On October 27, 2026, the official directory of test centres listed no centre in Niger for the TEF Canada, nor for the TEF, TEF Québec or TEF IRN. Nigeriens, citizens of Niger, therefore have to take the test in a neighbouring country: Benin, Nigeria, Togo, Mali or Chad. Check the fee and dates with the centre before planning the trip.
Which TEF should you take from Niger?
Where you sit the test does not change which test you need. For Express Entry, the only accepted version of the TEF is the TEF Canada, with its four tests on the same day. The TEF Québec (TEFAQ) only counts for Québec programmes. For Canadian citizenship, listening and speaking are enough.
IRCC also accepts the TCF Canada on an equal footing with the TEF Canada. We could not verify whether a TCF Canada session is held in Niger in 2026: ask France Éducation international, which lists its approved centres. Our TEF or TCF Canada comparison explains the differences between the two tests.
Centres and fees in neighbouring countries
Here are the approved centres in neighbouring countries listed by the official directory on October 27, 2026, with the fees we recorded. Check every amount with the centre, especially since some charge residents and non-residents differently.
| City | Centre | TEF Canada fee | Source and date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotonou and Parakou (Benin) | Institut français du Bénin | 200,000 CFA francs (non-resident fee) | July 2025 fee schedule |
| Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt (Nigeria) | Institut français du Nigéria, Alliances françaises of Lagos and Port Harcourt | Not verified | Official directory, October 27, 2026 |
| Lomé (Togo) | Institut français du Togo | 160,000 CFA francs | Centre page, September 25, 2026 |
| Bamako (Mali) | Institut français du Mali | 200,000 CFA francs | Centre's 2026 calendar |
| N'Djamena (Chad) | Centre d'apprentissage de la langue française (CALF) | 200,000 CFA francs | Centre page, viewed October 27, 2026 |
| Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) | Institut français de Côte d'Ivoire | 170,000 CFA francs | Fees updated February 24, 2026 |
The directory also lists two centres in Algeria, in Algiers and Tizi Ouzou. On top of the test fee come transport, accommodation and meals: compare the total cost. In Benin, Togo, Mali and Côte d'Ivoire, fees are in West African CFA francs, as in Niger; in Chad, they are in Central African CFA francs, which have the same value.
Our table of TEF Canada prices in 2026 compares the fees recorded in other countries, centre by centre, with their date and source.
Sessions and registration from Niger
Each centre sets its own calendar. On October 27, 2026, the directory showed one open TEF Canada session in Bamako; for the other neighbouring centres, it said to "contact the centre for upcoming dates". According to our research, the Institut français du Togo plans 4 TEF sessions in 2026.
Procedures vary. In N'Djamena, according to its page viewed on October 27, 2026, the CALF only takes registrations in person, with an ID document and payment in cash. Always ask the centre whether registration is online or at the desk. Registration is final and non-refundable.
The certificate is digital: a link to an online vault arrives by email, so there is no need to go back to the centre. Allow 1 to 10 working days according to the publisher, sometimes more depending on the centre. Our article on results timelines explains when the wait gets longer.
Already French-speaking: the format comes first
If you studied or worked in French, your level is probably not the first obstacle. The trap is a format you discover on test day, in a centre abroad: computer-based, timed tests, and 40 listening questions in 40 minutes, on recordings played only once.
For writing, you type in the "Paragraphe" software, with a virtual keyboard for é, è, ç and à, and you must reach 80 words in section A and 200 in section B. In the speaking test, the examiner sometimes gives half-answers in section A, and never agrees with you in section B.
For you, failing costs more than elsewhere: another sitting, from 160,000 to 200,000 CFA francs depending on the centre, a second trip and at least 20 days of waiting. You already speak French: get used to the format before you pay. Take a free listening comprehension mock test, with a free account.
Common pitfalls when taking the test abroad
- Travel conditions. Check the entry and border-crossing conditions of the country you choose before booking.
- Your passport. Use the same passport from registration to your immigration file; the spelling of your name cannot be corrected after the test.
- Fake intermediaries. In March 2026, the CALF in N'Djamena reported fake accounts using its name: only pay at the centre, against a receipt.
- The "online TEF". No remote sitting exists: our article on taking the TEF online explains why.
- A text learned by heart. Reciting a memorised text is treated as fraud: cancellation and a one-year ban.
Niger and immigration: the useful figures
According to IRCC open data (file published October 20, 2026, rounded and preliminary values), 130 citizens of Niger became permanent residents of Canada in 2025, compared with 105 in 2023 and 115 in 2024. From January to August 2026, IRCC counts 65.
Express Entry draws reserved for French target candidates with at least CLB 7 (NCLC 7 in French) in every skill: IRCC sent 48,000 invitations in these draws in 2025. These figures describe the past and guarantee no invitation. Our review of French-language draws gives the details.
Speaking French with your own reference points
Since the Charter of Refoundation, promulgated on March 26, 2025, Hausa has been Niger's national language, and French and English are working languages. Zarma-Songhay, Fulfulde, Kanuri and other languages are also spoken there. Every candidate has their own path; these pointers describe no one.
Pronunciation: from the syllable to the sentence
Hausa is a tonal language: the pitch of a syllable can change the meaning of a word. In French, melody works at the level of the sentence: it rises at the end of a question and falls at the end of a statement. In section A, that rise helps the examiner recognise your questions.
Also practise aloud the nasal vowels ("an", "on", "in") and rounded vowels ("tu", "deux"). Your accent is not a mistake: pronunciation is assessed, but the goal is to be understood without effort.
Everyday words to keep for your friends
If you speak Hausa every day, "sannu" to greet someone or "na gode" to say thank you may come out on their own. The "fada", the group of friends who meet over tea, sounds standard because it is so common in French in Niger. In the test, say "bonjour", "merci" and "un groupe d'amis".
Spoken habits to avoid in the test
In section A, you are phoning a stranger: greet them, use "vous" and ask complete questions, such as "Pourriez-vous me dire si le transport est inclus ?". In section B, answer each of the examiner's objections with a full sentence, without slipping in a word from another language out of habit.
Frequently asked questions
Can you take the TEF Canada in Niger?
Not as of October 27, 2026: the official directory listed no centre in the country, whether for the TEF Canada, the TEF, the TEF Québec or the TEF IRN. You have to take the test at an approved centre in another country.
Which centre should you choose from Niamey?
Compare the total cost: test fee, transport, accommodation and the entry conditions of the country. Recorded fees range from 160,000 CFA francs in Lomé to 200,000 CFA francs in Bamako, in N'Djamena or, for non-residents, in Benin. In Nigeria, no fee was verified: ask the centre.
What score should you aim for in Express Entry?
Aim for CLB 7 in every skill: on the certificate, at least 434 in reading and listening, 428 in writing and 456 in speaking. Our article on NCLC 7 in the TEF Canada explains which score to enter.
In short
To take the TEF Canada from Niger, choose a neighbouring centre, check its fee, dates and travel conditions, then keep the same passport from start to finish. Get used to the format before you leave: a reading comprehension mock test complements the listening trial, and the subscription unlocks the other mock tests.
Réussir Mon TEF is an independent practice platform. It is not affiliated with Le français des affaires (CCI Paris Île-de-France), which designs the TEF, or with any immigration authority. Our mock tests are original: they are not official test papers.