Who has to take the French civic exam? First card, resident card, naturalisation
From 1 January 2026, a non-EU national must pass the French civic exam to get a first multi-year residence card, a first resident card or French nationality by naturalisation. Renewing a multi-year or resident card does not require it, and neither does international protection. The exam comes before you file the application.
Sources: Service-Public, a new civic exam (published 18 December 2025, read again on 22 October 2026) and the Ministry of the Interior, general information on the civic exam (read on 22 October 2026). Hexaciv is not an official site: check your situation with your prefecture.
The table: does your application need the exam?
| Your application | Civic exam? | What the sources say |
|---|---|---|
| First multi-year residence card (« carte de séjour pluriannuelle ») | Yes | Required for the first application, before you file |
| First resident card (« carte de résident ») | Yes | Required for the first application, before you file |
| French naturalisation | Yes | Service-Public: to be passed before the application |
| Renewal of the multi-year or resident card | No | « Vous n'aurez pas à passer l'examen civique » (Service-Public) |
| Beneficiary of international protection | No | Left out of the scheme, with some nationals covered by bilateral agreements (ministry) |
The ministry describes the people concerned like this: every adult foreigner who has signed the republican integration contract (« contrat d'intégration républicaine ») and wants to settle in France for the long term. Service-Public adds that for the multi-year card and the resident card the rule applies to nationals of countries outside the European Union.
When must you take it?
Before you file. Service-Public is clear on the order: the exam is passed before the application for a residence permit or for naturalisation. In practice, book the exam early, before you gather the other documents. Price, centres and waiting times are on our page on price, registration and centres.
The certificate has no time limit, according to the ministry: a pass stays valid if your file is delayed.
What changes for a multi-year card: the 24-hour civic course comes first
Service-Public adds something many English-language pages leave out. For a multi-year residence permit, the exam comes at the end of a civic training course of 24 hours spread over 4 days. Until the end of 2025, foreigners took that course after receiving their permit, under the republican integration contract. From 1 January 2026 they take it before the permit is issued. So for a first multi-year card the order is: course, exam, application.
Service-Public does not say, in the text we read, whether the same course precedes the exam for the resident card or for naturalisation. We do not claim it: ask your prefecture or the centre.
One exam, three versions
The format does not change: 40 questions, 45 minutes, 32 correct answers to pass, in French. The detail is in our guide to the format, length and pass mark. What differs by document is the level of the knowledge questions. So prepare the exam that matches your application:
What if I am not in the table?
The official pages we read do not mention an exemption based on age, health or disability. We therefore cannot tell you whether you qualify for one. If your case is not in the table, ask your prefecture or read the official exam page. Hexaciv does not give legal advice.
Test yourself: 3 questions
You are applying to renew your resident card. Do you need to take the civic exam? (« Vous demandez le renouvellement de votre carte de résident. Faut-il passer l'examen civique ? »)
Right answer: no. Service-Public says renewing a multi-year or resident card does not require the exam.
When must you have passed the civic exam? (« À quel moment faut-il avoir réussi l'examen civique ? »)
Right answer: before you file the application, according to Service-Public.
Does the pass certificate expire? (« L'attestation de réussite expire-t-elle ? »)
Right answer: no, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Frequently asked questions
Who has to take the civic exam in 2026? Nationals of countries outside the European Union who apply for a first multi-year residence card, a first resident card or naturalisation.
Is the civic exam compulsory for naturalisation? Yes. Service-Public says it must be passed before the naturalisation application is filed.
Do I have to retake the exam to renew my resident card? No. Renewing a multi-year or resident card is not subject to the exam.
Do refugees have to take the civic exam? Beneficiaries of international protection are not covered by the exam, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Was the exam compulsory before 1 January 2026? The rule described by Service-Public applies from 1 January 2026. For an older application, ask your prefecture.
Is there a civic course before the exam? For a multi-year residence permit, yes: Service-Public describes 24 hours over 4 days, taken before the permit is issued from 1 January 2026.
Sources
- Service-Public, A new civic exam for foreigners wishing to settle in France, 18 December 2025: who is concerned, renewals excluded, exam before the application, the 24-hour course, no limit on the certificate.
- Ministry of the Interior, general information on the civic exam: the people concerned, international protection, validity of the certificate.
If the exam applies to you, practise in real conditions before you book your seat.
Take the free mock exam (40 questions, 45 minutes)