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Vie en France: Residency & Citizenship French
Vie en France
Vie en France: Residency & Citizenship French
The French you actually need for the prefecture, the OFII, the language tests, the civic exam, and naturalisation.
- Know which level each card needs: A2, B1, or B2
- Real French for the préfecture, OFII, health, housing, and work
- Civic-exam prep: values, institutions, rights, history
Modules
01
Understand your path
Which French level each card needs, and how to prove it.
02
The French of your démarches
The prefecture, the residence permit, the OFII, and the CIR.
03
Daily life in France
Health, housing, work, and everyday services.
04
Values, institutions, and history
Everything the examen civique tests, in clear French.
05
Toward naturalisation
The B2 interview, the civic exam, and a final checkpoint.
Related lessons
LESSON
Which level for which card (2026 rules)
Map the 2026 requirements: A2 for the first multi-year card, B1 for the resident card, B2 for nationality, plus the new civic exam.
- State which CEFR level is required for the multi-year card, the resident card, and naturalisation.
- Explain that a simple renewal needs no new language proof.
LESSON
Proving your French: TCF, TEF, DELF, DALF
Choose the right proof for your procedure — TCF IRN, TEF IRN, DELF/DALF, or another recognized French proof where the official rules allow it — and know its format and validity.
- Identify the main accepted TCF/TEF test families and the IRN versions used for residence and nationality procedures.
- Match each milestone to the proof type the official rule accepts: test result, French diploma, or recognized certification.
LESSON
At the préfecture: renewing your permit
The vocabulary and polite frames for the prefecture, the ANEF site, and a clean residence-permit dossier.
- Use the core prefecture vocabulary (titre, récépissé, justificatif, convocation).
- Make a polite request and ask for clarification at a guichet.
LESSON
OFII and the integration contract (CIR)
The CIR, the OFII appointment, the placement test, and the civic and language training.
- Explain what the CIR is and what it includes.
- Distinguish the formation civique from the formation linguistique.
LESSON
Health: doctor, carte Vitale, emergencies
Register a médecin traitant, use the carte Vitale, describe symptoms, and know the emergency numbers.
- Know and use the French emergency numbers (15, 17, 18, 112, 114).
- Describe a symptom with « J’ai mal à… » and « depuis… ».
LESSON
Housing: the bail, the CAF, the APL
Sign a lease, do the inventory, ask for a rent receipt, and understand CAF housing benefit.
- Use the core renting vocabulary (bail, dépôt de garantie, état des lieux, quittance).
- Ask your landlord for a rent receipt and report a problem.
LESSON
Work: contracts, payslip, interview
Talk about CDI/CDD, read a payslip, use France Travail, and present yourself in a job interview.
- Distinguish a CDI from a CDD and read the basics of a payslip.
- Give a clear self-presentation in a job interview.
LESSON
Everyday services: school, bank, transport
Enrol a child at school, open a bank account and get a RIB, and buy and validate transport tickets.
- Enrol a child at the mairie and name the school levels.
- Open a bank account and explain what a RIB is for.
LESSON
Values of the Republic and laïcité
The motto, the symbols, and laïcité — the core values tested in the civic exam.
- State the motto and the symbols of the Republic.
- Explain laïcité as State neutrality and freedom of conscience.
LESSON
How France is governed
The President, the Prime Minister, Parliament, the préfet, and the maire — the institutions in the civic exam.
- Name the main institutions and their roles.
- Explain who is elected and who is appointed.
LESSON
Rights and duties of the citizen
The Charte des droits et devoirs: voting, freedoms, and equality, balanced by law, taxes, and schooling.
- List key rights and the matching duties of a French citizen.
- Explain that national voting requires French nationality and age 18.
LESSON
Essential history and geography
The anchor dates (1789, 1905, 1944, 1958, 1981) and the basic geography of France for the civic exam.
- Recall the key dates and what each one marks.
- Name the capital, the number of metropolitan regions, and the five overseas departments.
LESSON
The naturalisation interview (B2)
The assimilation interview, the B2 register, and model answers about your life, your reasons, and French values.
- Present yourself and your reasons for seeking nationality clearly.
- Use a formal register and connect ideas at B2 level.
CHECKPOINT
The civic exam & final checkpoint
The examen civique format (40 questions, 80% to pass) and a final review of the whole path.
- Describe the civic-exam format and pass mark.
- Answer factual questions across the five exam themes.