French Government Language Level Requirements

by Hamza Djimli
National Coordinator
Former Program Officer, Evaluation and Certification Department – France Éducation International

It is important to recall that French language certifications — just like those for Italian, Spanish, German, or any other European language — are governed by European regulations (AFNOR, ALTE, ISO 9001). Their design and distribution follow harmonized standards across the European Union. This is not a uniquely French practice. Regarding the levels required for administrative procedures:

• Level B2, required for naturalization, and Level B1, required for residency applications, are defined by the French Ministry of the Interior. France Éducation International is simply responsible for implementing these regulations.
• Similarly, the language level required to access higher education in France (typically B2, sometimes C1) is determined independently by universities.

For context:

• B2 level roughly corresponds to the language proficiency expected at the end of high school (senior year),
• C1 level is equivalent to the final year of a Bachelor’s degree,
• C2 level aligns with a Master’s degree level.

French language certifications assess not only linguistic knowledge but also social, academic, and professional competencies, including know-how, interpersonal skills, and learning strategies.

There is therefore no reason to be outraged by the requirement for such certifications — one can be French and still have a relative mastery of the French language, but that does not invalidate the relevance of standardized language assessment tools for specific administrative or academic purposes.

Hamza Djimli
Former Program Officer, Evaluation and Certification Department – France Éducation International