Home › Explained sheets › Rights and duties
Obligations as a resident of France
Every person who lives in France must respect certain legal obligations. This is true for French citizens and for others.
Key points of the sheet
- These obligations guarantee social cohesion, safety and the proper functioning of society.
- Tax allows the State to develop and run the country. Everyone contributes according to their income to make public services free.
- The obligation to pay taxes is written in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789.
- Foreigners living in France must have a valid residence permit (titre de séjour) and renew it when it expires. They must also respect the conditions of family regrouping and family reunification.
- You must help a person in danger. If not, you can be convicted of "failure to assist a person in danger".
- Everyone must act every day to protect the environment. For example: saving water and energy, reusing and recycling.
Words to know
- living together (vivre-ensemble)
- Every person who lives in France must respect certain rules that belong to living together.
- tax (impôt)
- Tax allows the State to run the country and to make public services free.
- public services (services publics)
- Examples are the police, justice, education, hospitals and rubbish collection.
- residence permit (titre de séjour)
- Foreigners living in France must have a valid one and renew it when it expires.
- failure to assist a person in danger (non-assistance à personne en danger)
- A person who does not help someone in danger can be convicted for this.
Test yourself: 3 questions
From which year is the Declaration that sets out the obligation to pay taxes?
In French, the language of the exam: De quelle année date la Déclaration qui inscrit l'obligation de payer des impôts ?
The obligation to pay taxes is written in the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789.
What do the obligations of residents of France guarantee?
In French, the language of the exam: Que garantissent les obligations des résidents français ?
The obligations of residents guarantee social cohesion, along with safety and the proper functioning of society.
Which action helps to protect the environment?
In French, the language of the exam: Quel geste aide à protéger l'environnement ?
Everyone must protect the environment, for example by saving water and energy.
You have read the sheet. See where you stand with 40 questions like the real exam.
Take the free mock exam (40 questions)Free mock exam · Exam Pass €19 incl. VAT, paid once, no subscription
Questions on the ministry's list that rest on this sheet
- Taxes fund public spending. Which statement is correct?
- What is a residence permit (titre de séjour) for?
- Which is an example of helping a person in danger?
- Which obligation applies to everyone living in France, whatever their nationality?
- Which of these is an obligation for people living in France?
- Is it compulsory to help a person in danger?
More in this topic (Obligations and duties of people living in France)
Source
Sheet “Les obligations en tant que résident français” of the French Ministry of the Interior: formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Content published under the Etalab Open Licence 2.0. This page is a plain-language adaptation made by Hexaciv, which is not an official site: if in doubt, the ministry's text is the one that counts.
Ministry sheet read on 23 October 2026, still identical on 25 October 2026.