Since 1 January 2026, anyone applying for a French multi-year or permanent residency card must prove their command of the French language and pass a civic knowledge examination. These requirements, introduced by the loi Darmanin (Law n° 2024-42 of 26 January 2024 “to control immigration, improve integration”), represent the most significant tightening of residency conditions in over a decade. For the English-speaking community in France — American professionals, British retirees, Canadian entrepreneurs, Australian students — the new rules raise immediate practical questions: what level of French is required, which test should I take, what happens if I fail, and can my application be refused. This article sets out the legal framework as it stands today, based on the applicable provisions of the Code de l’entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d’asile (CESEDA) and the most recent rulings of the French administrative courts.
I. The New Language and Civic Knowledge Requirements: A Legal Overview
A. The Darmanin Law and the Two-Tier Language Standard
The 2024 immigration reform created two distinct language proficiency thresholds depending on the type of residency document sought. These are calibrated to the Cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues (CEFR, or Common European Framework of Reference for Languages).
For a carte de séjour pluriannuelle (multi-year residency card, typically valid for two to four years), the applicant must demonstrate knowledge of French at level A2 of the CEFR. Article L. 433-4 of the CESEDA, in force since 1 January 2026, states that the foreign national must justify “une connaissance de la langue française lui permettant au moins de comprendre des expressions fréquemment utilisées dans le langage courant, de communiquer lors de tâches habituelles et d’évoquer des sujets qui correspondent à des besoins immédiats” (a knowledge of French enabling them at least to understand frequently used expressions in everyday language, to communicate during routine tasks and to discuss subjects corresponding to immediate needs). This is the standard that applies to the first multi-year card obtained after one year of legal residence, as well as to its renewal.
For a carte de résident (ten-year resident card) or a carte de résident portant la mention “résident de longue durée-UE” (long-term EU resident card), the threshold rises to level B1. Article L. 413-7 of the CESEDA provides that the first issuance of these cards “est subordonnée à l’intégration républicaine de l’étranger dans la société française, appréciée en particulier (…) de sa connaissance de la langue française de nature à lui permettre au moins de comprendre des conversations suffisamment claires, de produire un discours simple et cohérent sur des sujets courants et d’exposer succinctement une idée” (is subject to the foreign national’s republican integration into French society, assessed in particular by his knowledge of French enabling him at least to understand sufficiently clear conversations, to produce simple and coherent speech on everyday topics and to succinctly present an idea).
The Administrative Court of Appeal of Nancy, in a ruling of 27 January 2026 (CAA Nancy, 27 January 2026, n° 25NC00716), confirmed the application of these provisions and clarified that the B1 standard is defined by the arrêté du 22 décembre 2025 (ministerial order of 22 December 2025). The court held that the applicant must provide “les diplômes ou, à défaut, la certification permettant d’attester sa maîtrise du français à un niveau égal ou supérieur au niveau B1” (diplomas or, failing that, certification demonstrating mastery of French at a level equal to or higher than B1 level). The same arrêté also governs the accepted qualifications for the A2 requirement applicable to multi-year cards.
B. The Civic Knowledge Examination: A New Hurdle
In addition to language proficiency, the 2024 reform introduced an examen civique (civic knowledge examination) that candidates must pass. This requirement applies to both multi-year cards and ten-year resident cards, though with different examination versions.
Article R. 413-12-1 of the CESEDA provides that the civic examination takes the form of a multiple-choice questionnaire covering the principles and values of the Republic, rights and duties associated with life in France, French history, geography, culture and the institutional and political system. Two versions exist: a “carte pluriannuelle” version (for multi-year cards) and a “carte de résident” version (for ten-year cards). Success in the resident-card version also satisfies the multi-year card requirement.
The threshold is set by Article D. 413-12-2 of the CESEDA at 80% of correct answers. As the Nancy court noted in the 25NC00716 ruling: “Le seuil mentionné au premier alinéa de l’article L. 413-7 est fixé à 80 % de bonnes réponses au questionnaire à choix multiples” (The threshold referred to in the first paragraph of Article L. 413-7 is set at 80% correct answers to the multiple-choice questionnaire). The examination is administered by bodies approved by the Ministry of the Interior, under the conditions set by the arrêté du 10 octobre 2025 (ministerial order of 10 October 2025) and the arrêté du 20 août 2025 (ministerial order of 20 August 2025).
A critical point for English-speaking applicants: the civic examination is conducted in French. It is not a test of abstract civics knowledge but a test of both knowledge and French comprehension, as the candidate must understand the questions to answer them correctly. The Conseil d’Etat has not yet ruled on the compatibility of this requirement with the procedural guarantees applicable to foreign nationals, but lower courts have applied it without reservation.
II. Practical Implications for English-Speaking Residents and the Appeal Process
A. Which Cards Are Affected and the Risk of Refusal
The new requirements affect the full spectrum of residency applications. Anyone applying for a first multi-year card after completing one year under a visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS, or long-stay visa serving as a residence permit) or a one-year temporary card must now present both the language certification and the civic examination result. The same applies to renewals of existing multi-year cards.
