Le PréflangueLanguage levelsCEFR · Préfecture
Administrative procedures

Which level for
which procedure?

Requirements vary by procedure. Here are the main situations in which a French level is required by the préfecture.

Residence permit

Resident card (10 years)

A2

Issued after several years of regular residence in France. A2 level required since 2018.

Permanent resident card

B1

Renewal of the resident card subject to language progression.

Multi-year residence card

A1

First multi-year card after the contrat d'intégration républicaine.

Nationality

French naturalisation

B1

Acquisition of French nationality by decree. B1 level (oral and written) required.

Declaration of nationality through marriage

B1

Acquisition through marriage to a French citizen after 4 or 5 years of shared life.

Professional card

Security agent professional card

B1

Required by the CNAPS to work in private security in France.

Important note: Requirements change regularly. Always check the exact conditions with your préfecture or on service-public.fr before submitting your file.