Civic exam for a French residence permit: multi-year card and resident card

In short

Multi-year residence card: A2 French and the civic exam

Non-European nationals under 65 who apply for a first multi-year card. Not concerned, according to Service Public:

• the renewal of the card;
• residence permits that do not fall under the republican integration contract (contrat d'intégration républicaine, CIR);
• beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and their family, stateless persons and their family.

Accepted proofs of the A2 level:

• a pass certificate for the TCF (France Éducation International) or the TEF (CCI Paris Île-de-France), less than two years old, assessing the four skills separately;
• a language diploma: DELF, DALF or DELF Pro, DCL, DUEF at level A2 or above, or DFP;
• a French diploma at level 3 or above (CAP, BEP…), the national diploma of the brevet, or a professional certification at level 3 or above registered with the RNCP.

Diplomas issued by a foreign authority are not accepted, even in a French-speaking country.

Resident card: B1 French and the civic exam

Non-European nationals under 65 who apply for a first resident card, in particular:

• the resident card of the spouse of a French citizen, or of the parent of a French child;
• the card issued for family reunification, or to the spouse of a resident card holder;
• the EU long-term resident card: after 5 years of uninterrupted legal residence (with sufficient, stable and regular resources), after more than 5 years with a talent passport or an EU Blue Card (and their family), or for holders of a refugee or subsidiary protection card and their family;
• the permanent resident card.

The B1 level is proved in the same ways as the A2 level: a TCF or TEF certificate (less than two years old, four skills assessed separately); a DELF, DALF or DELF Pro, DCL or DUEF at level B1 or above, or a DFP; or a French diploma at level 3 or above, thebrevet, or an RNCP certification at level 3 or above. Foreign diplomas are not accepted.

The civic exam

40 questions in French, 45 minutes at most, 32 correct answers to pass, taken in an approved centre before your application. For residence permits, the difficulty depends on the card: the multi-year card and the resident card each have their own list of knowledge questions. The pass certificate does not expire.

• The questions from the official list for the multi-year card (in French), with our explained answers
• The questions from the official list for the resident card (in French), with our explained answers
• Questions explained in English

Renewing your card: no civic exam

Only the first application for a multi-year card or a resident card requires the civic exam. Renewals do not, according to Service Public and the Ministry of the Interior's leaflet.

• Multi-year card: you must still meet the conditions for the card, and prove that you usually live in France.
• Resident card: the renewal can be refused if you are a serious threat to public order, or if you do not prove that you usually live in France.

When renewing a resident card, you can apply for an EU long-term resident card or a permanent resident card. If it is your first card of that type, Service Public lists it among the cards concerned by the exam: ask your prefecture.

Moving to a multi-year card, then a resident card

A multi-year card is only issued after a temporary residence card or a long-stay visa that serves as a residence permit (VLS-TS). You therefore apply for your first one when that first permit expires: it is a first application, and the civic exam is required for the cards concerned, unless you are over 65.

According to Service Public, if you have respected the republican integration contract (CIR) and the values of the Republic, passed the civic exam for the multi-year card (mention « carte de séjour pluriannuelle ») and proved the A2 level in French, the prefect can issue a multi-year card (2 to 4 years) when you renew your one-year permit.

A first resident card is also a first application: for the grounds concerned, you need the civic exam for the resident card (mention « carte de résident ») and the B1 level, unless you are over 65. The resident card exam is also valid for a multi-year card; Service Public does not mention the reverse.

Exemptions and special cases

• People over 65 are subject neither to the language requirement nor to the civic exam.
• Disability or health condition: the tests can be adjusted, or you can be exempted if the assessment is impossible, with a medical certificate.

According to the Ministry of the Interior's leaflet for residence permits (November 2025), some foreign nationals are not concerned, in particular beneficiaries of international protection and nationals of countries covered by certain bilateral agreements. The leaflet does not list these countries: ask your prefecture whether your nationality is concerned.

Service Public is more precise on international protection: beneficiaries of subsidiary protection and stateless persons (and their family) do not take the exam for the multi-year card, but refugees and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection do take it for a first EU long-term resident card. Check your case with your prefecture.

See also registration, fee, pass mark and exemptions.

Independent course, not affiliated with the French Ministry of the Interior.The exam itself is only in French. This page is an AI translation of our French guides, checked against the French text by a separate AI review; no human translator has reviewed it yet. For your own case, ask your prefecture or the naturalisation office handling your application.

Page updated on 29 octobre 2026 (date in French format). All questions explained in English