France Tightens Citizenship Test: New Hurdles for Immigrants

This decree details the procedures for a new test intended for foreigners wishing to obtain French nationality or a multi-year residence permit. It is a multiple-choice questionnaire, called the "civic exam", which will contain 40 questions dealing with various aspects related to the principles and values of the Republic, the rights and duties linked to life in France, history, geography, culture, the institutional and political system of France or even French gastronomy. With a duration of 45 minutes, this test will require 80% of correct answers to be validated.

This "decree was the last regulatory measure expected in the wake of this law, which aimed to strengthen the requirements at all stages of the integration of foreigners," explains Jules Lepoutre, professor of public law at the Université Côte-d’Azur, to the newspaper Le Monde. The mandatory civic exam is in line with the application of the 2024 immigration law. Many observers believe that this reform aims to restrict access to nationality. "When you read the decree, you wonder which Frenchman without a master’s degree would be able to answer the questions, even if we of course have to wait to see the precise questions that will be asked," reacts Danièle Lochak, emeritus professor of public law, member of Gisti, the Group for Information and Support of Immigrants, quoted by L’Humanité.

She continues: "The new exam will be a machine to exclude, given the amount of knowledge required and the success threshold set." The level of French required for naturalization is also an additional obstacle to the procedure, as it is increasing from B1 to B2, a level considered advanced.