Who Must Take the French Civic Exam? Residence Permit, Resident Card and Naturalization

Since 1 January 2026, the civic exam has been a mandatory condition for several applications. But not everyone needs it, and the exam is not quite the same for every situation.

Who must take the civic exam?

The exam is required for:

• a first multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle);
• a first resident card (carte de résident);
• naturalization by decree and reinstatement of French nationality.

Who does not need it?

• Residence permit renewals;
• The one-year temporary residence permit;
• Nationality by declaration (for example through marriage).

Exemptions

For the multi-year permit and the resident card, exemptions include people over 65 and people whose disability or health makes the assessment impossible (with a medical certificate). Adjustments to the test are also possible.

For naturalization, the official texts provide a medical or disability exemption, with an official medical certificate model. Some websites mention other exemptions: always check your case on service-public.fr before assuming you don't need the exam.

Three different "mentions"

The format is the same for everyone (40 questions, 32 correct answers needed, 45 minutes maximum), but you take the exam under the mention that matches your application: multi-year permit, resident card or naturalization. The knowledge questions differ by mention. A pass with the resident-card mention also counts for the multi-year permit.

What about French language level?

Language level is a separate requirement from the civic exam, proven by a diploma or a French test. Since the 2024 immigration law, the required levels are higher:

• multi-year residence permit: A2;
• resident card: B1;
• naturalization: B2.

In practice, the civic exam is in French, so good reading skills help you get through the situational questions in time.

Where to start

Read our complete guide to the 2026 civic exam, then take a free test to see where you stand.