- France Talent Passport is a residency authorization for foreign employees and self-employed individuals contributing to France’s economy, requiring an employment agreement and intent to reside for over three months.
- The authorization allows residence and employment in France for up to four years, with family members eligible for long-term spouse’s residency permits and children up to age 18 permitted to seek employment.
- Eligibility criteria include various professional categories such as qualified employee, recruitment in an innovative company, highly skilled employment, researcher, and creating a company, each with specific requirements regarding qualifications, employment contracts, and salaries.
France Talent Passport serves as a prolonged residency authorisation intended for foreign employees and self-employed individuals aiming to contribute to France’s economic advancement. Holding an employment agreement and intending to reside in France for more than three months are prerequisites.
This authorisation grants permission to reside and be employed in France, partaking in paid labour, for a maximum of four years starting from the date of arrival.
Your family members can accompany you, and each of them will be eligible for a long-term spouse’s residency permit.
These permits enable your spouse and children, up to the age of 18, to seek employment in France. Upon arrival in France, you and your family must visit the local police station within three months to arrange for the issuance of your foreign employee’s residency permit, tailored to your circumstances.
Eligibility Criteria for France Talent Passport
The France Talent Passport serves as a mechanism for skilled individuals aspiring to enhance the French workforce.
To secure this unique permit, applicants must fulfil specific criteria aimed at facilitating their seamless integration into the French job market. These eligibility standards encompass eleven professional categories:
- Qualified employee
- Recruitment in an innovative company
- Highly skilled employment
- Employee on assignment
- Researcher
- Creating a company
- Innovative project recognised by a public body
- Investor
- Social agent
- Artistic and cultural profession
- Person of international renown
Qualified Employee:
You are eligible to apply for a Talent Passport as a qualified employee if you meet the following criteria:
- Possess a professional licence, a Specialized Master’s Degree, or a Master of Science obtained in France, or hold a degree equivalent to a master’s qualification.
- Hold a French employment contract exceeding three months with an annual gross salary of €41,933 or higher.
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Recruitment in an Innovative Company:
To secure a Talent Passport residence card under the “innovative company” category as an employee, ensure you meet these requirements:
- Employed by either a newly established innovative company or a company recognised as innovative by the Ministry of Economy.
- Engage directly in the company’s research and development project.
- Receive an employment contract guaranteeing a gross annual salary of at least €41,933.
Highly Skilled Employment:
To obtain a Talent Passport residence card – EU Blue Card – for employment, you must demonstrate high skills by meeting the following criteria:
- Hold a diploma from a three-year higher education programme or possess five years of equivalent professional experience.
- Secure an employment contract lasting a minimum of one year.
- Earn a gross annual salary of at least €53,836.50.
- If you’ve resided in another EU country with a European Blue Card for a minimum of 18 months, you are also eligible. Ensure to apply within a month of arriving in France with a long-stay visa.
An employee on Assignment:
To acquire a talent passport permit as an assigned worker, meet the following criteria:
- Employed by a foreign company and relocating to France to work for a French company within the same group, either across different sites of the same company or among various companies of the same group (intra-group transfer).
- Have been employed by the group for at least three months.
- Possess an employment contract with a French employer.
- Earn a gross annual salary of at least €37,739.52.
Researcher:
To obtain a “talent passport – researcher” residence card as an employed individual in France, ensure the following:
- Hold a degree equivalent to at least a master’s level.
- Travel to France for research work or teaching at a university.
- Have an agreement with a recognised research or higher education entity in France, confirming your role as a researcher and outlining the purpose and duration of your stay. If your research involves visiting another EU country, ensure your agreement mentions your participation in a mobility programme. In such cases, you can apply for a “talent passport – researcher – mobility programme” residence card.
Creating a Company:
You can obtain a “talent passport” residence card for initiating a business creation project, with eligibility based on meeting the following requirements:
- Possess a degree equivalent to at least a master’s level, or have five years of comparable professional experience.
- Present a robust and genuine plan to establish a commercial, artisanal, or industrial business in France.
Application Procedure
After confirming that you meet all the eligibility criteria outlined for the France Talent Passport in the preceding section, the next steps in initiating your application depend on your current location relative to France.
If you reside outside France, you must initiate your application through the French consular authorities in your home country.
Contact the visa department at the French embassy or consulate. For trips lasting less than a year, you will be issued a long-term residence visa known as the “talent passport”.
Upon your arrival in France, ensure to validate this visa online within three months, after which it will serve as your residence permit. For stays exceeding a year, you will receive a three-month “talent passport” visa. Upon arrival, you must apply online for your residence card.
If you are already in France, the procedure varies slightly. You must apply online and ensure to do so 2 to 4 months before the expiration of your current residence permit.
This approach helps you avoid last-minute rushes or issues, providing ample time to carefully review and make any necessary adjustments.
Regardless of whether you are applying from France or abroad, the initial step involves gathering all the requisite documents, as detailed in the subsequent section.
Each document holds significance as it aids in determining your eligibility for the France Talent Passport.
Moreover, if your application pertains to commencing a business or an innovative project recognised by a public body, you must obtain an evaluation of your project from your country’s economic ministry. This evaluation serves as a crucial document in your application process.
Following this, you proceed to upload the necessary documents and submit your application online. During this phase, it is imperative to meticulously review all information for accuracy.
Upon submission of your application, you will promptly receive a confirmation email, enabling you to conveniently track and review your application’s progress online.
Upon approval of your application, a fee of €225 becomes payable. Payment is facilitated through the purchase of tax stamps, as described in the preceding section. This step signifies your financial commitment to acquiring the France Talent Passport.
Finally, you must retrieve your residence card from the prefecture. This card symbolises the commencement of opportunities offered by France and signifies the successful completion of the application process for the France Talent Passport.
Required Documents for Application
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