Moving to France: Your French Language Checklist

The paperwork is manageable. The hard part is the moment a préfecture clerk asks a question at normal speed and you understand two words out of nine.

You can survive in France with English and hand gestures. You cannot build a life there that way. Here is the checklist, sorted by deadline.

What you will get from this guide

The French level each administrative step usually expects
The admin vocabulary pack you need in week one
A 12-week preparation plan before departure
How to build the French you need before you arrive

Step One: Know What Level You Actually Need

Requirements shift with politics, so always confirm your own case. This table shows the typical expectations for the most common paths.

Step	Typical French level	What it looks like in practice
Arrival and contrat d'intégration républicaine	A1	Civics session, language position test, free training hours offered
Multi-year titre de séjour	A2	Handle appointments, housing, doctors alone
Ten-year carte de résident	B1	Real conversations, not rehearsed phrases
Naturalisation	B1 spoken	Discuss your life, opinions and history in French
Job hunting	B1 to B2	Interviews, small talk, phone calls
French university	B2 minimum	Lectures, essays, group work

The pattern is obvious. Every year you stay, the bar rises by roughly half a CEFR level. Waiting to learn French in France is the most expensive delay you can choose.

Milestone	Realistic time from A0 with guided study
A1	2 to 3 months
A2	5 to 6 months
B1	10 to 14 months
B2	18 to 24 months

Step Two: The Vocabulary That Unlocks Daily Life

Textbook French teaches you the subjunctive. The mairie teaches you different words entirely. Learn these before you land.

French term	Meaning	Why it matters
Titre de séjour	Residence permit	Your core document
Récépissé	Temporary receipt	Proves your rights while the card is renewed
Justificatif de domicile	Proof of address	Needed for almost everything
Quittance de loyer	Rent receipt	The classic proof of address
Sécurité sociale	Health insurance	Required for care and reimbursements
Attestation	Certificate	You will collect dozens
Préfecture / mairie	Local administration	Where the queues live
Rendez-vous	Appointment	There is no walk-in service

Add ten more and you cover banking, doctors and rental applications. That is roughly A2 vocabulary, and it is the difference between a smooth month and a miserable one.

Step Three: Choose the Certificate Early

France recognises several tests. Check which one your visa route, employer or university accepts before you pay.

Test	Provider	Levels covered	Best for
DELF B1 / B2	France Éducation International	A1 to B2	Residency, nationality, lifetime validity
DALF B2	France Éducation International	C1 to B2	University, professional roles
TCF	France Éducation International	A1 to B2	Fast results, valid two years
TEF	CCI Paris Île-de-France	A1 to B2	Immigration and work routes
FLI	Certified providers	A1 to B1	Integration contracts and training

The DELF is the safer long-term bet because it never expires. The TCF and TEF are quicker and cheaper but need renewing, which matters when you apply for naturalisation years later.

Figure 1: Typical minimum CEFR level per administrative step (French) · Source: Requirements summarised from service-public.fr and France Education International, 2024 to 2025

Learn French for the life you are actually building

Generic courses teach restaurant menus. You need appointments, landlords, colleagues and clerks. Take a placement test and get a course aimed at the French you will use in your first year in France.

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A 12-Week Plan Before You Fly

Three months is enough to arrive functional instead of silent. Two requirements: real lessons, and daily contact with the language.

Weeks	Focus	Weekly commitment
1 to 2	Alphabet, sounds, greetings, numbers	4 hours guided
3 to 4	Present tense, questions, self-introduction	4 hours guided plus daily audio
5 to 6	Past tense, daily routines, shopping	5 hours guided
7 to 8	Housing, transport, doctor visits	5 hours guided plus role-play
9 to 10	Admin vocabulary, phone calls, complaints	5 hours guided
11 to 12	Speaking practice on A2 or B1 tasks with AI feedback	6 hours guided

Book a speaking-heavy course, not a grammar marathon. You can look up a conjugation rule in five seconds. You cannot look up an answer to a live question at a préfecture counter.

Landing: The First Thirty Days

Priority	Task	French you need
Week 1	Bank account, SIM card, transport pass	Types of ID, personal details, simple questions
Week 2	Health insurance registration	Numbers, dates, addresses, spelling your name aloud
Week 3	Housing and proof of address	Contracts, charges comprises, deposit terms
Week 4	Book your civic appointment if applicable	Phone French, rendez-vous, polite refusals

Spelling your name letter by letter over the phone is a beginner flex. Accents matter: é and e are different letters to a French ear, and Saint-Étienne will be misspelled if you do not know the alphabet cold.

Where the Real Gap Appears

Grammar is rarely the wall. Speed is. French administration speaks at full pace with heavy reduction — je ne sais pas becomes "chais pas" in ten seconds flat.

Fix that with listening volume, not more vocabulary lists. Then rehearse the interactions out loud with an AI voice tutor that gives you feedback as you speak. Start with a placement session, confirm the current rules for your own route on service-public.fr, and check the exam formats and enrolment windows published by France Éducation International.

Arrive speaking, not guessing

A personal AI voice tutor, structured lessons, real scenarios from French daily life. Study at your own pace, any time. Build the French you need for appointments, neighbours and job interviews before you get on the plane.

Start your French course →Create a free account

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a certificate before I arrive in France? Not usually. Many routes test your level on arrival and offer training. Certificates become essential later, for long-term cards, naturalisation, university and some jobs.

Is A2 enough to live comfortably in France? You can handle housing, shops and routine appointments. Anything involving negotiation, contracts or humour needs B1 and upward.

Should I take DELF or TCF for immigration? Check which one your route accepts. If both work, DELF lasts forever and TCF expires after two years.

How fast can I reach B1 from zero? Ten to fourteen months with consistent guided lessons and daily listening. Two months of cramming will not do it.

References & Further Reading

Service-public.fr, official French administration portal for residence permits and nationality: https://www.service-public.fr
France Éducation International, DELF, DALF and TCF diplomas: https://www.france-education-international.fr/diplome/delf-tout-public
OFII, French Office for Immigration and Integration: https://www.ofii.fr
Campus France, study in France and language requirements: https://www.campusfrance.org
Institut français, French courses and cultural network worldwide: https://www.institut-francais.fr