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Last Update: August 2026
If you’re considering a move to France, you may be wondering if knowing French is required for immigration. The confusing answer is: it depends on where you are in the immigration process. Let’s take a look at the details of the language requirements in France, from your first visa to your carte de séjour to French nationality.
📌 UPDATE: This article has been updated to reflect France’s new language requirements for immigration and nationality, which went into effect on January 1, 2026. The reforms increased the French level required for certain multi-year residence permits, 10-year resident cards, and French nationality. Immigration requirements can and do change, so always verify the conditions for your specific situation on service-public.gouv.fr before applying.
What are the different language levels?
The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) is a standardized guideline used to describe someone’s ability in a world language. If you’ve taken French classes in France or elsewhere in Europe, you’ve probably encountered this scale before.
CEFR
The CEFR is made up of six main levels: A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. These are grouped into three broad categories: Basic User (A1, A2), Independent User (B1, B2), and Proficient User (C1, C2).
A1 (beginner): You can understand and use very basic, everyday expressions, introduce yourself, and ask and answer simple questions. You can communicate as long as the other person speaks slowly and is willing to help.
A2 (elementary): You can handle simple, routine exchanges about familiar topics such as your family, daily routines, hobbies, work, and immediate surroundings. Your language skills are still fairly basic, but you can communicate essential information and personal needs.
B1 (intermediate): You’re becoming a more independent speaker. You can describe experiences and plans, and you can briefly explain and justify your opinions in relatively straightforward language. You can understand the main idea on familiar topics you encounter regularly.
B2 (upper intermediate): You can interact with native speakers with a degree of fluency and spontaneity. You can formulate clear, detailed responses, explain viewpoints on a range of topics, and understand more complex discussions and texts.
C1 and C2 represent advanced levels of French, but since the current immigration and nationality requirements discussed in this article only go up to B2, I’m not going to get into them here.
💡 TV5Monde offers a free test where you can check your level of French. It is not an official test, but it can give you a general idea of where you stand on the scale. (And they have tons of free, leveled activities for learning French!)
Is French required for immigrating to France?
What level of French is required to get a visa for France?
Whether you are coming to France for a short stay or a long stay, as a student, worker, visitor/tourist, or spouse of a French citizen, there is no need to prove your level of French when applying for the visa itself. But not needing French for your visa doesn’t mean you can arrive in France and toss all language requirements out of the window.
When you arrive in France on a long-stay visa, you will need to validate your visa online. Depending on the type of visa you hold, you may need to complete a series of obligations with OFII (L’Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration), the French Immigration Office.
Some visa holders, including spouses of French citizens, are required to sign the contrat d’intégration républicain (CIR). As part of the process, you attend an interview and take a French language assessment, unless an exemption applies. This test evaluates your written and spoken French and places you anywhere from below A1 through B1.
✨ My experience: When I went to my OFII appointment, I was surprised by the formality of the test. It was timed, and the proctors were very strict about this. Many people in my cohort seemed nervous but in reality, the appointment is about assessing where you’re at and connecting you with the support you might need as you settle into life in France.
If your French is below A2, you will be offered French language classes through the OFII. The goal of this language training is to help you reach at least A2. Depending on your starting point, the course can include up to 600 hours of French instruction.
Prior to the 2026 immigration reforms, the focus was on newly arrived immigrants reaching level A1. Since August 2025, the target level for the CIR language training is A2. As of January 1, 2026, this is also the language level required for certain first multi-year residence permits.
Some common visas and residence permits for which you do NOT need to sign the contrat d’intégration républicain (CIR) include, but are not limited to, carte de séjour visiteur (visitor), carte de séjour étudiant (student), carte de séjour passeport talent, carte de séjour travailleur saisonnier (seasonal worker), and carte de séjour stagiaire (intern).
What level of French do you need to renew your residence permit?
As you move from temporary residency toward longer-term status, your level of French becomes a bigger factor in the process. The level of French you need depends on your current status and the type of residence card you’re applying for.
Not everyone needs to prove their level of French when renewing a residence permit. The carte de séjour visiteur, for example, is a temporary, one-year permit and only renews for one year at a time. There is no minimum language requirement to renew this permit.
Things change, however, if you’re moving toward longer-term residency. For the first issuance of a multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle), certain applicants must now demonstrate at least level A2 French. This doesn’t apply to some categories, including residence permits that are exempt from the CIR. Additionally, if you already have a multi-year card and you’re doing a simple renewal, the new A2 rule doesn’t apply. If you are over the age of 65 or if you have a diploma from a French university, you may be exempt from this language requirement.
