Your situation
First multi-year residence permit (CSP)
Civic exam requiredSince 1 January 2026, the first issuance of a multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle) requires passing the civic exam.
Legal basis
- CESEDA L.433-4 (condition for the multi-year permit)
- Décret n° 2025-647 of 15 July 2025, CESEDA R.433-5 (exam and exemptions)
Exemptions
- Age
- Over 65 years old: not subject to the French-language condition or the civic exam condition.
- Disability or health
- A disability or chronic health condition incompatible with taking the exam can give an accommodation or an exemption, under conditions set by ministerial decree.
- subsidiary_protection
- Beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, and their family, are not concerned by the civic exam obligation for this card (service-public.fr, fiche F39530).
- stateless
- Stateless persons, and their family, are not concerned by the civic exam obligation for this card (service-public.fr, fiche F39530).
French level required
A2 level required, confirmed on Légifrance (Décret n° 2025-647, CESEDA R.433-5). The B2 level below applies only to naturalization, reintegration and the marriage-based nationality declaration.
What never changes
The civic exam and language-level condition applies only to the first issuance of the multi-year residence permit or the resident card, or to naturalization. It is never a condition for renewing a card already held.
Sources
- https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000051900489
- https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F39530
Checked on 2026-10-04
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