The 2026 assimilation interview: the new grid and 12 concrete questions

Since 1 January 2026, the assimilation interview at the prefecture operates under a tightened grid set by the circular of 2 May 20254, which directs officers to assess sincerity of republican commitment rather than mere factual mastery. The interview is still a conversation. What changes is what's being looked for.

The interview isn't a memory test. It's a 15- to 30-minute exchange in which a case officer assesses how coherently your file and your daily life with France hang together.11The interview takes place after the candidate has passed the civic exam (40 questions, 80% threshold), which has, since 2026, conditioned the continued processing of the file. The novelty in 2026 isn't the format. It's the grid.

The aim of this article is simple: describe the grid as it applies in 2026, present twelve representative questions, and indicate what the officer is actually listening for — not a perfect answer, but one that rings true.

Three texts structure the new regime: the law of 26 January 2024 that sets the frame, the decree of 15 July 2025 that amends the founding 1993 decree on naturalisation, and the circular of 2 May 2025 that guides prefectures in their assessment of files.

On top of this, on 1 May 2026 the fiscal stamp rises from €55 to €255, under the 2026 finance act5. That's not a detail: for many candidates it's now the first financial decision to fold into the filing calendar.

Before 2026, the interview often felt like a knowledge check: capitals, dates, institutions. That layer remains; what changes is that it's now preceded and complemented by a more qualitative reading of the candidate's trajectory.

The officer assesses four dimensions, weaving them into the conversation rather than checking a list aloud — a thread followed depending on your replies.

No prefecture publishes an official list. The questions below are a recurring synthesis of 2025 and early-2026 interviews, cross-checked with the circular's grid. They cover the four axes in varying proportions.

Personal narrative

1. Why do you want to become French? The officer looks for a personal narrative, not an administrative justification. Speak of the desire to vote, the duration of your attachment to France, French in your daily life — that lands better than the ease of travel.
2. Are you part of an association, club, or parents' school? Any form of engagement counts: parent association, sports club, volunteer work, union, neighbourhood association. Modesty isn't valued here — if you're engaged, say so.

Current affairs and institutions

3. Who is the current Prime Minister and who appointed them? Expected: name the sitting Prime Minister and note they're appointed by the President of the Republic.
4. Which Republic are we in, and since when? The Fifth Republic, founded in 1958. You can add that Charles de Gaulle was its first president.
5. What are the three branches of power and who holds them? Executive (President + Government), legislative (Parliament: National Assembly and Senate), judicial (judges and magistrates).
6. At what age can you vote in France? Eighteen. Civil and electoral majority.

History and culture

7. What does 14 July commemorate? The storming of the Bastille (1789) and the Fête de la Fédération (1790). It is the national day.
8. What is the 1905 law? The law on the separation of churches and the State. It founds modern French secularism.
9. Name two rivers and two major cities (other than Paris). The Loire, the Seine, the Rhône, the Garonne. Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Lille, Nantes.

Republican values

10. What does the motto Liberty, Equality, Fraternitymean to you? Concrete examples land better than abstract definitions: freedom of expression, gender equality, solidarity through social security.
11. What is laïcité? Laïcité forbids no religion. It is the State's neutrality toward religions, and freedom of conscience for everyone. This is the classic pitfall of the question: laïcité protects religions, it does not suppress them.

Plans in France

12. How do you see your life in France in five years? An open question, not a trap. Work, family, place, civic engagement, project. The more specific your story, the more convincing it is.

Beyond the conversation, the prefecture instructs the file on two criteria that aren't debated in the room but that weigh in the decision.

Financial autonomy over five years

The administration looks at professional stability over a five-year period. Income must be stable and sufficient, the net minimum wage being the reference point, increased by family composition. A permanent contract (CDI) of more than twelve months, or a regular sequence of fixed-term contracts (CDDs) without marked interruption over twenty-four months, are the expected standards. Income mainly from social benefits (RSA, APL) generally won't demonstrate full autonomy.

Republican good standing

The standing-and-conduct criterion is read broadly. The administration doesn't stop at the absence of convictions on the bulletin no. 2 of the criminal record; it also consults the Judicial Antecedents File ( TAJ) and may take into account repeated incivilities, fraud, or persistent late payment of taxes or fines.

Prepare themes, not lines

The lists of “200 typical questions” circulating online are losing relevance. The officer recognises a recited answer in a second, and the 2025 grid specifically rewards natural conversation. Prepare by theme — your personal narrative, your ties to France, your view of laïcité, your plans. Once the themes are settled, questions slide right off them.

Follow French current affairs for three months

Three months before the interview, read a generalist daily every day — Le Monde, Libération, Le Figaro, your choice. The aim isn't to become an editorial writer; it's to be able to hold a conversation about French political and social life. The broad lines suffice.

Document concrete ties

Concrete ties weigh more than abstract principles. Be ready to cite: your association, your children's school, your neighbourhood, your doctor, your French friends, the club you run with. Not an exhaustive list — two or three precise items beat a generic list.

• Exact professional seniority. The circular asks officers to consider the “durability” of integration, without setting a numeric threshold (3 years? 5?). The cursor sits with each prefecture and varies across territories.
• Social-media review. The principle of a loyalty-check is established. The technical modalities — how far the administration looks, what it retains, what it uses — aren't spelled out in public texts.
• Territorial harmonisation. The civic-exam questions are national, but the open questions of the interview depend largely on the officer who receives you. The same answer can be scored differently from one prefecture to another.