What is the Livret du Citoyen?

The Livret du Citoyen is a guide to the values, rights and duties of citizens in the French Republic, as well as the history and culture of the nation. It is an important document to read for anyone applying for French citizenship, as the information contained in it will help to answer the questions encountered during the interview at the prefecture or consulate, as well as those found in the examen civique.

A new version of the Livret du Citoyen was released on 16th July 2026, and a few things have changed from the previous version. For one thing, at 83 pages, it is now three times as long, and contains additional material on everyday life in France aand the 2024 Paris Olympics - as well as the full text of the Marseillaise, France's national anthem. There is also an increased emphasis on French values, such as secularism and LGBTQ+ rights.

The Livret du Citoyen is available to download for free as an electronic document from the French government website. It is not officially available in physical form. The livret is in French, as are the examen civique and the interview.

The Livret du Citoyen is structured as follows:

Partie 1 - Principes et valeurs de la République (Principles and values of the Republic)

1. La devise et les symboles de la République (The motto and symbols of the Republic)
2. Les principes de la République (The principles of the Republic)

Partie 2 - Système institutionnel et politique (Institutional and political system)

1. Démocratie et État de droit (Democracy and the rule of law)
2. Organisation territoriale de la République (Territorial organisation of the Republic)
3. L'Union européenne et ses institutions (The European Union and its institutions)

Partie 3 - Droits et devoirs des citoyens (Rights and duties of citizens)

1. Les droits fondamentaux (Fundamental rights)
2. Les obligations et devoirs des citoyens (Obligations and duties of citizens)

Partie 4 - Histoire, géographie et culture (History, geography and culture)

1. Principales périodes et personnages (Key periods and figures)
2. Territoire et géographie (Territory and geography)
3. La culture et le patrimoine (Culture and heritage)

Partie 5 - Vivre dans la société française (Living in French society)

1. La vie quotidienne (Everyday life)
2. Voyager en France (Travelling in France)
3. La vie familiale (Family life)

Annexes (Appendices)

1. La Déclaration des droits de l'homme et du citoyen de 1789 (The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen of 1789)
2. La Charte des droits et devoirs du citoyen français (The Charter of the Rights and Duties of the French Citizen)
3. Ressources (Resources)

You will not be tested on everything in the Livret du Citoyen. However, most of the information that appears in the book has the potential to show up during either the interview or the examen civique, so you should aim to have as strong a command of the material as possible.

During the examen civique you will be tested on five areas, over 40 questions:

• principles and values of the Republic
• institutional and political system
• rights and duties of citizens
• history, geography and culture
• life in French society

Each of these areas is covered in the Livret du Citoyen. However, the most accurate guide to the information you are expected to know for the examen civique can be found on the Formation Civique section of the government website. Reading the Livret du Citoyen will help you develop your responses and answer the 12 situational questions.

For the interview, you will be expected to understand the core themes of the Livret du Citoyen, but you will also be expected to explain them in your own words. You will also be expected to explain how your life in France will reflect the values outlined in the Livret.