France
Top Visa Pathways
Most popular and desirable options for skilled professionals
FranceTalent Passport
Multi-year residence for highly skilled professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors.
FranceEU Blue Card
Highly skilled employment with a recognized degree and salary above the member state threshold. Portable across EU after 12 months.
FranceVLS-TS — Salaried Employment Visa
Long-stay visa for foreign nationals taking employment with a French employer. Employer must sponsor the application.
All Visa Pathways(37 visas)
FranceAirport Transit Visa (Type A)
Visa for transit through Schengen airport international zone without entering the territory.
FranceAu Pair/Trainee Caregiver Visa
Long-stay visa for young people (18-30) caring for children in host families. Cultural exchange program with language learning component.
FranceCirculation Visa (Multiple-Entry)
Multiple-entry short-stay visa for frequent travelers making multiple trips to France. Allows up to 90 days per 180-day period for the entire validity of the visa.
FranceDiplomatic and Official Visa (Diplomatic/Temporary)
This visa is for holders of diplomatic, official, or service passports traveling for official government or international organization duties.
FranceEU Blue Card
Highly skilled employment with a recognized degree and salary above the member state threshold. Portable across EU after 12 months.
FranceEU Long-Term Residence Permit
Permanent-equivalent residence for non-EU nationals who have legally resided in an EU country for 5+ years.
FranceFamily of Foreign National Residing in France
Long-stay visa for spouses and dependents of foreign nationals already resident in France (work permit/residence permit holders).
FranceFrench Tech Visa - Employee
Visa for employees of French Tech-certified companies, with streamlined process and benefits.
FranceFrench Tech Visa - Founder
Visa for entrepreneurs and founders of tech companies recognized by French Tech ecosystem.
FranceFrench Tech Visa - Investor
Visa for investors backing French Tech companies with capital investment.
FranceIntra-Corporate Transfer Directive
Transfer within a multinational company to an EU establishment. Managers, specialists, or trainee employees.
FranceL. 421-14 — Talent - Researcher
Long-stay permit for researchers, doctoral students, and professors hosted under a convention d'accueil with a certified French research or higher-education institution.
FranceL. 421-3 — Temporary Worker Residence Permit (Carte de séjour travailleur temporaire)
Fixed-term work and residence permit for foreign nationals with a French CDD contract, matching contract duration up to 12 months and renewable up to 3 times.
FranceL. 421-5 — Entrepreneur/Liberal Profession Residence Permit (Carte de séjour entrepreneur/profession libérale)
One-year renewable residence permit for non-EU self-employed professionals, freelancers, and liberal professions in France, with a path to permanent residency after five years.
FranceL. 421-9 — Talent - Qualified Employee
Multi-year renewable residence permit for non-EU qualified employees with a French job contract of at least 3 months and a minimum salary of €39,582.
FranceL. 423-1 — Private and Family Life Residence Permit (Carte de séjour vie privée et familiale)
Annual, renewable residence permit for spouses of French citizens, parents of French children, and long-term residents, granting full work rights and a route to a 10-year card.
FranceL. 426-1 — 10-Year Resident Card (Carte de résident)
Ten-year renewable residence card for foreign nationals with established family ties or long-term residence in France, granting unrestricted work rights and a path to citizenship.
FranceL421-11 — Talent - European Union Blue Card
Renewable multi-year residence permit for highly qualified non-EU professionals with a French job offer and a salary of at least €59,373, leading to EU long-term residency.
FranceL421-14 — Talent - National or International Renown
Multi-year residence permit for individuals with proven national or international renown in science, literature, arts, education, or sport, requiring no job offer.
FranceL421-19 — Talent - Company Representative
Multi-year residence permit for senior corporate officers and managing directors transferred within a group to lead a French entity, without labor market testing.
FranceL421-22 — Talent - Accompanying Family
Multi-year residence permit for spouses and dependent children under 18 of Passeport Talent holders, granting the spouse unrestricted work rights in France.
FranceLong-Stay Visitor Visa
For financially independent individuals living in France without working for up to 1 year.
FranceOccupational Trainee/Apprentice Visa
Long-stay visa for vocational trainees and apprentices undergoing occupational training in France.
FrancePVT — Working Holiday Visa
For young adults from partner countries to work and travel in France for 12 months.
FranceSalarié — Young Employee Visa
Visa for young foreign graduates (18-35) from designated countries starting employment in France. Simplified process for young professionals.
FranceSchool-Going Minor Visa
Long-stay visa for minors under 18 whose parents are not in France, attending school or language/sports courses for periods exceeding 90 days.
FranceSeasonal Worker Visa (Travailleur Saisonnier)
This visa is for non-EU nationals employed in seasonal industries (e.g., agriculture, tourism, hospitality) for a duration of more than three months.
FranceStudent Visa (Type D)
Full-time study at a recognized institution in an EU member state. National visa with residence permit.
FranceTalent - Artistic and Cultural Profession
Multi-year residence permit for non-EU artists, performers, and literary or artistic authors earning most of their income from creative work in France.
FranceTalent - Medical and Pharmacy Professions
Multi-year work and residence permit for non-EU doctors, dentists, midwives, and pharmacists with a French health institution contract, bypassing labor market tests.
FranceTalent - Project Holder
Renewable multi-year residence permit for non-EU entrepreneurs launching a business or innovative project backed by at least €30,000 in financing.
FranceTalent Passport
Multi-year residence for highly skilled professionals, researchers, entrepreneurs, and investors.
FranceType C — Schengen Short-Stay Visa (Type C)
Up to 90 days within a 180-day period for tourism, business, family visits, or transit across the Schengen Area.
FranceVLS-TS — Entrepreneur Visa
For self-employed professionals and business creators establishing enterprises in France.
FranceVLS-TS — Salaried Employment Visa
Long-stay visa for foreign nationals taking employment with a French employer. Employer must sponsor the application.
FranceVLS-TS — Self-Employed Person or Liberal Profession Visa
Long-stay visa for self-employed individuals and liberal professionals (consultants, doctors, architects, etc.) establishing business or professional practice in France.
FranceVolunteer Visa (Volontariat)
Long-stay visa for non-EU nationals aged 16 or older undertaking civic, association, or European Voluntary Service missions with an accredited French non-profit.
Latest News
France in the News
Recent coverage on visas, policy changes and life in France
What Is the EU Blue Card? 25 Countries, Salary Thresholds and Permanent Residency, Explained (2026)
The EU Blue Card is a work and residence permit for skilled non-EU workers, issued by 25 EU countries under a shared EU directive.
What Is a Transit Visa? Rules by Country
A transit visa lets you pass through a country on your way to another one — it is not a tourist visa and does not let you stay. Here is what it actually covers, when you need one, and how the rules differ across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, the Schengen Area, Japan and Singapore.
The Global Race for AI Talent: Inside the New Wave of Specialist Tech Visas
The UK, France, Singapore, and the US have each rolled out or expanded visa tracks specifically aimed at AI researchers and engineers, as governments compete directly for a narrow pool of specialist talent.