French Language Requirements for residence and Citizenship
The France government has now made it mandatory for anyone wishing to acquire the French nationality to have at least a level B1 in French of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). At this level, the candidate should be able to take part in a conversation and express themselves orally continuously. It is not only necessary to have a level B1 in french, but to be familiar with french civilization and culture, commonly called Civilisation Française, in many french language schools and french language textbooks.This is to make sure that the candidate for citizenship has embraced the french culture. You will need to show this mainly in the interview part of your citizenship application process.
You can prove your level in French by having a diploma or a certificate issued by an organization to which the label "français langue d'intégration" was issued. You can also consider one that is approved by the Ministry of Interior, Overseas, local authorities and immigration. The certificate should normally be issued within the last two years by this body to be valid. Certificates to consider for your diploma as proof of your level in french include DELF/DALF, TCF, TEF, Bulats Francaise, TFI. In addition, if you attended a french University and completed a program in french, you are exempted from this rule. In addition, if you now hold a French diploma for example at the level of or above the brevet issued in France or abroad, then you are able to use this diploma as proof of your level in French.
For Residence you now have to be able to pass the A2 level of the CEFR in the exams listed above.
Further information
The French Institute offers a range of courses to prepare for your French language exam:
