France’s New Civic Exam: What Expats Need to Know

⚠ Important: This requirement is new as of January 1, 2026 and applies immediately to first-time applications for a carte de séjour pluriannuelle or carte de résident. If you are applying for one of these permits in 2026, read this post before you file.

France has introduced a mandatory civic exam, the examen civique, as part of the broader immigration reforms introduced by the loi du 26 janvier 2024 pour contrôler l’immigration, améliorer l’intégration. From January 1, 2026, passing this exam is a legal requirement before you can apply for certain residence permits or naturalisation.

If you are in the process of transitioning from a temporary titre de séjour to a longer-term permit, or if you are planning to apply for naturalisation, this post covers everything you need to know: who is affected, what the exam involves, how to register, and how to prepare.

 Who Needs to Take the Exam?

The examen civique is required for non-EU nationals applying for any of the following for the first time, for titles whose validity period begins on or after January 1, 2026:

•   Carte de séjour pluriannuelle (multi-year residence permit): first application only
•   Carte de résident (10-year resident card): first application only
•   Naturalisation française (French citizenship by decree or by marriage)

For spouses of French nationals: If you are a conjoint de français applying for your first carte de séjour pluriannuelle under vie privée et familiale, this applies to you. The exam is required even if you were previously exempt from certain language requirements under earlier rules.

 Who does NOT need to take the exam?

•   Anyone renewing an existing carte de séjour pluriannuelle or carte de résident. Renewals are explicitly exempt.
•   Beneficiaries of international protection (réfugiés, protection subsidiaire, apatrides).
•   Nationals of certain countries covered by bilateral agreements with France. Check with your préfecture.
•   People aged 65 and over.
•   People with a disability or chronic health condition that prevents them from taking the exam, accommodations and full exemptions are available with a medical certificate.

 ⚠ Important: The exam applies to titles whose validity begins from January 1, 2026, regardless of when the application was filed. If you are currently mid-application, verify with your préfecture whether the requirement applies to your specific situation.

The Exam Format

The examen civique is a fully digital multiple choice test (QCM) taken at an approved examination centre. Here are the key details:

•   Duration: 45 minutes maximum
•   Format: 40 questions, one correct answer from four options
•   Passing score: 32 correct answers out of 40 — 80%
•   No negative marking: an incorrect answer scores 0, it does not penalize you
•   Language: French throughout
•   Results: available in your candidate account within 12 hours of the exam
•   Attestation de réussite: issued in your online account, no expiry date, valid for all related administrative procedures

The five themes

The 40 questions are drawn from five official themes, with a published list of knowledge questions available on the government’s formation website. The 12 situational questions are not published in advance.

 Preparation tip: The Ministry of the Interior publishes the full list of knowledge questions (approximately 200 questions covering the first four themes) on the Formation Civique website. The 12 situational questions are not disclosed but are based on common sense and the values covered in the civic training. Focus your preparation on the official question bank. 

The 24-Hour Civic Training That Comes First

For people applying for a carte de séjour pluriannuelle, the exam must be taken at the end of a mandatory 24-hour civic training program (formation civique) run by the OFII. This training is spread over 4 days and covers the same five themes as the exam. 

This is a significant change from the previous system. Before 2026, the civic training took place after obtaining the titre de séjour, as part of the Contrat d’Intégration Républicaine (CIR). From 2026, it must be completed and the exam passed before the titre de séjour application is filed. 

For carte de résident and naturalisation applicants: The training requirement does not apply in the same way. You can register directly for the exam without completing the 4-day formation civique first. Check the specific pathway for your permit type. 

The training is free and organized by the OFII. It is designed to be accessible; the exam level is calibrated so that candidates who have seriously engaged with the training have a high probability of passing on their first attempt.

How to Register

Registration for the examen civique opened on December 8, 2025. Two organisations have been approved by the Ministry of the Interior to administer the exam: 

•   CCIP (Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris): register via their dedicated platform.
•   FEI (France Éducation International): register via their candidate portal.

Examination centres are located across metropolitan France. You can find the list of approved centres and available dates on both platforms.

Exam fee: €70 per attempt. The first retake is free if you fail. Subsequent retakes incur the €70 fee again. There is no waiting period between attempts, though availability at centres means a typical wait of 1–2 months between sessions.

⚠ Important: Slots fill quickly. Do not wait until you are close to your titre de séjour application deadline to register. The exam must be passed and the attestation obtained before you can file your application on ANEF.

How to Prepare

The exam is not designed to be a trap. It covers foundational knowledge about France, the kind of information you are expected to know as a long-term resident. That said, it is conducted entirely in French and the questions require genuine preparation, not just general knowledge.

Official resources — free

•  Formation Civique: the official government platform with 222 themed revision sheets and the full list of published knowledge questions. This is your primary preparation resource.
•   Direction Général des Étrangers en France: official information on the exam requirements by permit type
•   Service Public: search ‘examen civique’ for the official overview and links

The language requirement that comes with it

The civic exam does not exist in isolation. From January 1, 2026, the French language requirements for residence permits have also increased:

•   Carte de séjour pluriannuelle: minimum A2 level in French (up from A1)
•   Carte de résident (10-year): minimum B1 level
•   Naturalisation: B2 level (likely, pending confirmation of implementing decrees)

If you are applying for your first pluriannuelle and you have been following French classes through your CIR, you should be approaching the A2 level by the time you are eligible. If you are not yet at the required level, factor in the time needed to reach it before filing your application.

For spouses of French nationals: The language requirement for naturalisation by marriage also increased to B2 oral and written as of January 1, 2026. This is already in effect and separate from the civic exam. 

The Timeline: What Happens in What Order

Getting the sequence right matters. Here is the correct order of steps for a first pluriannuelle application under the new 2026 rules:

1. Complete your 4-day OFII civic training (formation civique).
2. Pass the examen civique at the end of the training (or register independently for the exam).
3. Obtain your attestation de réussite from your candidate account.
4. Demonstrate your French language level — A2 minimum for pluriannuelle.
5. File your titre de séjour application on ANEF with the attestation included.

⚠ Important: The attestation de réussite must be uploaded with your ANEF application. You cannot file without it for a first pluriannuelle or carte de résident application from 2026 onward.

Accommodations and Exemptions

If you have a disability or chronic health condition that affects your ability to take the exam, two options are available:

•   Accommodations (aménagements): you take the exam with adapted conditions; extended time, assistance, or specialist equipment as required.
•   Full exemption (dispense totale): if your condition prevents you from taking the exam entirely, a full exemption is possible.

Both require a medical certificate completed by your doctor using the official template available from your préfecture or on the OFII website. This certificate must be submitted at the time of your titre de séjour application.

Key Resources

• Official exam information and question bank
• Register for the exam (CCIP) or search “examen civique CCIP”
• Register for the exam (FEI)
• Official immigration information by permit type
• service-public.fr: search ‘examen civique’
• ANEF filing portal
• How to Renew Your VLS-TS in France
• French Marriage & Spouse Visa Series
• France Immigration Fees: What Changes on May 1, 2026