Learning French and the integration contract (CIR): 2026 language rules

• Who signs it: non-EU nationals admitted to stay in France for the first time who wish to settle long term. Many categories are exempt, including EU citizens, students, visitors, seasonal workers, holders of a talent passport and some of their family members, and people who completed at least three years of secondary school in France or one year of higher education in France.
• OFII welcome: after your visa is validated or your first permit is issued, OFII invites you to an individual interview, presents the contract in a language you understand and tests your French in writing and orally.
• Language training: if your test result is below the level required, OFII prescribes free French courses, in person or online, which can reach up to 600 hours depending on your level. Once prescribed, attendance is compulsory.
• Civic training: about 24 hours over several sessions on the values, institutions, rights and duties, history and culture of France.
• Duration and obligations: the contract lasts one year and can be extended once if training is still ongoing. You must attend every session and report address changes. Not respecting the contract can prevent you from obtaining a multi-year card and limit renewals of your one-year permit.

The levels follow the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR, CECRL in French):

• First multi-year residence card (carte de séjour pluriannuelle): at least A2, plus the civic exam.
• First resident card (carte de résident, ten years): at least B1, plus the civic exam.
• Naturalisation: at least B2, oral and written, plus the civic exam and an assimilation interview at the prefecture.

Applicants aged 65 or over, and people whose disability or chronic illness prevents them from learning (with a medical certificate), are exempt from the residence card requirement, as are some protected persons. Renewals of a card you already hold are not concerned by the civic exam.

For residence cards, you can show:

• a recognised language test: the TCF or the TEF, taken in person at an approved centre, covering listening, reading, speaking and writing; results are valid for two years;
• a French language diploma such as the DELF, DALF or DELF Pro, a university French diploma, the competence diploma DCL, or a professional French diploma at the required level;
• certain French qualifications, such as a CAP, BEP, the brevet or a higher-level professional certification. Check the exact list and conditions on Service-Public.fr before booking a test, as only some versions of tests are accepted.

The civic exam is a computer-based multiple-choice test in French: 40 questions in at most 45 minutes, covering the principles and values of the Republic, rights and duties, institutions, history, geography and culture, and life in French society. You pass with at least 32 correct answers (80%). You take it at an approved centre; centres can be found through the Paris Île-de-France Chamber of Commerce and France Éducation international. The certificate has no expiry date. The Ministry of the Interior publishes official preparation material and the question bank on formation-civique.interieur.gouv.fr. Fraud leads to a two-year ban.

• OFII courses if prescribed in your CIR (free).
• City of Paris adult courses (Cours municipaux d'adultes, CMA): French modules from about 20 to 180 hours, taught in some 40 schools across the city; check fees when you register.
• Paris'Anim centres: weekly language classes and short courses in around 20 centres, open to all.
• Free level assessments by the Réseau EIF-FEL, a City of Paris network run with the associations CEFIL, Centre Alpha Choisy and Paroles Voyageuses, which assesses your level and proposes a training path; appointments are booked online for assessment points in several arrondissements.
• Associations listed on the Réseau Alpha map, many free or low-cost, from literacy to advanced levels.
• Conversation workshops in about 15 City libraries and at large libraries such as the BPI, run by volunteers.
• Private language schools, cultural institutes and online courses, at varying prices.