TCF IRN: the French test for residence and naturalisation in France
Updated 2026-10-18. Figures come from the official pages linked at the end; check them before you book or apply.
The TCF IRN (Intégration, Résidence et Nationalité) is the version of the Test de connaissance du français used in France for residence permits and naturalisation. France's 2024 immigration law raised the required levels, applicable from 2026: A2 for a multi-year residence permit, B1 for the resident card and B2 for naturalisation. The exact rules are set by decree; check the official pages before you apply.
Who needs the TCF IRN?
Adults applying in France for a multi-year residence permit, a ten-year resident card or French nationality must prove a level of French, unless they hold a recognised diploma or fall under an exemption (age, disability, certain statuses). The TCF IRN is one of the accepted ways to prove that level; the TEF has an equivalent version. The level required depends on the procedure, not on the test.
Which level is required for each procedure?
The 2024 law on immigration raised the thresholds. Read the list below as the direction of the reform, and confirm the level and date for your own procedure on service-public.fr, because transitional rules exist.
- Multi-year residence permit: level A2 (previously no test for most cases).
- Resident card (ten years): level B1 (previously A2).
- Naturalisation: level B2 (previously B1), for speaking and writing as well as comprehension.
B2 is a demanding level: it means arguing a point of view, understanding a news report at natural speed, and writing a structured text with few errors. Our tools estimate where you stand on the same CEFR scale.
How is the TCF IRN organised?
The TCF IRN is shorter than the TCF Canada and taken in approved centres in France. It combines two compulsory comprehension parts (listening and reading, multiple-choice) and two expression parts (writing and speaking) that are required when the procedure asks for a full profile. Scores are reported as CEFR levels per ability, from A1 to C2, and the official centre tells you which parts your procedure requires when you register.
How does it differ from the TCF Canada?
Same scale (the CEFR), same designer (France Éducation international), different purpose and format. The TCF Canada is longer, converts to NCLC for Canada, and always requires four abilities. The TCF IRN is shorter, reports CEFR levels for French procedures, and the parts required depend on the permit or the nationality application. A candidate preparing one is, in practice, preparing the other: speaking and writing under time pressure, with correction, is what moves the level.
How can FrenchExaminer help for France?
At launch our examiner follows the TCF Canada structure, which covers the same skills: interview, interaction and point of view in speaking; message, report and argued opinion in writing. The free instant test gives you a CEFR range in 30 seconds, and the writing correction tells you which criterion keeps you under B1 or B2. A dedicated TCF IRN path is planned in a later version.
Questions candidates ask
Is B2 really required for French nationality?
The 2024 immigration law sets B2 for naturalisation, with application from 2026 by decree. Check the current requirement and your application date on service-public.fr.
Can I use a TCF Canada result for a French procedure?
The accepted tests and their validity for French procedures are listed by the French administration; the TCF IRN and the TEF IRN are the versions designed for them. Ask the prefecture or check service-public.fr for your case.
How long is a TCF IRN result valid?
Two years, as for the other TCF versions.