To come to France as a self-employed worker, you must either obtain a multiyear “entrepreneur/liberal profession” residence permit card, a multiyear “passport talent” residence permit with the mention “business founder”, or a multiyear “passport talent” residence permit with the mention “innovative project recognised by a public entity”.
If you want to set up a new business in France, you must be able to demonstrate the economic viability of your project. If you want to set up an innovative business, you must be able to prove its innovative nature as well.
If you want to work in a liberal profession or in an activity that has already been created, you must be able to prove that you have sufficient financial resources i.e. the equivalent to the minimum legal wage in France for a full-time worker representing 18,254.54 EUR gross per year as of 1 January 2019 (SMIC - Salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance);
If your company’s activity or the liberal profession you are engaged in is subject to specific regulations, you must meet the requirements in terms of qualifications/diplomas as well as any other conditions.
Where and how to apply | If you wish to undertake an independent activity in France, you need to apply for a visa at the French Embassy or Consulate in your country of origin. If you meet the requirements and plan on staying in France for 12 months or less, the Embassy or Consulate will grant you a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit bearing the mention corresponding to your situation, valid for 12 months. Within the first 3 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your VLS-TS online on the official dedicated website. Two months before the end of your visa, you will then have to go to the prefecture to either renew your VLS-TS or to apply for a multiyear residence permit corresponding to the mention of your visa and your situation. If you meet the requirements and plan on staying in France for at least 12 months, The Embassy or Consulate can also grant you a long-stay visa bearing the mention corresponding to your situation, valid for 3 months. Within the three months of your arrival in France, you have to apply for a multiyear residence permit corresponding to the mention of your visa and your situation. The prefect will inform you of the decision in writing as soon as possible and no later than 60 days from the date of the application being made. If there is no decision, the application is approved. |
| Documents required | Required documents may vary depending on the type of project and financial resources related to this project. The residence permit “entrepreneur/liberal profession” You must:
The “passport talent” with the mention “business founder” You must:
The “passport talent” with the mention “innovative project recognised by a public entity” You must:
To prove the innovative nature of your project, you must fulfil on of these conditions:
The applicable fee for each permit is 269 EUR. |
| Duration of validity of permits | The multiyear residence permit “entrepreneur/liberal profession”, the “passport talent” with the mention “innovative project recognised by a public entity” and the “passport talent” with the mention “founding a business” are valid for a period of 4 years and renewable. |
| Appeals | You can appeal a refusal of a French entry visa to the Commission for Appeals Against Visa Application Refusals within two months of the date of notification of the decision. If the Commission rejects the appeal, or if, despite the positive opinion of the Commission, ministers confirm the visa refusal, you may, within two months, submit a request for annulment before the Administrative Court of Nantes, which is responsible in the first instance for litigation on visa refusal. An administrative appeal may also be submitted to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. More on appeals of visa decisions. Refusal of residence permits may be appealed before the prefect, a hierarchical appeal may be made to the Minister in charge of immigration or an administrative appeal may be made to the Administrative Tribunal of competent jurisdiction, within two months of notification of the decision. |
| Further information | You need to register your business with the relevant registration office as soon as you arrive in France. More on registering your business in France |
Salaried activities | This residence permit does not authorise you to exercise a salaried activity. |
| “Long-term EU resident” residence permit | If you hold a “passport talent” residence permit with the mention “founding a business” or “innovative project recognised by a public entity”, or a temporary (VLS-TS) or multiyear “entrepreneur/liberal profession” residence permit, you can get an EU long-term residence permit after five years of uninterrupted stay in the EU, provided you have resided continuously in France for the last two years. During the required five years of continuous residence, a maximum absence of 12 consecutive months and 18 months in total is allowed. The EU long-term residence permit is valid for ten years, and is renewable. Requirements:
The applicable fee for each permit is 269 EUR. The permit gives you access to employment and vocational training and allows its holder to apply for the right to reside in another EU country under the facilitated procedure of Directive 2003/109/EC. You must submit your request to the prefecture of your place of residence no later than two months before the expiry of your “passport talent” residence permit or your temporary (VLS-TS) or multiyear “entrepreneur/liberal profession” residence permit. Your integration to French society will be assessed in terms of your commitment to respect the principles governing the French Republic and your sufficient proficiency of the French language. |
| Family Members | If you hold a “passport talent” with the mention “innovative project recognised by a public entity” or a “passport talent” with the mention “founding a business”, your spouse and children over 18 fully benefit of the "family passport talent" residence permit, having the same duration of validity as your “passport talent” residence permit and giving direct access to work. If you hold a VLS-TS or a residence permit “entrepreneur/liberal profession”, you can be joined by your family under the conditions set in the family reunification procedures. To apply for family reunification, you must:
Your children under 18 are admitted onto the territory without a residence permit. |
| "EU long-term resident” residence permit for your family | Your spouse and children can also apply for an EU long-term residence permit if they can prove five years of uninterrupted residence in France under a "family passport talent" residence permit or a “private and family life” residence permit issued under family reunification. |
No information available at the moment.
- Ministry of the Interior
- Ministry of European and Foreign Affairs
- Ministry of Labour
- Pôle Emploi
- The "Préfectures"
- Ministry of Solidarities and Health
- Regional Health Agency
- Diplomatic missions abroad
- French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII)
- Conseil d'Etat
- Official website of the French Administration