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Livret du citoyen 2026: what to study

What the new official booklet for nationality candidates covers, part by part, and how to use it alongside the official question list.

Checked against Ministère de l'Intérieur — Formation civique et examen civique · Oct 20262 min read

A new edition in July 2026

The livret du citoyen is the official booklet given to candidates for French nationality. A new version ("Édition juin 2026") was approved by an arrêté of 3 July 2026, published in the Journal officiel on 16 July 2026, replacing the 2022 edition.

Its foreword explains that assimilation means B2 French, sufficient knowledge of French history, culture and society, and adherence to the principles and values of the Republic. It states that the booklet, "sans être exhaustif", illustrates the level of knowledge expected, and invites you to study it before both the examen civique and the interview.

Parts 1 and 2: values and institutions

Part 1, Principes et valeurs de la République:

the motto and symbols: liberty, equality, fraternity, and the symbols of France
the principles of the Republic: indivisible, laïque, democratic and social

Part 2, Système institutionnel et politique:

democracy and the rule of law: the main institutions of the State and the right to vote
territorial organisation: communes, departments, regions and overseas France
the European Union: member states and their dates of entry (or exit), and the key steps of European construction

Part 3: rights and duties

Part 3 starts from what citizenship means: holding the nationality of a State, with rights and duties. It reminds you that some rights and duties are reserved for French citizens (voting, national defence, jury service) but that most apply to everyone living in France.

It presents the texts that guarantee fundamental rights (the Constitution of the Fifth Republic, the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the Preamble of the 1946 Constitution, the 2004 Charter for the Environment and the European Convention on Human Rights) and freedoms such as freedom of the press and freedom of movement, with their legal limits.

Parts 4 and 5: history, culture and daily life

Part 4, Histoire, géographie et culture:

main periods and historical figures
territory and geography, France's economic weight and remarkable features of the territory
culture and heritage: museums, famous French artists, architectural heritage, the French language, national holidays, major sporting events and gastronomy

Part 5, Vivre dans la société française:

daily life: housing, getting around, civil liability insurance, living together in public spaces, protecting the environment, health and emergency numbers
working in France: labour rules, the employment contract, finding work, starting a business and access to public employment
family life: marriage, parents' rights and obligations, children's rights, education, and children and digital technology

The annexes

The booklet ends with the full text of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, the charte des droits et devoirs du citoyen français (which you sign at the end of the naturalisation interview), and links to the Preamble of 1946, the Constitution, the Charter for the Environment and the official référentiel of the examen civique.

How to use it

Read it once from start to finish, then revise part by part alongside the official list of knowledge questions for the naturalisation mention: the five parts follow the five exam themes
Learn the key dates, figures and numbers, but focus on understanding the values: scenario questions and the interview test how you apply them in real situations
Re-read the charte des droits et devoirs before your interview
Get the booklet from official sources (immigration.interieur.gouv.fr, or the Journal officiel on Légifrance): it is free

Not legal advice. This guide is general information compiled from official sources. Rules change — confirm your own situation with Ministère de l'Intérieur — Formation civique et examen civique.

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