New immigration law 2026
What changes for your residence permit, your resident card or your naturalisation: required levels, compulsory exams, legal texts and up-to-date procedures.
New 2026 immigration law: which exams for your residence permit?
Since 1st January 2026, the Law no. 2024-42 of 26 January 2024 has tightened the requirements for obtaining residence permits. Two additional exams are now compulsory to submit your application at the prefecture: the TEF IRN and the civic exam. Without these two certificates, your application will not be admissible.
Multi-year residence permit (CSP)
TEF IRN level A2 + civic exam CSP category to submit your application for a multi-year residence permit.
- TEF IRN, 200/499 in 3 papers + 167/499 for level A2.
- Civic CSP: MCQ, 40 questions • required score 32/40.
10-year resident card (CR)
TEF IRN level B1 + civic exam CR category to obtain your resident card valid for 10 years.
- TEF IRN, independent user, at least 300 points per paper.
- Civic CR: MCQ, 40 questions • required score 32/40.
French naturalisation (NAT)
TEF IRN level B2 + civic exam NAT category to submit your naturalisation application.
- TEF IRN, most demanding level, at least 400 points per paper.
- Civic NAT: MCQ, 40 questions • required score 32/40.
Attention: the category must match your application
If you take the wrong category of the civic exam (CSP, CR or NAT), you will have to retake it in full to obtain the right certificate. Once issued, the certificate is valid for life.
Training and exam under one roof, close to home.
- TEF IRN and civic exam on the same day, with us
- Qualiopi + approved by CCI Paris IDF
- Sessions Monday to Saturday in Rosny-sous-Bois
- Results within 1 to 10 working days
- Eligible for CPF funding
- PasseTonTEF • PrepMyFuture
Official sources
- Law no. 2024-42 of 26 January 2024
- Decree no. 2025-647
- Decree no. 2025-648
- Order of 22/12/2025
- Order of 10/10/2025 (civic exam)
What is changing
In practice, what changes in 2026?
The level of French required is going up for most applications. The resident card, which used to require level A2, now requires B1; naturalisation goes from B1 to B2. The multi-year residence permit requires level A2, proved by an official exam. This level is proved with a test recognised by the State, such as the TEF IRN.
The civic exam becomes a requirement in its own right. It is a multiple-choice questionnaire on the values of the Republic, its institutions, and the history and geography of France. You need at least 32 correct answers out of 40, in the category that matches your application (CSP, CR or NAT).
Without these two certificates, the prefecture can no longer process your application. It is therefore essential to plan ahead: the TEF IRN certificate is only valid for 2 years, and some time passes between registering for a training course and taking the exam. Preparing early, at the right level, avoids having your application delayed by a whole year.
Summary
Which level and which exam for your application?
Law no. 2024-42 raises the level of French required and makes the civic exam compulsory for each major application. The table below summarises, for each permit, the TEF IRN level to reach and the corresponding civic exam category.
| Your application | Level of French (TEF IRN) | Civic exam |
|---|---|---|
| First residence permit application · CIR | A1 | Civic training delivered by the OFII |
| Multi-year residence permit | A2 | CSP category |
| Resident card (10-year) | B1 | CR category |
| French naturalisation | B2 | NAT category |
In force since 1st January 2026 (Law no. 2024-42, Decrees no. 2025-647 and 2025-648). The TEF IRN is a 1-hour-30-minute adaptive exam with 4 compulsory papers, and it has certified levels A2, B1 and B2 since April 2025; the civic exam is a 40-question MCQ in 45 minutes, passed from 32/40.
Get prepared
The training course that matches your application
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Join the trainees who have prepared for and taken their TEF IRN and civic exams at MYSTORY.
Frequently asked questions
The 2026 law in plain terms
Who is affected by the 2026 immigration law?
Any foreign national (from outside the European Union) applying for or renewing a multi-year residence permit or a 10-year resident card, or submitting a naturalisation application. Law no. 2024-42 now makes these permits conditional on a minimum level of French and on passing the civic exam.
What level of French do I need to reach for my application?
Level A2 for the multi-year residence permit, B1 for the resident card, and B2 for naturalisation. These three levels are proved with the TEF IRN, which certifies A2, B1 and B2, and is taken at an approved exam centre such as MYSTORY. Level A1 comes under a different scheme: it concerns the first residence permit application and the republican integration contract, whose training is delivered by the OFII.
What level of French for the multi-year residence permit?
Since 1 January 2026, the multi-year residence permit requires CEFR level A2, proven by a recognised test such as the TEF IRN. At MYSTORY, the A2 course includes taking the exam, in Gagny or Rosny-sous-Bois, our approved exam centres.
What level of French for the resident card?
The resident card (10 years) has required level B1 since 1 January 2026. Our TEF IRN level B1 course prepares you for it, from 12 to 36 hours depending on your level, in 3-hour sessions, exam included.
What level of French for naturalisation / French nationality?
Naturalisation has required level B2 since 1 January 2026 (law of 26 January 2024). The TEF IRN is accepted by prefectures: our B2 training course trains you in the written and spoken argumentation required at this level.
Where can I take the TEF IRN in Seine-Saint-Denis?
MYSTORY is a TEF IRN exam centre approved by the CCI Paris Île-de-France in Seine-Saint-Denis. Sessions Monday to Saturday in Rosny-sous-Bois, registration handled by us, on its own (185 € for a registration made at least 7 working days in advance) or included in a training course.
Are the TEF IRN and the civic exam really compulsory?
Yes. Since 1 January 2026, without these two certificates your application is not admissible at the prefecture. The TEF IRN validates your language level; the civic exam validates your knowledge of the values and principles of the French Republic.
Do I have to take a specific category of the civic exam?
Yes: the category must match your application (CSP, CR or NAT). If you take the wrong category, you will have to retake the exam to obtain the right certificate. Once issued, the civic exam certificate is valid for life.
How long does the TEF IRN certificate remain valid?
The TEF IRN certificate is valid for 2 years from the date of the exam. Plan ahead so that it is still valid when you submit your application at the prefecture.
Where can I take the TEF IRN and the civic exam in Île-de-France?
MYSTORY prepares you for the TEF IRN in Île-de-France; the TEF IRN exam itself is taken at our approved exam centre in Rosny-sous-Bois (93). The civic exam is also taken in Rosny-sous-Bois (93).