For those seeking the ten-year resident card, the B1 standard is higher and the civic examination is more demanding. The courts have confirmed that refusals based on failure to meet these conditions are within the préfet‘s (prefect’s) legal authority. In a decision of 7 November 2024, the Paris Administrative Court of Appeal (CAA Paris, 7 November 2024, n° 24PA03224), ruled on the refusal to renew a multi-year card. Though that case turned on a procedural issue (failure to consult the commission du titre de séjour), the court confirmed that the prefect may legally oppose renewal when the conditions of Article L. 433-4 — including the language requirement — are not met.
The Conseil d’Etat, in a ruling of 22 February 2024 (CE, 22 February 2024, n° 472490), addressed the renewal of a multi-year card under the pre-2026 version of L. 433-4. It quashed a refusal decision, holding that the prefect had committed an error in the legal characterisation of the facts. The case highlights the court’s willingness to scrutinise prefectural refusals closely, but it does not challenge the legality of the language requirements themselves.
Practical point: the contrat d’intégration républicaine (CIR, or republican integration contract) is the gateway to the integration pathway. Under Article L. 433-4, the applicant must demonstrate “son assiduité, sous réserve de circonstances exceptionnelles, et du sérieux de sa participation aux formations prescrites par l’Etat dans le cadre du contrat d’intégration républicaine” (assiduity, subject to exceptional circumstances, and the seriousness of his participation in the training prescribed by the State within the framework of the republican integration contract). This means that merely having the certificate is not enough; the prefect may examine whether the applicant genuinely engaged with the integration process.
B. Exemptions, Appeals and Strategic Considerations
The law provides for limited exemptions. Persons over 65 years of age are not subject to the language requirement for the ten-year card, pursuant to the final paragraph of Article L. 413-7. The conditions of Article L. 433-4 do not apply to foreign nationals exempted from signing a CIR under Article L. 413-5 (certain long-term residents and those holding specific categories of residence permits).
Medical exemptions exist but are narrowly construed. The Toulouse Administrative Court of Appeal, in a decision of 23 March 2023 (CAA Toulouse, 23 March 2023, n° 22TL00505), dealt with a case where a resident who had undergone a total laryngectomy was refused a ten-year card for failure to provide proof of A2-level French. The court annulled the refusal, holding that the prefect could not “se borner à rejeter la demande de carte de résident (…) au motif qu’il n’avait ‘pas atteint le niveau A2 requis’, sans prendre en considération sa situation particulière au regard de son handicap” (limit himself to rejecting the resident card application on the ground that he had ‘not reached the required A2 level’, without taking into account his particular situation with regard to his disability). This ruling establishes that prefects must examine each case individually when a medical condition prevents the applicant from taking a language test.
For those whose applications are refused, the appeal path runs through the administrative courts. A refusal of a residency card — whether based on language proficiency, civic examination, or any other ground — may be challenged before the tribunal administratif (administrative tribunal) within two months of notification. The appeal does not automatically suspend the refusal or any accompanying obligation de quitter le territoire français (OQTF, or order to leave French territory), unless a référé-suspension (interim suspension application) is concurrently filed and granted. The Nancy court’s 25NC00716 ruling illustrates the practical operation of the appeal system: the applicant obtained partial annulment at first instance, then appealed to the Administrative Court of Appeal seeking a full order for delivery of the resident card, ultimately succeeding on several grounds.
The contrat d’engagement au respect des principes de la République (contract of commitment to respect the principles of the Republic), required by Article L. 412-7 of the CESEDA, must also be signed and presented with each application. Failure to do so is an independent ground for refusal under Article L. 412-8, which states: “Aucun document de séjour ne peut être délivré à un étranger qui refuse de souscrire le contrat d’engagement au respect des principes de la République” (No residence document may be issued to a foreign national who refuses to sign the contract of commitment to respect the principles of the Republic).
From a strategic standpoint, English-speaking applicants should consider the following points. First, language certification should be obtained well in advance of the application deadline; the accepted tests (TCF, TEF, DELF, DALF) require booking and preparation time. Second, the civic examination’s 80% passing threshold is not trivial: candidates should familiarise themselves with French institutions, the main historical milestones and the republican values framework before sitting the test. Third, if a refusal is issued, the two-month appeal window is strict; missing it renders the decision final. Fourth, applicants who can demonstrate a disability or chronic health condition preventing them from passing a language test should obtain a medical certificate conforming to the inter-ministerial model prescribed by regulation, as the CAA Toulouse ruling shows that failure to consider such evidence renders the refusal unlawful.
Conclusion
The January 2026 implementation of the Darmanin law’s language and civic knowledge requirements marks a fundamental shift in French immigration practice. Where previously the carte de résident could be obtained after five years of legal residence without structured language testing, applicants must now navigate a dual certification process with defined CEFR thresholds and an 80% pass-mark civic examination. The administrative courts have upheld these requirements while insisting on individualised examination of each case, particularly where medical exemptions are claimed. The Conseil d’Etat has not yet been called upon to rule on the proportionality of the new framework as a whole, but its case law on Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights — requiring that any interference with private and family life be proportionate and necessary — suggests that blanket refusals without consideration of individual circumstances remain vulnerable to challenge. For English-speaking residents in France, the practical message is clear: language preparation and civic knowledge are now indispensable prerequisites to securing and maintaining legal residency status.
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