Publication of the terms and conditions of the civic exam for obtaining a multi-year residence permit, resident card, and naturalization

A decree dated October 10, 2025 has just made public the terms and conditions of the civic exam provided for in the immigration law of January 26, 2024, which is due to come into force on January 1, 2026.

As of January 1, 2026, passing a civics exam will become mandatory in order to obtain a first multi-year residence permit¹ (carte de séjour pluriannuelle), a first 10-year residence card² (carte de résident), and to be naturalized French³.

This is a multiple-choice questionnaire limited to 45 minutes⁴ and covering “the principles and values of the Republic, the rights and duties associated with living in France, the history, geography, culture, and institutional and political system of France.”⁵

In all cases, passing the exam, which will be held in French⁶, requires a score of 80% correct answers⁷. The questions cover a wide range of topics, from parental obligations to the administrative divisions of the country, and the French Revolution.

In this regard, the terms of this test are questionable, to say the least.

Indeed, both in terms of the language proficiency it requires, and the knowledge it demands, this civic exam seems to have been designed solely for naturalization candidates, who have been living in France for a long time.

However, how can we explain that passing such an exam is also required (and with the same success rate of 80%) for people wishing to obtain their first multi-year residence permit, most of whom having been in France for less than a year?

In terms of language, the immigration law itself only requires them to speak French up to the level A2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), i.e. “a knowledge of French sufficient to understand frequently used expressions in everyday language, communicate in routine tasks and discuss topics that correspond to immediate needs.”⁸

How, then, can we justify that these same people will be questioned in French about the prohibition of polygamy, the application of the principle of secularism at work, or the creation of the French civil code?

In terms of content, the scope, variety, and difficulty of the questions asked are also questionable, as they would undoubtedly cause many French citizens difficulty.

Among the topics covered are:

• The history of the law of December 9, 1905, on secularism (laïcité)
• The principle of separation of powers as set forth in Article 16 of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
• The banque de France
• The First French Republic of 1792
• Women’s suffrage established in 1944
• The 5 Overseas Departments and Regions (DROM)

From this point of view, while the test is already questionable for naturalization applicants, it is simply absurd for applicants for a first multi-year residence permit.

If implemented strictly and rigorously, the civic exam introduced by the 2024 immigration law could therefore prevent most foreigners from ever obtaining a multi-year residence permit.

As was the norm before 2016, they will have to renew their right to stay in France every year, bearing in mind that nowadays a 1-year residence card can only be renewed three times⁹.

In addition to the difficulties and frustration inevitably inflicted on foreigners, this will also have the effect of clogging up the prefectures… the exact opposite of the government’s stated intentions.

1. Articles L. 433-4 et L. 433-6 du ceseda ↩︎
2. Article L. 413-7 du ceseda ↩︎
3. Article 37 du décret n°93-1362 du 30/12/1993 ↩︎
4. Article 4 de l’arrêté du 10 octobre 2025 ↩︎
5. Article R. 413-12-1 du ceseda ↩︎
6. Article 3 de l’arrêté du 10 octobre 2025 ↩︎
7. Article D. 413-12-2 du ceseda et article 2 de l’arrêté du 10 octobre 2025 ↩︎
8. Article L. 433-4 du ceseda ↩︎
9. Article L. 433-1-1 du ceseda ↩︎