French civic exam: renewal, CIR, marriage, file before 2026… does it apply to me?
The official pages we read say yes for a first multi-year card, a first resident card and naturalisation, from 1 January 2026. They say no for a renewal and for international protection. For a file lodged before 2026, a diploma or your age, no rule is written there: ask your prefecture.
Sources: Service-Public (18 December 2025) and the Ministry of the Interior, both read again on 23 October 2026. Hexaciv is not an official site and gives no legal advice. The official pages are in French.
Your case, line by line
| Your situation | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Renewal of a multi-year card or resident card | No exam (Service-Public and the Ministry) |
| Beneficiary of international protection | Not covered (both sources). The Ministry adds certain nationals covered by bilateral agreements |
| First multi-year card or first resident card | Exam required from 1 January 2026 |
| Naturalisation | Exam required from 1 January 2026, before you file |
| File lodged before 1 January 2026 | Neither page says |
| Signatory of the republican integration contract (CIR) | The Ministry describes the audience as CIR signatories applying for a first multi-year card or resident card; nothing else is said about the CIR |
| Marriage or family reunification | No exception is cited: the rule depends on the card or the naturalisation you apply for |
| Diploma (CAP, DELF B2) | No exemption from the civic exam is cited |
| Age (over 65) or health | No exemption is cited |
The last three rows do not say "you are not exempt". They say we found no text that exempts you. We could not reread the order of 10 October 2025 (Légifrance blocks our tools), so if your case is unusual, the prefecture or the body handling your file is the right source.
"I filed before 1 January 2026"
This is the question that comes up most under videos about the exam. Service-Public writes that the exam is compulsory "from 1 January 2026" and must be passed before the application is filed. Nothing is written about applications already lodged. Do not rely on a comment, ours included: ask the prefecture that handles your file and keep its answer in writing.
And if you do have to take it?
The exam has the same format for everyone: see format, length and pass mark and who has to take the civic exam. The differences between multi-year card, resident card and naturalisation are in our French guide.
Test yourself: 3 questions
You are applying to renew your resident card. Do you have to take the civic exam?
Correct answer: no, according to Service-Public and the Ministry.
Do the official sources we read provide an exemption for a French diploma (DELF B2)?
Correct answer: no diploma-based exemption is cited. The language level is a separate requirement.
What should you do if your file was lodged before 1 January 2026?
Correct answer: the official pages we read do not cover this case, so the prefecture is the right source.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to retake the civic exam at renewal? No, according to Service-Public and the Ministry of the Interior.
Is there an exemption at 65? We found none in the official pages we read. Ask the prefecture.
Does a file lodged before 2026 have to take it? The pages we read do not say. Ask the prefecture in writing.
Do marriage or family reunification exempt you? No exception is cited: what counts is the card or the naturalisation you apply for.
Sources
- Service-Public, A new civic exam, 18 December 2025: renewals and international protection not covered; exam before filing.
- Ministry of the Interior, general information on the civic exam: first multi-year card and first resident card from 1 January 2026, CIR signatories, renewals not covered.
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