What is the French civic exam for a residence permit, and who has to pass it?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Since 1 January 2026, non-EU nationals asking for a first multi-year residence card or a first resident card must pass a civic exam: 40 multiple-choice questions in French, taken on screen in an approved centre in at most 45 minutes. You need 32 correct answers. Renewals and people over 65 are exempt; a pass never expires.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Legal basis	A civic exam result at or above the threshold set by decree; pass certificate required	CESEDA art. L433-4, 2°; R433-5
Who	Non-EU nationals asking for a first multi-year card or a first resident card	Service-public.fr F39530
Not concerned	Renewals; people over 65	Service-public.fr F39530; CESEDA art. R433-5
Format	40 multiple-choice questions in French, knowledge and real-life situations	Service-public.fr F39530
Pass mark	32 correct answers	Service-public.fr F39530
Time	At most 45 minutes, on a digital device	Service-public.fr F39530
Validity	The pass certificate doesn’t expire	Service-public.fr F39530
Where	A centre approved by the Ministry of the Interior	Service-public.fr F39530
Fraud	2-year ban from the exam	Service-public.fr F39530

Who has to take it

The law (CESEDA art. L433-4, 2°) makes a civic exam result at or above a threshold set by decree a condition for a multi-year card, and art. R433-5 (from 1 January 2026) says you prove it with a pass certificate. Foreigners over 65 are exempt.

The ministry’s guidance on service-public.fr says the exam has applied since 1 January 2026 to non-EU nationals asking for:

a first multi-year card, except cards not subject to the integration contract (CIR), and subsidiary protection and stateless cards and their families;
a first resident card for a spouse of a French national, a parent of a French child, or family reunification; a first long-term EU resident card; or a first permanent resident card.

Only the first application counts. Renewals are not concerned.

What the exam is like

Service-public.fr describes it as:

40 multiple-choice questions written in French, mixing knowledge questions and real-life situations;
32 correct answers needed to pass;
taken on a digital device, in at most 45 minutes (longer only with a medical adjustment);
covering five areas: principles and values of the Republic; rights and duties of living in France; history, geography and culture; France’s institutions and political system; living in French society.

The Ministry of the Interior publishes topic sheets and the official list of knowledge questions on its civic exam site.

The pass certificate has no expiry date. The “carte de résident” version of the exam also counts for a multi-year card.

Booking

You register with a centre approved by the Ministry of the Interior. Service-public.fr points to search tools run by the Paris chamber of commerce (CCIP) and France Éducation international.

Health, disability and fraud

You can get adjusted conditions, or an exemption if your disability or health makes the test impossible, with a medical certificate; the administration may order a new medical check. Breaking the rules can void your exam. An attempted or detected fraud bans you from the exam for 2 years.

The French language level is a separate condition: see “French language level for a French residence permit”.

Sources

CESEDA, arts. L433-1 to L433-7, art. L433-4, 2° (Legifrance) checked 2026-10-25
CESEDA, arts. R433-1 to R433-6, art. R433-5 in force from 1 January 2026 (Legifrance) checked 2026-10-25
Carte de séjour pluriannuelle et carte de résident : comment passer l'examen civique ? (Service-public.fr, DILA, checked by the source 10 February 2026) checked 2026-10-25

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

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