If you’re subject to the A2 level requirement but haven’t yet reached that level, you won’t meet the language condition for getting your first multi-year residence permit. Instead, upon renewal of your current permit and depending on your situation, you may be granted a one-year temporary permit.
Looking ahead, the bar goes up again. Many applicants seeking their first 10-year residence permit need level B1 French. This includes certain applicants for a carte de résident de 10 ans or a carte de résident de longue durée-UE, depending on the basis of the application. There are also exemptions and accommodations. For example, if you are over the age of 65 or if you have a diploma from a French university, you may be exempt from this language requirement.
⚠️ Important: Language proficiency isn’t the only requirement that changed in 2026. Depending on the residence permit you’re applying for, you may also need to pass the new examen civique. I’m only focusing on the language requirements here, but don’t overlook this additional step when preparing your application for residency or nationality via naturalization.
What level of French is required to qualify for citizenship?
To qualify for French citizenship, you need to demonstrate a level B2 of French in both speaking and writing. As of January 1, 2026, the required level increased from B1 to B2. This applies to both naturalization by decree and declaration of French nationality through marriage. There are very limited exemptions to this language requirement when applying for nationality.
I’m not going to lie—B2 is a relatively high level of French and a significant jump from B1. This level demands independent communication and a degree of fluency. In my opinion, there’s a real shift between the B1 speaker having enough French to get through most situations and the B2 speaker holding their own at an evening apéro.
Read more: How Long Does It Take to Become Fluent in French?
Which language tests are accepted as proof?
The TCF IRN (Test de Connaissance du Français—Intégration, Résidence, Nationalité) and the TEF IRN (Test d’évaluation de français) were both specifically designed to assess your French level in accordance with the requirements to access multi-year residence permits, 10-year residence cards, and nationality. As such, these tests place you on the CEFR scale from A1 to B2. The results are valid for two years.
The DELF and the DALF are also official French language exams. Instead of being placed on the scale, you have to choose a level to test at. The DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française) can be taken for levels A1, A2, B1, or B2. The DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) can be taken for levels C1 or C2. The certificate you receive is a diploma issued by the French Ministry of Education and is therefore valid for life.
There are testing centers throughout France.
⚡️Pro Tip: If you’re working in France, you may be able to use funds from your CPF account to pay for testing!
➡️ Not sure which test to take? Consider whether you just need to clear one immediate immigration hurdle or whether you want a permanent credential. I chose the TCF IRN because I knew I just needed it for my nationality application. Now that I have French nationality, I don’t have to prove my French level ever again. Woo-hoo!
Did this guide help you? Say thanks with a cup of coffee!
Can you live in France without knowing French?
The French level the government requires and the French level you’ll actually need and want for daily life are two very different things. If you are living in a major city like Paris, you might be able to get by without knowing much French. Many French people speak English, particularly in large cities and in touristy areas. It can also be relatively easy to find an expat community of Anglophones to socialize with. But do you want to just get by? Or stay inside an expat bubble?
Without a good command of the French language, you may be presented with some challenges in your day-to-day life abroad: from expressing your needs to your doctor or pharmacist to buying the right postage at the post office to communicating effectively when renting an apartment. Now that I have a son, this feels even more important. I can’t imagine having to navigate conversations about his meals, naps, illnesses, or development without having a good command of the language.
Furthermore, knowing French opens up the job market considerably. Surprisingly, even when English is a key requirement for a position, employers may still prefer candidates who can work comfortably in French. I regularly work with French marketing agencies and companies looking to reach Anglophone audiences. Even though everything we produce is aimed at English speakers, the people I work with generally prefer for our meetings to be conducted in French.
Read More: 5 Ways to Improve Your French Speaking Skills
And let’s not forget about French bureaucracy in general, which is challenging enough without a language barrier. (Just ask any French person!) You may find yourself paying for an interpreter/translator or a relocation expert for assistance with tasks that you would otherwise handle independently. The préfecture, the tax office, the bank, and other institutions, even public services aimed at immigrants, communicate predominantly (oftentimes, solely!) in French. Getting help by phone can be particularly difficult if you don’t speak it well. One useful exception is the English-speaking helpline of Ameli, French national healthcare.
Ultimately, there’s a difference between the level of French you need to satisfy an immigration requirement and the level you need to build a life in France. A2, B1, and B2 might be bureaucratic benchmarks, but outside the préfecture, your language abilities determine much more: how independently you can handle everyday problems, the relationships you can build socially and professionally, and how much of a life in France is actually accessible to you.
So yes, the French you “need” technically depends on your immigration status. The French you’ll want depends on the life you’re looking to have here.
📌 Are you struggling to speak French after putting in time and effort? Here’s why you (still) can’t speak French.
