News Digest: Flight Prices Rise & New Language Tests for French Residency

From March 1^st, if you’re booking plane tickets for any flight leaving France, you’re likely to see a rise in fees. France’s recently approved 2025 budget includes a measure to increase the “eco-tax” or taxe sur la solidarité des billets d’avion that applies to tickets, which comes into play from this Saturday.

For low-cost fares, the tax has almost tripled, and the resulting hikes are expected to be passed down to travellers, especially by low-cost airlines. Here’s a breakdown of the applicable fees:

Short-haul economy flights: €7.40 (previously €2.63)

Medium-haul economy flights: €15

Long-haul economy flight: €40

Short-haul business flights: €30 (previously €20.27)

Medium-haul business flights: €80

Long-haul business flight: €120

It’s not the first time that these taxes were hiked – while the original solidarity tax on flights was introduced in 2006 by Jacques Chirac (you may still hear it referred to as the Chirac tax), the addition of an “eco-tax” came back in 2020. Last year, airline workers protested the possibility of further rises, fearing that raising prices would further damage an industry already struggling to recover post-Covid. However, as France scrambles to reduce its deficit, these taxes have been reasoned by the fact that they are most likely to affect the 20% of the population with the highest incomes (i.e. those who travel the most).

Note that this tax is waived for flights to Corsica and to French overseas territories such as Martinique and Guadeloupe.

France’s toughened requirements on language tests have made the headlines recently after a report by France Info claimed that tens of thousands of foreigners in France may lose their residency permits. The report also suggested that many French citizens couldn’t pass the exam itself.

While this isn’t recent news – in fact, it was part of the 2024 Immigration Law that we reported on back in January 2024 – we’ve been waiting for clarification on when these new language test requirements would come into action. An exact date still hasn’t been issued, meaning that the old language levels still apply, but we do have confirmation that this will come into play by 1^st January 2026 at the latest.

So, what are the new levels? The language requirements for a carte de séjour pluriannuelle or a Carte de résiden have now been raised to an A2 level (previously A1) and B1 level (previously A2), respectively. The level for applying for French Nationality has been raised to B2 (from B1). But is the scaremongering over these raised levels really fair? In reality, most foreigners moving to France will not need to pass a language exam until they have been in France for five years – which is ample time to get your French up to scratch. As someone who passed the test de connaissance du français or TCF French language exam last year, I can vouch for the fact that this test is not as scary as it sounds (and I am someone who definitely suffers from exam nerves!). If you work in France, you can also get your preparatory classes and exam 100% covered by your “Mon Compte Formation” – I didn’t pay a cent for mine. It does, however, require some preparation and as such, I can absolutely see a French person who has been given zero guidance on how to craft answers for such an exam failing or receiving a lower result than their actual level.

My advice? Get prepared! You can read my article on passing the TCF here, and we’ll also be answering all your FAQs on the language requirements in an upcoming article, so keep a look out for that. FrenchEntrée Membersalso have access to our comprehensive Visas & Residency Guide, which goes through the entire process from your initial visa onwards – if you’re not already a member, you can sign up here.

There’s some good news for anyone concerned about toxic “forever chemicals”, as the French parliament voted in a new law put forward by the Green party last Thursday. Growing evidence on per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances or PFAS shows that these man-made chemicals, used for non-stick and waterproof treatments on everything from clothing to cookware, are not only linked to a host of serious health issues but have been found to be present in everything from drinking water to human brains. (Read more about PFAS and the dangers here.)

The new law will prohibit the sale of items using the forever chemicals except in rare circumstances where there are no known alternatives, as well as obliging the French government to carry out regular tests on drinking water. The bill is set to come into action from January 2026.

Hot on the heels of last week’s popular webinar, we’ve got another important date for the diary – this time for those of you looking to move to France. I’ll be joined by Fabien Pelissier of Fab Expat to break down the application process, talk you through the different visa types available, and arm you with all the information you need to move to France in 2025.

Register now to secure your place on the free webinar!

How to get a French Visa in 2025

Thursday 27th March 2025, 4:00 pm London  / 5:00 pm Paris