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FRENCH CITIZENSHIP

QUIZ: Could you pass the French citizenship interview?

Obtaining French citizenship is a long and complicated process that requires - of course - a lot of paperwork. But one of the requirements is to have a thorough knowledge of French history, geography, politics and culture - we've put together a test on the type of things you will be required to know.

Published: 9 August 2022 11:41 CEST
Updated: 19 February 2023 08:00 CET

QUIZ: Could you pass the French citizenship interview?

Could you impress Marianne - symbol of the republic - with your knowledge of France? Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP

Becoming French is a difficult process with different requirements depending on whether you are applying based on residency, marriage or family – you can find a full breakdown of the requirements here.

You will also need to be able to speak and write French at least at an intermediate level – you can take our citizenship French language quiz HERE.

And the whole process involves a lot of documents and quite a lot of waiting – 18 months to two years is the average amount of time for citizenship applications to be processed.

Towards the end of the process comes the interview – this is an in-person interview at your local préfecture (conducted in French, naturally) where you will be required to prove that you have sufficient knowledge of France, its history, geography, culture, politics and values to become a citizen.

These interviews seem to vary a lot – some people report an in-depth grilling, while others say it was simply a quick and friendly chat.

READ ALSO: What might you be asked in a French citizenship interview?

But it’s best to be prepared, and you can get a book called the Livret du Citoyen – available to download from the government website here – which lays out the kind of things you need to know.

We’ve put together a quiz – based on the questions and answers in the Livret – divided into sections on history, geography, culture and politics.

Bon courage!

Quiz Maker – powered by Riddle

Member comments

Anonymous - 10 August 2022 at 08:11 CEST

Hi – links not working to citizen’s handbook or to quiz??
1. The Local France - 20 February 2023 at 09:14 CET
  
  Hi Karen, do you have any adblockers on? If so, these might prevent you from being able to click through links

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8 things you never knew about Andorra

This week, Andorra passed a law setting a minimum Catalan language requirement for foreign residents.

It’s not often the tiny, independent principality in the mountains makes the news – other than, perhaps, when its national football team loses (again) to a rather larger rival in international qualifying competitions.

The national side are due to play Spain in early June, as part of the larger nation’s warm-up for the Euro 2024 tournament in Germany. Here, then, in case you’re watching that match, at Estadio Nuevo Vivero, are a few facts about Andorra that you can astound your fellow football fans with…

Size matters

Small though it is – it has an area of just 468 square kilometres, a little more than half the size of the greater Paris area – there are five smaller states in Europe, 15 smaller countries in the world by area, and 10 smaller by population.

People

Its population in 2023 was 81,588. That’s fewer people than the city of Pau, in southwest France (which is itself the 65th largest town in France, by population).

High-living

The principality’s capital, Andorra la Vella (population c20,000 – about the same population as Dax) is the highest capital city in Europe, at an elevation of 1,023 metres above sea level.

Spoken words

The official language – and the one you’ll need for a residency permit – is Catalan. But visitors will find Spanish, Portuguese and French are also commonly spoken, and a fair few people will speak some English, too.

Sport

We’ve already mentioned the football. But Andorra’s main claim to sporting fame is as a renowned winter sports venue. With about 350km of ski runs, across 3,100 hectares of mountainous terrain, it boasts the largest ski area in the Pyrenees.

Economic model

Tourism, the mainstay of the economy, accounts for roughly 80 percent of Andorra’s GDP. More than 10 million tourists visit every year.

It also has no sales tax on most items – which is why you’ll often find a queue at the French border as locals pop into the principality to buy things like alcohol, cigarettes and (bizarrely) washing powder, which are significantly cheaper.

Head of state

Andorra has two heads of state, because history. It’s believed the principality was created by Charlemagne (c748 – 814CE), and was ruled by the count of Urgell up to 988CE, when it was handed over to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Urgell. The principality, as we know it today, was formed by a treaty between the bishop of Urgell and the count of Foix in 1278.

Today, the state is jointly ruled by two co-princes: the bishop of Urgell in Catalonia, Spain and … the president of France, who (despite the French aversion to monarchy and nobility) has the title Prince of Andorra, following the transfer of the count of Foix’s claims to the Crown of France and, subsequently, to the head of state of the French Republic.

Military, of sorts

Andorra does have a small, mostly ceremonial army. But all able-bodied Andorran men aged between 21 and 60 are obliged to respond to emergency situations, including natural disasters.

Legally, a rifle should be kept and maintained in every Andorran household – though the same law also states that the police will supply a firearm if one is required.

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