Moving to France

Master's-level degree (or a recognised French engineering-school diploma) plus an employment contract of more than 3 months paying at least EUR 39,582 gross per year. CHANGED IN 2025: decret 2025-539 of 13 June 2025 de-indexed this threshold from the SMIC and the arrete of 21 August 2025 fixed the new 'salaire brut moyen annuel de reference' at EUR 39,582 from 1 September 2025 - the threshold FELL from roughly EUR 43,243. Card is valid for the contract length, capped at 4 years. Spouse and minor children receive 'Talent - famille' cards of the same duration with full work rights, bypassing family reunification. Other Talent sub-categories use the same reference: researchers EUR 2,200/month, company officers EUR 67,213/year, artists EUR 1,306.91/month, national/international renown EUR 22,404/year.

Employment contract of at least 6 months paying at least EUR 59,373 gross per year - 1.5 times the EUR 39,582 reference salary, per CESEDA R. 421-21 A. Qualification is a higher-education diploma of at least 3 years OR at least 5 years of comparable professional experience; from 26 April 2026 a new R. 421-21 C also accepts 3 years of relevant experience acquired in the preceding 7 years for professions listed by arrete. Card runs for the contract length (max 4 years where the contract is 2 years or more; contract + 3 months, max 2 years, otherwise). Family receive 'Talent - famille' cards with work rights.

The employer must obtain a DREETS work authorisation, and the post must normally have been advertised with the public employment service for 3 consecutive weeks within the preceding 6 months. The labour-market test is waived where the job is on the 'metiers en tension' shortage list (regionalised since 2025), or where the applicant holds a French Master's or a RECE permit, the job matches their training, and pay exceeds EUR 2,800.53 gross/month. Pay must be at least the SMIC (EUR 1,867.02 gross/month, about EUR 22,404/year from 1 June 2026) or the collective-agreement rate, whichever is higher. A permanent contract gives a 1-year 'salarie' card then a 4-year multi-year card; a fixed-term contract gives 'travailleur temporaire'. Work-authorisation decision within 2 months. Family only via regroupement familial after 18 months of the sponsor's legal residence. Separately, CESEDA L. 435-4 (loi 2024-42) allows regularisation after 12 months' shortage-occupation work in the last 24 months plus 3 years' residence - that scheme expires 31 December 2026.

Business-creation track (CESEDA R. 421-33-2): a Master's-level degree or 5 years of comparable experience, at least EUR 30,000 of project financing, personal resources of at least the annual gross SMIC (EUR 22,404), and a prefecture/DREETS attestation that the project is real and serious. The French Tech Visa innovation track drops the EUR 30,000 floor but requires a ministry attestation of innovative character. A separate direct-investment track (R. 421-35) requires EUR 300,000 in tangible or intangible fixed assets plus a 4-year job creation/preservation commitment. Ordinary self-employment instead uses the 'entrepreneur/profession liberale' card, which requires the activity to generate sustainable revenue of at least EUR 1,867.02/month (the SMIC) and a viable multi-year business plan; that card is 1 year, then 4 years. Talent-track holders get 'Talent - famille' cards for the family.

12 months, non-renewable, for holders of a French Master's or equivalent - also a licence professionnelle, Mastere Specialise, or a CGE-labelled Master of Science. The holder may take employment without the employer needing a work authorisation, provided the job relates to the studies or research and pays more than EUR 2,800.53 gross/month (1.5 times the monthly SMIC); the student 60%-of-annual-hours work cap does not apply. That same EUR 2,800.53 figure is the threshold for converting to a 'salarie' or 'travailleur temporaire' card without a labour-market test. Apply in the 2 months before the student permit expires, or from abroad up to 4 years after graduating. A French higher-education degree obtained after at least 2 years of study in France also cuts the naturalisation residence requirement from 5 years to 2.

Stable resources of at least the NET SMIC - EUR 1,477.93/month, about EUR 17,735/year - which moves with the SMIC (last revalorised 1 June 2026). Resources may be pensions, annuities, rental income, or support from a third party or family member. Health insurance and accommodation required. A handwritten sworn statement (attestation sur l'honneur manuscrite) not to work in France is mandatory: salaried, self-employed, commercial, artisanal and liberal activity are all prohibited. Valid 1 year, renewable; renewal costs EUR 250. Each family member must qualify separately or use regroupement familial. NOTE: from 1 May 2026 the first-issue fee rose from EUR 225 to EUR 350 and the long-stay visa from EUR 200 to EUR 300 (loi de finances 2026, art. 128).

Issued de plein droit to the spouse of a French national who holds a long-stay visa, where the marriage is transcribed on the French civil registers if celebrated abroad, community of life continues, the spouse remains French, and there is no polygamy. Carries full work rights. Sequence: VLS-TS of up to 1 year, then a 2-year multi-year card, then the 10-year carte de resident after 3 years. Nationality by declaration after 4 years of marriage. CHANGED FOR 2026: decret 2025-648 of 15 July 2025 raised the French requirement from B1 to B2 in all four skills for applications filed from 1 January 2026, for both naturalisation by decree and acquisition by marriage, and introduced a 40-question civics exam requiring 32/40 to pass (decree route only - declaration applicants are exempt from the exam but not from B2). The naturalisation fee rose from EUR 55 to EUR 255 on 1 May 2026. Separately, regroupement familial requires 18 months' legal residence by the sponsor and income of EUR 1,867.02/month (2-3 people) to EUR 2,240.42/month (6+), decided within 6 months.