Tests for France
B2 French for naturalisation: what changed on 1 January 2026
Applying for French nationality now means proving B2 in writing and speaking. Here is how to prove it, what a test must look like, and who is exempt.
Minimum level · France: naturalisation
Overall CEFR level B2, written and oral skills
| TEF IRN | overall level B2: 400 or more on three tests and 367 or more on the weakest |
| TCF IRN | level B2 printed on the attestation (scoring rules set by France Éducation international) |
Results must be less than two years old (IRCC for Express Entry; French orders for residence cards and naturalisation). Provincial programmes set their own levels.
Since 1 January 2026, applicants for French nationality must prove level B2 of the Common European Framework in written and oral French, under the order of 22 December 2025 published in the Journal officiel on 26 December 2025. Applications filed before that date stay under the earlier 2020 orders. Proof can come from a diploma: the brevet, a state diploma at level 3 or above, a certification registered in the RNCP at level 3 or above, or any diploma attesting at least B2. Otherwise it comes from a language test listed in a specific register, which must certify B2 in four distinct tests taken on the same day in a test centre, with an identity check; the certificate is valid 2 years. Two exemptions exist: a disability or health condition shown by a medical certificate, and refugees or stateless persons over 70 with 15 years of residence in France. On the TEF and TCF scales, B2 starts at 400 in each test, and at 10 out of 20 in the TCF expression tests.
One TEF or TCF score to a CEFR level
Level
B2
| B2 (naturalisation) | reached on this test |
Charts, converters and questions by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · How charts and questions are built
Three ways through the requirement
The order of 22 December 2025 and the Service-Public page on naturalisation leave three routes. A diploma that proves the level; a language test that meets the order's conditions; or an exemption. The tool above shows the level asked for each French procedure, and the mini-tool beside this text tells you whether one TEF or TCF score reaches B2.
Route 1: a diploma
| Diploma accepted | Condition |
|---|---|
| Diplôme national du brevet | French diploma |
| State diploma (diplôme d’État) | level 3 or above |
| Certification registered in the RNCP | level 3 or above |
| Any other diploma | attesting at least B2 |
If you hold one of these, no test is needed: the diploma itself is the proof that goes into the file. Only applicants without such a diploma, and without an exemption, have to sit a test.
Route 2: a language test, under strict conditions
A test certificate counts only if the test is listed in a specific register and the session met four conditions: four distinct tests (reading, listening, writing, speaking), all taken on the same day, in a test centre, with an identity check. The certificate must also be valid, which means less than 2 years old. A session taken outside a test centre, or spread over several days, does not meet those conditions.
The TEF IRN certifies levels up to B2 in four tests, and the TCF IRN is the TCF version for residence and nationality. Before you book, check with the organiser or your centre that the session is the one listed for naturalisation.
What B2 means in scores
On the scale the CCI publishes in its TEF to CEFR table, B2 covers 400 to 499. On the TCF, according to the candidate manual, B2 starts at 400 in comprehension and at 10 out of 20 in expression. B1 stops at 399: a candidate at 385 in writing is 15 points short, whatever the other tests say. The CEFR page gives every band.
Route 3: exemptions
The order keeps two exemptions. The first covers applicants with a disability or a health condition, shown by a medical certificate. The second covers refugees and stateless persons aged over 70 who have resided in France for 15 years. The age limit that removes the requirement for the resident card (65) does not apply here.
Preparing for B2 in writing and speaking
Whatever the test, B2 in writing and speaking means producing arguments, not just messages. The TEF Canada already trains this with its task B in writing (defending a point of view in at least 200 words) and its section B in speaking (convincing someone for 10 minutes); the TCF Canada does it with its third writing task and its point-of-view speaking task. The writing practice and the speaking practice on this site work on exactly those tasks with a timer. They follow the TEF Canada and TCF Canada formats and give an indication of our own, not a certified level.