history—requires an 80 percent pass mark.
Test capacity is already under pressure. More than 100,000 first-time residence-permit applicants and some 35,000 citizenship candidates are expected each year; the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) has doubled its training modules and opened weekend sessions, but prefectures in Paris, Lyon and Marseille report waiting lists of up to three months for exam slots. Approved test centres—including the CCI Paris Île-de-France “Le français des affaires” network—have launched online mock exams and €200–€400 preparation courses, raising equity concerns among NGOs.
If you’re unsure where to start with bookings and documentation, specialist platforms such as VisaHQ can streamline the process by securing exam appointments, tracking prefecture requirements and flagging upcoming deadlines; their France-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) also aggregates the latest decrees and eligibility check-lists, saving HR teams and individual applicants hours of research.
![France activates mandatory language and civic tests for long-term residence permits and citizenship]()
For employers the reform is a potential bottleneck. Intra-company transferees, new hires and their dependants can no longer rely on completing language learning after arrival; instead, HR teams must calendar exam bookings early in the assignment planning process and build extra lead-time into start-date negotiations. Mobility managers are also urged to budget for paid study leave or sponsor language tuition, especially for blue-collar assignees who may struggle to meet higher thresholds. Failure to pass the civics test will lead to refusal of the residence card, forcing a repeat application and jeopardising project timelines.
There are limited exemptions. Applicants aged 65 or over are excused from both tests for long-term cards (but not for citizenship), while students renewing one-year permits and seasonal-worker visa holders remain outside the scope. Employers should nevertheless check that accompanying spouses fall under the new regime. The Interior Ministry says it will review pass-rates after six months and may adjust the question bank; critics maintain the test contains trivia few native citizens could answer.
The immediate practical advice: book exam slots as soon as the assignee’s visa is approved, allow an extra three to six weeks in assignment lead-times, and consider partnering with accredited language providers who can certify results accepted by prefectures. With queues already stretching into April, proactive planning will be the difference between a smooth deployment and a stalled start-date.
Test capacity is already under pressure. More than 100,000 first-time residence-permit applicants and some 35,000 citizenship candidates are expected each year; the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) has doubled its training modules and opened weekend sessions, but prefectures in Paris, Lyon and Marseille report waiting lists of up to three months for exam slots. Approved test centres—including the CCI Paris Île-de-France “Le français des affaires” network—have launched online mock exams and €200–€400 preparation courses, raising equity concerns among NGOs.
If you’re unsure where to start with bookings and documentation, specialist platforms such as VisaHQ can streamline the process by securing exam appointments, tracking prefecture requirements and flagging upcoming deadlines; their France-dedicated portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/) also aggregates the latest decrees and eligibility check-lists, saving HR teams and individual applicants hours of research.
For employers the reform is a potential bottleneck. Intra-company transferees, new hires and their dependants can no longer rely on completing language learning after arrival; instead, HR teams must calendar exam bookings early in the assignment planning process and build extra lead-time into start-date negotiations. Mobility managers are also urged to budget for paid study leave or sponsor language tuition, especially for blue-collar assignees who may struggle to meet higher thresholds. Failure to pass the civics test will lead to refusal of the residence card, forcing a repeat application and jeopardising project timelines.
There are limited exemptions. Applicants aged 65 or over are excused from both tests for long-term cards (but not for citizenship), while students renewing one-year permits and seasonal-worker visa holders remain outside the scope. Employers should nevertheless check that accompanying spouses fall under the new regime. The Interior Ministry says it will review pass-rates after six months and may adjust the question bank; critics maintain the test contains trivia few native citizens could answer.
The immediate practical advice: book exam slots as soon as the assignee’s visa is approved, allow an extra three to six weeks in assignment lead-times, and consider partnering with accredited language providers who can certify results accepted by prefectures. With queues already stretching into April, proactive planning will be the difference between a smooth deployment and a stalled start-date.
