French Citizenship in 2026: B2 French, the Civic Exam, and the Residence Rules
France raised the bar on 1 January 2026. Two decrees of 15 July 2025 and two ministerial orders of 22 December 2025 moved the French-language requirement for naturalisation from B1 to B2, added a civic exam, and set the levels for residence cards underneath. This guide takes the rules from Légifrance and the Service-Public portal: who is affected, what counts as proof, and which files escape the change.
Quick answer
For naturalisation or reintegration applications filed from 1 January 2026, and for declarations of nationality by marriage made from that date, you must prove French at level B2, written and oral (decree 2025-648 replaced "B1" with "B2" in the 1993 nationality decree). You must also pass a civic exam, whose pass mark is set by ministerial order; the prefecture interview on assimilation continues. Proof of B2 is any diploma certifying French at B2 or higher, the diplôme national du brevet, a state diploma at level 3 or above, or an attestation from the TCF (France Éducation international) or the TEF (Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry), valid for two years. Files lodged before 1 January 2026 remain under the 2020 orders, at B1. Residence still matters: a minimum of 5 years in France for naturalisation, reduced to 2 years for graduates of French higher education after two years of study, and waived in listed cases. Underneath, the companion decree 2025-647 sets A2 for the multi-year residence card and B1 for the 10-year resident card, both with the civic exam.
The ladder: A2, B1, B2
| Status | French level | Civic exam | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-year residence card (carte de séjour pluriannuelle) | A2 | Yes | Decree 2025-647, art. R. 433-5 |
| Resident card, 10 years (carte de résident) | B1 | Yes | Decree 2025-647, art. R. 413-15 |
| Naturalisation and reintegration | B2 (was B1) | Yes | Decree 2025-648, art. 37 of the 1993 decree |
| Declaration of nationality by marriage | B2 (was B1) | — | Decree 2025-648, art. 14 of the 1993 decree |
Both decrees were signed on 15 July 2025. Decree 2025-647 entered into force on 1 January 2026 for its language and civic-exam articles; decree 2025-648 entered into force the day after publication but applies its B2 and civic-exam rules to naturalisation and reintegration applications filed from 1 January 2026 and to marriage declarations made from that date.
Proving B2
The order of 22 December 2025 on proof of French lists what the prefecture accepts: any diploma certifying French at least equivalent to B2; the diplôme national du brevet; state-issued diplomas at level 3 or above of the national framework; or a language attestation from an accepted test showing overall written and oral command at B2. A second order of the same date names the tests: the TCF, issued by France Éducation international, and the TEF, issued by the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Language attestations are valid for two years. The three orders of March 2020 that governed B1 were repealed; the new orders entered into force on 1 January 2026.
The civic exam
Decree 2025-648 adds to the naturalisation rules that the expected level of knowledge is assessed in a civic exam, and that the pass threshold is set by order of the minister in charge of naturalisations. Service-Public confirms that assimilation into the French community is checked by passing the civic exam and by an interview at the prefecture, and lists the attestation of success among the documents of the file, next to the diploma or attestation of French level. The Interior Ministry publishes the citizen's booklet and the list of knowledge questions used to prepare.
Residence: the unchanged part
- Standard: a minimum of 5 years of residence in France before applying.
- Reduced to 2 years if you obtained a diploma from a French higher-education institution after 2 years of study, or can render, or have rendered, important services to France.
- No minimum in listed cases: francophone applicants whose mother tongue is French or who were schooled for 5 years or more in French, service in the French armed forces or an allied army in wartime, exceptional services to France.
Residence is counted with your family: Service-Public warns that if your spouse or children live abroad, nationality can be refused.
Transition: who keeps B1
The December order is explicit: declarations of nationality by marriage made before 1 January 2026, and naturalisation or reintegration applications lodged before that date, remain governed by the earlier orders. Decree 2025-648 applies to declarations and applications that have not yet been decided, but its language articles are dated to filings from 1 January 2026. A complete file stamped in 2025 therefore stays at B1; a file started in 2026 is at B2.
After the decree
A naturalisation decree can be withdrawn within 2 years of its publication in the Journal officiel, on the Conseil d'État's assent, if the administration finds the conditions were not met, and within 2 years of discovering a fraud. A refused application can be re-filed, but a new request made less than 5 years after notification of a refusal can be closed without examination unless new circumstances are shown.
Order of operations for a 2026 file
- Confirm your residence count: 5 years, or 2 with a French degree.
- Book a TCF or TEF and reach B2 in all four skills; the attestation lasts two years.
- Register for the civic exam and keep the attestation of success.
- File with the diploma or attestation, the civic-exam attestation and the civil-status, address, income and tax documents Service-Public lists.
Frequently asked questions
What French level is required for naturalisation in 2026?
B2, written and oral, for applications filed from 1 January 2026, under decree 2025-648. Before that date it was B1.
Does the B2 rule apply to citizenship by marriage?
Yes. Decree 2025-648 replaced B1 with B2 in article 14 of the 1993 decree for declarations made from 1 January 2026.
Which tests prove B2?
The TCF from France Éducation international and the TEF from the Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry, or a diploma certifying B2 or higher; attestations are valid two years.
How many years must I live in France?
A minimum of 5 years, reduced to 2 years for graduates of French higher education after two years of study, and waived in listed cases such as francophone applicants.
I filed in December 2025. Which rules apply?
The earlier 2020 orders, at B1. Files lodged before 1 January 2026 are not subject to the B2 requirement.
Sources
- Légifrance — Décret n° 2025-648 du 15 juillet 2025 (B1 → B2; examen civique)
- Légifrance — Décret n° 2025-647 du 15 juillet 2025 (A2 / B1 for residence cards)
- Légifrance — Arrêté du 22 décembre 2025 relatif à la justification du niveau de maîtrise du français
- Légifrance — Arrêté du 22 décembre 2025 relatif aux tests linguistiques (TCF, TEF)
- Service-Public.fr — Naturalisation: conditions and documents