Applicants for French naturalisation by decree must now demonstrate B2 French proficiency (up from B1) from 1 January 2025. The civic-knowledge assessment was also strengthened. The change reduced the pool of eligible applicants materially in the first year.
Prospective French citizenship applicants, particularly those with functional but not advanced French.
Primary: Légifrance ↗
Corroborating: Ministère de l'Intérieur ↗
Verified 2026-04-21 · methodology · report a correction