Getting your French citizenship file together this year? Then you've probably heard that the French requirement went up, and that a B1 certificate that would have been fine in 2025 no longer is.
That's true. Since 1 January 2026, France asks for B2 French, spoken and written, and a new civic exam on top of it. Here's exactly what counts as proof, who doesn't need it, and how to get your French to the level the examiner will be listening for.
What does B2 French actually mean?
B2 is the level where you stop just getting by and start holding your own. You can follow a discussion on a topic you didn't choose, give your opinion with reasons, weigh the pros and cons, and notice and fix your own mistakes as you speak. That's how France Éducation international describes the DELF B2, and it's a fair picture of what the préfecture now expects from you.
Here's what that sounds like. In one of our B2 French lessons, two friends at a philosophy café argue about whether happiness is a choice. One of them concedes a point, then pushes back:
« Je ne nie pas les inégalités. Mais deux personnes dans des conditions identiques peuvent avoir des vies intérieures radicalement différentes. »
"I'm not denying inequalities. But two people in identical conditions can have radically different inner lives."
Granting the other side something, then building your own argument on it, is the move that separates B2 from B1. If you can do that out loud, without a script, you're close. If you need our full breakdown of the six levels, read our guide to the CEFR French levels.
Which documents prove B2 for citizenship?
The list is short, and it's set by an arrêté of 22 December 2025 that service-public.fr reproduces. The big difference between the options is how long they count.
| Proof | What you need | How long it counts |
|---|---|---|
| TCF (France Éducation international) | A result showing B2, with all four parts taken in one session | 2 years from the date it was issued |
| TEF (CCI Paris Île-de-France) | A result showing B2, with all four parts taken in one session | 2 years from the date it was issued |
| DELF B2, DALF C1 or C2 | The diploma | For life |
| French school or vocational diploma | The brevet, or a French state diploma or registered professional certification at level 3 or above | No time limit |
So if you have a French diploma already, check it before you pay for a test. If you don't, you're choosing between a test result that expires and a diploma that stays valid for life. Our TCF IRN guide compares the TCF and the DELF in detail.
Two things no longer work. The Nord préfecture's naturalisation page says ENIC-NARIC "attestations de comparabilité", the letters that used to let a degree taught in French stand in for a test, aren't accepted for files filed after 1 January 2026. It also says certificates from OFII courses or language schools don't count. Only the documents in the table above do.
Is anyone exempt from the B2 requirement?
Very few people are. According to service-public.fr, you don't need to provide proof of French if:
- a disability or chronic health condition makes a language assessment impossible, shown by a medical certificate on the official form (if you can take the test with adjustments, you'll be asked to take it that way); or
- you're applying for naturalisation as a refugee or stateless person, you're over 70, and you've lived in France legally for at least 15 years.
There's no general age exemption for citizenship. If you've read that people over 65 don't need a test, that rule belongs to the residence cards, not to nationality. Our guide to the French you need for a residence card covers those rules.
What is the civic exam for citizenship?
On top of B2, naturalisation now needs a pass in the civic exam, "mention naturalisation". It's a 40-question multiple-choice test in French, taken on a computer or tablet in 45 minutes at most, and you need 32 correct answers to pass. Most of the questions test knowledge, such as the Republic's symbols, institutions and history, and the rest put you in an everyday situation and ask what you'd do.
Naturalisation also includes an interview at the préfecture. Citizenship by marriage is different: you need B2, but not the civic exam. Our guide to France's civic exam covers the format, the official question lists and how to prepare.
How do you get your speaking ready for B2?
The speaking test is where a script can't save you. On the TCF, the speaking test is ten minutes face to face with an examiner, in three parts, with no preparation time. France Éducation international's guide for examiners tells them to interrupt candidates who seem to be reciting something learned by heart and ask them follow-up questions. A memorised speech about your job won't carry you to B2. You need to be able to answer what you didn't expect.
That takes practice speaking, not just studying. Three habits help:
- Listen to French at real speed every day. The listening questions play each recording once.
- Say whole sentences out loud. Reading a line and saying it are different skills, and only one of them is tested face to face.
- Practise giving opinions without a script. Pick a question ("Should cities ban cars?") and talk for three minutes, with reasons on both sides.
We built our app, Copycat Cafe, for exactly this part. Each lesson is an everyday French conversation: you hear it at normal or slow speed and rebuild each line by ear, say the lines aloud and get a 0–100 pronunciation score on every word, then use the same French with Copy, your AI conversation partner, who answers whatever you say. The French course has 50 lessons at each level from A1 to B2, so you can work at your level now and finish on the B2 conversations, where people argue, concede and disagree the way the exam asks you to. For the written parts of the test, use the official sample papers on France Éducation international's site. Copycat Cafe costs $174 a year ($14.50 a month) or $29 a month in the US, with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee on your first payment.
Frequently asked questions
Is B1 enough for French citizenship in 2026?
No. For applications filed since 1 January 2026, naturalisation and citizenship by marriage need B2 French, spoken and written. B1 is now the level for the 10-year carte de résident.
Does a DELF B2 expire for French citizenship?
No. The DELF and DALF are diplomas and are valid for life. Only TCF and TEF results have a time limit: they must be less than two years old when you apply.
Do I need the civic exam for French citizenship by marriage?
No. The civic exam applies to naturalisation and reintegration by decree. Citizenship by declaration, including marriage to a French citizen, needs B2 French but not the civic exam.
Is there an age exemption from the French test for citizenship?
Only for refugees and stateless people over 70 who have lived in France legally for at least 15 years, and only for naturalisation. The exemption at 65 applies to residence cards, not to citizenship.