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French Tech Visa
The French tech ecosystem continues to grow. Many French start-ups are opting to work in English and recruit foreign talent, and the pool of tech talent is becoming increasingly international. This visa system will therefore play a key role in the future of the French ecosystem.
What is the French Tech Visa?
The French Tech Visa is a simplified procedure, dedicated to players in the ecosystem, allowing them to obtain a 4-year renewable residence permit, known as the “Talent Passport”, for 3 categories of tech talent:
French Tech Visa for Employees
This visa is available to employees of French start-ups recognised as innovative, with an employment contract.
French Tech Visa for Founders
This visa is for founders of start-ups selected by partner incubators.
French Tech Visa for Investors
This visa was created for foreign business angels or investment funds wishing to open offices in France.
Since 2017, as the tech talent pool goes global, the French Tech Visa has enabled non-European start-up investors, founders and employees to live and work in France.
Since its creation, this scheme has enabled more than 1,200 companies to recruit foreign employees.
Business France, which manages the information service and the Welcome to France website, has joined forces with Mission French Tech to create the Welcome to La French Tech Desk, which provides information on all the steps involved in moving to France, including the French Tech Visa, in order to make the procedure as straightforward as possible.
Advantages
valid for 4 years
The French Tech Visa can be issued for 4 years.
does not require a work permit
It is not necessary to apply for a work permit for salaried talent passports.
includes family
The French Tech Visa is renewable under the same conditions as long as your situation in France remains unchanged (i.e. the criteria for obtaining it are still met).
renewable
The French Tech Visa is renewable under the same conditions as long as your situation in France remains unchanged (i.e. the criteria for obtaining it are still met).
adapts to life changes
If these conditions are no longer met because your life situation has changed, you can apply for another residence permit (talent passport or other).
French Tech Visa for three talent profiles
French Tech Visa for Employees
The French Tech Visa for Employees is dedicated to talented people who are nationals of a country outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland (with the exception of Algerians), and who have signed an employment contract with a start-up (considered to be an innovative company) established in France.
The company must meet one of the 3 criteria to be recognised by the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial Sovereignty and be able to offer its international talent the “Talent Passport”.
This residence permit can be granted if the talent is recruited to carry out duties related to the company’s research and development project or to the economic, social, international and environmental development of this project.
French Tech Visa for Employees
To find out how to apply for a visa, prepare your documents, organise yourself for each stage of the procedure, understand the conditions, etc., visit the Business France website: Welcome to France
French Tech Visa for Founders
The French Tech Visa for Founders is for start-up founders who are nationals of a country outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland (with the exception of Algerians), and who wish to set up their innovative project in France and develop their start-up there.
To be eligible for the French Tech Visa for Founders, the founder must prove:
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The existence of an innovative economic project that they wish to develop in France
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Recognition of the project by a public body (State, local authorities, public establishments, publicly-owned company, etc.)
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Adequate means of subsistence, with income equivalent to the minimum wage
French Tech Visa for Founders
To find out how to apply for a visa, prepare your documents, organise yourself for each stage of the procedure, understand the conditions, etc., visit the Business France website: Welcome to France
French Tech Visa for Investors
The French Tech Visa for Investors is designed for foreign managers from countries outside the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland (with the exception of Algerians) who wish to carry out an investment project in France.
To be eligible for the French Tech Visa for Investors, the manager must make a direct economic investment:
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either personally
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or through a company that he manages
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or through a company in which he holds at least 30% of the capital.
They must also meet the following cumulative conditions:
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(undertake to) create or safeguard jobs in France within 4 years of the investment
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(undertake to) make an investment of at least €300,000 in tangible or intangible fixed assets in France
Direct investments are defined as investments in share capital, reinvested profits or “loans between affiliates”. Exclusively financial investments are therefore excluded from the scheme.
French Tech Visa for Investors
To find out how to apply for a visa, prepare your documents, organise yourself for each stage of the procedure, understand the conditions, etc., visit the Business France website: Welcome to France
Eligibility criteria for a start-up to be recognised as innovative
To be eligible, the company must be registered in France and present your SIRET number (the 14-digit number used by all French companies), and meet the following 3 criteria:
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Criterion 1: be or have been a recipient of public support for innovation over the last 5 years; the list of such support is available here.
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Criterion 2: have all or part of its capital held by an investment entity whose main purpose is to finance or invest in innovative businesses
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Criterion 3: be or have been supported over the last 5 years by a support structure dedicated to innovative companies.