France
France Talent Passport Overview
The France Talent Passport is open to non-EU, non-EEA, and non-Swiss nationals who qualify under one of ten professional categories, who then receive a multi-year residence permit allowing them to live and work in France.
The primary route for investors and business owners requires a minimum direct investment of €300,000 in tangible or intangible assets and a commitment to create or protect jobs in France within four years.
The permit is valid for up to four years and is renewable, provided the holder continues to meet the conditions of their category.
There is no minimum stay requirement to maintain the permit, though continuous legal residence in France is required to qualify for permanent residency and citizenship.
The spouse of a Talent Passport holder receives a Talent Family permit allowing them to live and work freely in France. Dependent children are included under family status.
Algerian nationals are subject to the separate French-Algerian Agreement.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must hold a valid passport, demonstrate sufficient financial means to support themselves and any included family members, and meet the category-specific conditions set by the French Ministry of the Interior under the Code on the Entry and Stay of Foreigners and the Right to Asylum (CESEDA).
Ten categories are available; the Business Investor route is the primary investment pathway.
Business Investor Route
- Direct investment of at least €300,000 in fixed tangible or intangible assets in France, made personally, through a company the applicant controls, or through a company in which the applicant holds at least a 30% shareholding
- Investment must be a direct economic investment: share capital contributions, reinvested earnings, or loans between affiliated companies qualify; purely financial investments do not
- Commitment to create or protect jobs in France within four years of the investment
- No minimum education requirement and no language test required at application stage
Business Creator Route
- Minimum investment of €30,000 in the creation or takeover of a business in France
- Minimum education of a master’s degree or equivalent, or at least five years of relevant professional experience
- A credible and viable business plan, which must be submitted to and assessed by a designated public body before the visa application is made
Highly Skilled Employee Route (EU Blue Card)
- Employment contract of at least six months with an employer established in France
- Minimum gross annual salary of €59,373 (as of August 2025)
- Qualification equivalent to at least a three-year higher education degree, or at least five years of professional experience of comparable level
Innovative Project Route
- Project must be officially recognized as innovative by Bpifrance, a labelled incubator, or a competitiveness cluster (pôle de compétitivité)
- Viable business plan and proof of sufficient financial resources required
Company Director Route
- Appointed as legal representative or director of a company established in France
- Minimum gross annual salary of three times the French minimum wage (approx. €64,000 as of 2026)
Qualified Employee Route
- Permanent employment contract or fixed-term contract of at least three months with an employer established in France
- Minimum gross annual salary of €39,582 (as of August 2025)
- Qualification equivalent to at least a master’s degree, or five years of relevant professional experience
Researcher Route
- Hosting agreement (convention d’accueil) with a recognized French research institution, university, or company engaged in research and development
- Qualification of at least a master’s degree or equivalent
Assigned Employee Route
- Transferred to a French entity within the same corporate group
- Minimum of three months of prior employment with the parent company abroad
- Minimum gross annual salary of €39,582 (as of August 2025)
Artistic and Cultural Profession Route
- Proof of professional activity as a performing or visual artist, with income equivalent to at least 70% of the French minimum wage per month of planned stay
Internationally Recognized Talent Route
- Demonstrated international recognition or outstanding achievement in science, literature, the arts, academia, education, or sport
- Evidence of a project or activity to be pursued in France
Route to Citizenship
After five years of continuous and lawful residence in France on a valid Talent Passport permit, holders become eligible to apply for French citizenship by naturalization.
To qualify, applicants must demonstrate French language proficiency at B2 level, pass a civic knowledge exam covering French history, culture, and institutions, demonstrate stable income, and hold a clean criminal record.
Approval is at the discretion of the French government and is not guaranteed even if all formal conditions are met.
France permits dual nationality; applicants are not required to relinquish their prior citizenship, though they should verify the dual nationality rules of their country of origin.
Mobility and Taxation
Mobility
French citizens can access approximately 186 destinations visa-free or visa-on-arrival, ranking 4th globally, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, and all EU member states.
As EU members, French citizens benefit from full freedom of movement, the right to live and work in any of the 27 EU member states, and access to the European Economic Area.
Talent Passport holders can travel freely within the Schengen Area for short stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period during their period of residence in France.
Tax
France taxes residents on worldwide income. Talent Passport holders who establish their principal place of residence in France or spend more than 183 days per year in the country are considered French tax residents and are subject to French income tax on all income from all sources, at progressive rates from 11% to 45%.
France operates a pay-as-you-earn withholding system for employment income. Talent Passport holders who arrive in France for the first time and were not French tax residents in the five preceding years may be eligible for the Impatriate Tax Regime (régime de l’impatriation), which provides a partial exemption on certain foreign-source income and an additional salary premium for up to eight years.
The regime is available to employees and company directors who are transferred to France by a foreign employer or who are recruited directly from abroad.
No special tax regime applies specifically to the Business Investor route, though investment income and capital gains are subject to standard French tax rules.
France has tax treaties with more than 125 countries, which may reduce withholding taxes on income received from abroad.
How to Apply
The program is administered by the French Ministry of the Interior, with initial visa applications processed through France Visas and residence permit applications managed through the dedicated ANEF platform at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr. The legal basis is the Code on the Entry and Stay of Foreigners and the Right to Asylum (CESEDA).
The process typically runs as follows.
- Step 1: Determine the applicable Talent Passport category and confirm eligibility; for the Business Creator route, submit the business plan to the designated public body for assessment before proceeding with the visa application.
- Step 2: Gather all required documents; for the Business Investor route this includes proof of the investment of at least €300,000, evidence of the investment structure (share capital, reinvested earnings, or affiliated company loans), documentation of job creation or protection commitments, corporate registration documents, and proof of financial means.
- Step 3: Apply for a Talent long-stay visa (VLS-TS) through the French consular authorities in the country of residence, no earlier than three months before the intended date of arrival in France; the visa application fee is €99.
- Step 4: Upon arrival in France, validate the long-stay visa online within three months via the ANEF platform; the residence permit tax of €225 is payable at this stage.
- Step 5: Apply for the four-year Talent residence permit through the ANEF platform; upon validation by the prefecture, receive a certificate of approval serving as a temporary residence permit while the definitive card is being issued.
- Step 6: Renew the permit between four and two months before expiry by demonstrating continued compliance with the conditions of the category; for the Business Investor route this requires evidence of ongoing investment, amounts committed, and maintenance or creation of employment.
