Application process & timeline
Sequence the dependencies; official appointment and decision times vary by route and place of application.
01Choose the route and family planBefore commitments
02Prepare the evidenceBefore consular submission
Obtain civil records, translations, housing and cover evidence; entrepreneurs prepare a credible operational and financial file.
Documents & evidence
- Business plan and budget where relevant
- Qualification evidence
- Resource and accommodation evidence
- Do not substitute company registration for proof of viability.
03Submit and await the decisionAuthority-dependent
04Complete the arrival procedureFollow the visa; VLS-TS validation normally within three months
Begin with what you will actually do
A passive-income lifestyle and an actively managed business are not interchangeable visa applications. The long-stay visitor route requires a commitment not to undertake professional activity. Do not assume serving overseas clients online is permitted because they pay into a foreign account.
An employee normally needs the correct employment route and employer work-authorisation steps. An entrepreneur or liberal professional must demonstrate a viable activity matching their experience or qualifications. EU/EEA/Swiss free-movement cases and nationality-specific agreements require their own route assessment.
Compare the main starting routes
This table helps identify the initial route; the consular and prefecture checklist controls the application. Buying a home or opening a company is not, by itself, residence permission.
| Route | Typical fit | Key dependency |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor | Private stay funded from resources | Housing, medical cover and resources; undertaking not to work |
| Salaried employment | A qualifying French employment arrangement | Contract and required employer work authorisation |
| Entrepreneur / liberal profession | Principal viable commercial or professional activity | Experience, business evidence and sufficient resources; regulated-profession authority where required |
| Talent and accompanying family | A qualifying talent subcategory | Category-specific sponsor conditions; separate family evidence |
The entrepreneur file must support an operating business
For an entrepreneur application, the current official checklist includes an economic-viability opinion, a business plan and multiyear budget, evidence of qualifications or experience, and relevant registration, premises and financial documents. Existing businesses must demonstrate real activity and resources. A nominal incorporation with no viable operation does not answer those requirements.
The first entrepreneur residence card can run for up to one year. Continued eligibility and integration conditions govern a later multiyear card. Since 2026, the first qualifying multiyear application includes A2 French and the relevant civics examination unless an exemption applies. Plan that work during the first year.
Keep government fees separate from the relocation budget
The official entrepreneur-card charges currently distinguish first issuance (€350), temporary-card renewal (€250) and the multiyear card (€350). These are card charges, not an all-inclusive relocation price; visa fees, translations, housing, insurance, business funding and professional work remain separate.
The published resource figure for specified entrepreneur continuation and liberal-profession cases is €1,867.02 monthly on the official page updated 1 June 2026. This is not a universal visitor or family threshold. Recheck the relevant category and current figure when the file is prepared.
Map each family member before booking the move
Ordinary reunification and talent-family accompaniment have different timing and eligibility. A child close to 18, a previous marriage, shared custody or an adult dependent can alter the plan. Obtain civil-status records, custody decisions and any required consent early; translation and recognition issues often emerge late if the family is treated as one undifferentiated application.
A recognised same-sex marriage can be relevant under spouse-based routes; a civil partnership or unmarried relationship should not automatically be treated as a marriage. Check the exact permit category and the recognition of an overseas document.
Coordinate arrival with tax and business administration
Before becoming resident, review investment costs, foreign accounts, property and company control. Impatriate employment relief and the IFI arrival provision have different conditions; neither should be assumed simply because this is a first French visa.
Use the first months to complete the procedure stated on the issued visa, activate appropriate healthcare and banking, establish the tax and payroll position and keep renewal evidence. The VLS-TS validation requirement is different from applying for a card where the visa directs that procedure.
Sources & research notes10 references
Sources supporting this guide. Research draft awaiting editorial review.
- DGFiP: impatriate regime
- DGFiP: new resident real-estate wealth tax treatment
- DGFiP: foreign accounts and insurance reporting
- France-Visas: private stays longer than three months
- France-Visas: salaried work
- Service Public: entrepreneur and liberal-profession residence
- Service Public: talent accompanying family
- Service Public: civics examination, July 2026
- Civil Code Article 143: marriage equality
- Service Public: ordinary family reunification