French citizenship still takes 5 years. The language bar just got serious.

While Portugal doubled its citizenship wait to 10 years in May 2026, France kept its 5-year clock. What changed instead: from 1 January 2026, naturalisation needs B2 French — a genuinely demanding level — plus a new civic exam. Here's the whole ladder, from first visa to French passport.

The ladder, step by step

The 5-year residence requirement, precisely

Naturalisation by decree requires 5 years of habitual, lawful residence in France before you file. Time on visitor status counts. The clock runs from residence, not from any particular card. It drops to 2 years for people who completed two years of French higher education. You must also show France is the centre of your material and family life, stable resources, and "assimilation" — which is where the language and civic tests come in.

What changed on 1 January 2026

France's 2024 immigration law (Law 2024-42 of 26 January 2024) staged its integration measures to bite from 2026. For applications filed after 31 December 2025:

• Language: B2 (upper-intermediate), written and oral, proven by a recognised test (TCF/TEF) or French diploma, less than 2 years old at filing. This is a real hurdle — B2 means following native-speed conversation and writing structured argument. Budget serious study time; starting from zero at 60, plan on years, not months.
• Civic exam: a 40-question multiple-choice test on French history, institutions, and values, taken at an accredited centre. Pass mark 32/40 (80%). It replaces part of the old prefecture interview — an assimilation interview remains.
• The same law raised the bar below: B1 for the 10-year resident card, A2 for multi-year cards, with the civic exam required for resident cards too.

The 10-year carte de résident at year 5

After 5 years' regular residence you can apply for the carte de résident: a 10-year, renewable card that ends the annual renewal treadmill and lifts the visitor work ban. Conditions: stable and sufficient resources, integration, B1 French, the civic exam, and a signed and honoured integration contract where applicable. The card fee is €350 (since May 2026). Prefectures refuse a substantial share of applications — incomplete files and language shortfalls are the usual reasons — so treat the file like a visa application, not a formality.

The naturalisation process

1. Gather proof: 5 years of residence (cards, tax returns — you'll need French tax filings for the full period), resources, address history.
2. Pass the language test (B2, TCF/TEF or diploma) and the civic exam at accredited centres.
3. File online via the NATALI/ANEF platform to your regional naturalisation platform. Stamp duty €255 (raised from €55 on 1 May 2026 under the 2026 Finance Law — the rate at time of stamp purchase applies, so buy it before filing if you're close to a rate change).
4. Assimilation interview at the préfecture.
5. Wait. Decisions commonly take 12–24 months after filing. Approval comes by decree published in the Journal Officiel.

What citizenship means for Americans and Canadians

• Dual citizenship is fine on all sides. France doesn't ask you to renounce; neither the US nor Canada strips citizenship for naturalising elsewhere.
• US tax doesn't end. US citizens keep filing US returns for life unless they renounce — a separate, serious decision with an exit-tax regime. French citizenship changes none of that.
• An EU passport gives you the right to live anywhere in the EU — useful if your France plan is really a Europe plan.
• Compare the neighbourhood: Portugal now takes 10 years (changed May 2026) with A2 language. France: 5 years, B2. Faster clock, harder test. Pick your struggle.