French exam for France residency and citizenship
Since 1 January 2026 France reportedly asks for A2 for a multi-year residence card, B1 for the 10-year resident card and B2 for naturalisation. We saw those levels in an exam-provider news snippet and the press, not in the law itself, and we found no central calendar for the TCF IRN exam.
CitizenshipB2Secondary source
Next sessionNone confirmedNot confirmed
Start my countdown
- Verified read on an official page on 2026-10-19
- Secondary source blog, press or search snippet only
- Not confirmed we could not confirm it on an official page
Level you need, by purpose
| Purpose | Level | Exam | Legal reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-year residence card (carte de séjour pluriannuelle) | A2 (since 1 Jan 2026)Secondary source | TCF IRN; DELF/DALF also accepted | France Education international: TCF IRN news |
| Resident card (carte de résident) | B1 (since 1 Jan 2026)Secondary source | TCF IRN; DELF/DALF also accepted | France Education international: TCF IRN news |
| Citizenship (naturalisation) | B2 (since 1 Jan 2026) + civic examSecondary source | TCF IRN; DELF/DALF also accepted | service-public.gouv.fr F2213That page lists the decree and the civic-exam order but does not name the level. |
Next exam sessions
Not confirmed
No central TCF IRN calendar was found: each approved test centre sets its own dates. We could not confirm any session on an official page as of 2026-10-19.
Fee, format and results
- FeeNot confirmedNot confirmed
- FormatTCF IRN: listening, reading, speaking, and writingSecondary source
- ResultsWaiting time not confirmedNot confirmed
- RegistrationBook with an approved centre; deadlines not confirmedNot confirmed
Official prep resources
- France Education international: TCF IRNNot confirmed Official; the page loaded but showed no readable content
- France Education international: what changed in the TCF IRNNot confirmed Official, but blocked our check
- Ministry of the Interior: civic training and civic examNot confirmed Official, not opened
What is verified
Checked on 2026-10-19. Deadlines move and exam centres add or cancel sessions: always confirm on the official link before you pay or book.
Verified On an official page
- Naturalisation page lists Décret 2025-648 and the 10 Oct 2025 order on the civic exam (it does not state the language level) · official page · checked 2026-10-19
Secondary source Secondary source only
- A2 / B1 / B2 thresholds from 1 Jan 2026 · from France Education international news snippet and press (not Légifrance)
- TCF IRN parts, including writing · from France Education international snippet
Not confirmed Not confirmed
We could not confirm these on an official page as of 2026-10-19:
- TCF IRN session dates
- TCF IRN fee and results waiting time
- Which DELF/DALF levels each prefecture accepts
Practise speaking before the exam
Other countries: Spain · Portugal · Germany · Italy · Netherlands
How it works
- Check the level you need and the next exam date here. Always confirm on the official link.
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- Join an event alone and chat with the group before you go.
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