What is the citizen booklet?
The citizen booklet is an official brochure published by the French Ministry of the Interior. It gathers what the Republic expects of a future citizen: its principles and values, how its institutions work, the main landmarks of its history and geography, and the rights and duties attached to French nationality.
It is the document prefecture officials use as a reference during the assimilation interview, and it is also the basis for the civic exam syllabus, compulsory since 1 January 2026 for naturalization, the resident card and the multi-year residence permit.
The booklet is free of charge. No website is entitled to charge you for it.
The citizen booklet summarised by topic
The booklet's content falls into five broad areas, which are exactly the five topics of the civic exam. For each, here is the summary and the landmarks you must know.
Principles and values of the Republic
The heart of the booklet: the motto "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity", secularism from the 1905 law, equality between women and men, and the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
Key facts:
- Motto: Liberty, Equality, Fraternity
- France is an indivisible, secular, democratic and social Republic
- Secularism is guaranteed by the 1905 law separating Church and State
- The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen dates from 1789
Institutional and political system
How France is governed: the Fifth Republic and its Constitution, the roles of the President, the government and Parliament, and territorial organisation.
Key facts:
- The Fifth Republic was established by the Constitution of 4 October 1958
- The President is elected for 5 years by direct universal suffrage
- Parliament comprises the National Assembly (577 deputies) and the Senate
- France has 18 regions: 13 in mainland France and 5 overseas
Rights and duties of the citizen
What the Republic guarantees and what it expects in return: the right to vote, access to education and healthcare, but also respect for the law, paying taxes and a duty of tolerance.
Key facts:
- French citizens gain the right to vote at 18
- Schooling is compulsory from age 3 to 16
- Paying taxes and obeying the law are duties of the citizen
- Freedom of expression is exercised within the limits set by law
History, geography and culture
The landmarks every applicant should know: key dates, the symbols of the Republic, the geography of the territory and major cultural figures.
Key facts:
- The storming of the Bastille took place on 14 July 1789
- The national holiday is celebrated on 14 July
- La Marseillaise, written by Rouget de Lisle in 1792, is the national anthem
- Marianne, the tricolour flag and the Gallic rooster are symbols of the Republic
Living in French society
Everyday practicalities: school, work, health, housing, public services and community life. This is the part closest to the exam's situational questions.
Key facts:
- State schooling is free, secular and compulsory
- Social security covers health, family, pensions and workplace accidents
- Call 15 for medical emergencies, 17 for police and 18 for the fire brigade
- 112 is the European emergency number
Revising the citizen booklet in audio
Many applicants revise while commuting, at work or while doing something else — moments when reading a PDF is impossible. For this, the Francopass app offers the questions and their answers in audio form, along with La Marseillaise and its lyrics.
Repeated listening works particularly well on numerical landmarks — dates, emergency numbers, term lengths — which are precisely the ones people forget fastest.
Frequently asked questions
Where can I download the French citizen booklet?
The citizen booklet is distributed free of charge by the French Ministry of the Interior. It is given to applicants as part of the integration process and remains available on official French government websites. Be wary of sites that charge for it: it is a free public document.
Is the citizen booklet enough to pass the civic exam?
The booklet covers the expected core knowledge, but the civic exam also includes situational questions that require applying these notions to concrete cases. The most effective approach is to read the booklet then practise with multiple-choice tests in the official format: 40 questions in 45 minutes, with 32 correct answers required.
Is there an audio version of the citizen booklet?
The Francopass app offers the questions and answers in audio form, as well as the national anthem with lyrics. This is useful for revising while walking, driving or commuting, when reading is not possible.
Do I need to learn the citizen booklet by heart?
No. The exam assesses understanding, not recitation. Remember the structuring landmarks — the motto, symbols, key dates, how institutions work, emergency numbers — then practise with quizzes to check that these notions have stuck.
Go further
Free civic exam test
100 multiple-choice questions and a timed mock exam in the official format.
Values of the French Republic
Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and secularism explained in detail.
Prepare for the civic exam
The official syllabus, the exam format and a revision method.
Interview questions
100 questions asked at the prefecture, with model answers.
Test your knowledge of the booklet
The best way to know whether the booklet has sunk in: a multiple-choice test in the official exam format. Free, no sign-up.