Immigration in France: Changes Facing Africans

Since January 1, 2026, non-European African nationals must meet new requirements to obtain certain residence permits in France, including a civic exam and language proficiency. The civic exam, consisting of 40 questions, must be passed for a first application for a multi-year residence permit or a resident card. Additionally, the required French proficiency level is now A2 for the multi-year residence permit and B1 for the resident card. In 2024, 3.665 million immigrants born in Africa lived in France, representing 48.1% of immigrants.