On the eve of leaving the Interior Ministry, Bruno Retailleau signed an order strengthening the exam foreigners must take to obtain French citizenship. Starting in 2026, a multiple-choice questionnaire will cover diverse topics like republican values and French culture, requiring an 80% success rate. The required French level also rises from B1 to B2.
Bruno Retailleau, Republicans president and former Interior Minister, signed an order two days before leaving the Beauvau ministry, published in the Official Journal on October 10. Effective January 1, 2026, this order introduces a new 45-minute multiple-choice questionnaire for naturalization candidates, as well as those applying for resident cards or multi-year stay permits. Applicants must score at least 80% to pass.
The test covers several themes: 11 questions on republican principles and values, including secularism, the fight against discrimination and anti-LGBT hate, freedom of thought and religion, and the ban on polygamy. Eleven questions address rights and duties, six the institutional and political system, and eight French history, geography, and culture. Specific topics include France's administrative divisions, durations of main political mandates, respect for human rights, historical periods since 1789, key French gastronomic dishes, and housing procedures.
Additionally, the required French proficiency level increases from B1 to B2. Candidates can retake the test as many times as needed, but the oral assimilation interview remains unchanged.
Danièle Lochak, emeritus professor of public law and member of the Gisti, criticized the potential difficulty: “When you read the order, one wonders which French person without a master's degree would be able to answer the questions, even though we of course have to wait to see the exact questions posed. Who knows, for example, the environmental charter (mentioned in the order)?”