News Digest: New Language Tests & Written Exams for French Citizenship

There has been a lot of talk recently about the changing language requirements for French residency and citizenship applications, and the start date for these changes has now been announced. As predicted, the new requirements for French citizenship applications will come into effect from January 1st, 2026. After this date, all applicants (including applications by marriage and applicants over 65 years) will need to provide proof of a B2 level of French language – a step up from the B1 level that is currently required.

Citizenship applications that are currently being processed, and those received prior to December 31st, 2025, will still be eligible under the current rules, i.e., a minimum B1 level of French.

The language requirements are also changing for multi-year Carte de Sejours and residency cards, and while the official start date has not yet been announced, we predict that it will also come into effect from January 1st, 2026. As always, we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

This guide has more details: France’s New Language Requirements: Your FAQs on Residency & Citizenship

There’s another change in the cards for French citizenship applicants. The new decree published last week not only laid out the start dates for the new language requirements, but it also confirmed that applicants will be required to pass a written test that proves their “knowledge of French history, culture, and society”. It is not yet clear exactly what this test will entail or what score applicants will be required to achieve, but it seems that this test will take place prior to the in-person interview and will be in addition to the interview, not a replacement. Applicants who fail this test may, therefore, not pass through to the interview stage.

If you’re a resident in France or pay French taxes, you should have submitted a French tax return back in May/June. This week, most people should receive their official avis d’impôt sur les revenus (tax notice), which can be accessed via your online tax account – it’s a good idea to download a copy and save it with your personal documents, as it’s required for many official procedures in France, from signing a lease to taking out a bank loan.

Your avis d’impôt should be issued between Friday, 25^th July and Friday, August 1^st, and will detail any outstanding payments, as well as any overpaid tax bills. The good news for the millions of people across France who have overpaid (typically those who have had taxes deducted by the automatic PAYE system or those benefitting from tax credits and reductions) is that you’ll also receive a refund. Refunds are typically paid directly into the bank account linked to your tax account, so you shouldn’t need to do anything. However, mistakes occasionally occur, so it’s always a good idea to check that the correct amount has been received.

August is traditionally a slow month in France, with many public services closing down for the summer holidays or reducing their capacity as staff take their annual leave. However, there are a few changes to be aware of as we move into August this Friday. Firstly, VAT on household electricity and gas bills is set to jump from 5.5% to 20%, bringing the subscription fee in line with the electricity fees. In addition to this, households that have refused to install a Linky electricity meter will be charged an extra €40 per year from August 1st. Finally, interest rates on the Livret A tax-free savings account will fall yet again, this time from 2.4% to 1.7%.

It’s also worth noting that this weekend is set to face some of the worst travel congestion of the summer – the dreaded weekend when July holidaymakers return and August vacations begin – so keep an eye on Bison Futé and plan your route carefully to avoid the worst of the traffic.