A2, B1 or B2: what French level do you need for your residence permit or naturalisation?

Since 1 January 2026, each major residence or nationality application requires you to prove a specific French level, in addition to taking the civic exam. The level is measured on the European language scale, the CEFR: A1 and A2 for basic level, B1 and B2 for independent level, and C1 and C2 for proficient level.

The level required for each application

Application	French level	Civic exam
First multi-year residence permit	A2	Yes
First resident card, EU long-term resident card or permanent resident card	B1	Yes
Naturalisation or reinstatement by decree	B2 in speaking and writing	Yes
Declaration of nationality through marriage	B2 in speaking and writing	No
Renewal of a multi-year residence permit or resident card	No new proof required	No

For residence permits, only first applications are affected.

Residence permit or resident card: accepted proof

For a multi-year residence permit (A2) or a resident card (B1), service-public.fr lists four types of proof:

• A language test: only the TCF (France Éducation international) and the TEF (CCI Paris Île-de-France) are recognised. All four components (listening and reading comprehension, speaking and writing) are taken in person on the same day. The certificate is valid for 2 years.
• A language qualification: DELF, DALF, DELF Pro, DCL, DFP, or a DUEF at A2 level or above for a residence permit (carte de séjour), and B1 level or above for a resident card (carte de résident).
• A professional certification registered with the RNCP, at level 3 or above.
• A French national qualification: CAP, BEP, CFG or the national brevet diploma.

Foreign qualifications are not accepted, even those from a French-speaking country. You need a test, a language qualification or a French qualification.

Naturalisation and marriage: B2 level

For naturalisation or reinstatement by decree and for a declaration of nationality through marriage, you need B2 level in speaking and writing from 1 January 2026 (decree no. 2025-648 of 15 July 2025). The evidence listed by service-public.fr includes:

• a certificate showing that you passed the TCF or TEF, dated less than 2 years ago;
• the national brevet diploma, or a diploma or professional qualification at level 3 or above;
• any diploma that certifies a level of French of at least B2.

Naturalisation also requires the civic exam, followed by an assimilation interview (entretien d’assimilation) at the prefecture. Marriage, on the other hand, does not require the civic exam.

Exemptions and adjustments

• Age: for a multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle) or a resident card (carte de résident), the requirement only applies to people under 65. For nationality, there is no age-based exemption, with one exception: refugees and stateless people over 70 who have lived in France for at least 15 years, applying for nationality by decree.
• Health or disability: adjustments to the tests are possible. If your health or disability makes assessment impossible, you may be granted an exemption with a medical certificate. The administration may ask for a further medical assessment.
• Multi-year residence permit: people who benefit from subsidiary protection, stateless people, their family members and holders of permits that are not subject to the republican integration contract are not affected.

French level and civic exam: two separate requirements

The civic exam tests your knowledge of France (40 questions in 45 minutes, 32 correct answers to pass). It is written in French, but it does not replace proof of your language level. For a first multi-year residence permit, a first resident card or naturalisation, your application must include both: the certificate showing that you passed the civic exam and proof of your French level.