How to Move to France with a Talent Passport:

In most developed economies, labor shortages have evolved from a localized issue affecting individual industries into a structural factor that influences economic growth rates and companies’ ability to scale. Around 80% of employers report difficulties in recruiting qualified staff.

Against this backdrop, many countries are strengthening special migration pathways for skilled professionals. Germany introduced the Opportunity Card (Chancenkarte) on June 1, 2024, allowing third-country nationals to enter the country to search for a job. The United Kingdom applies a similar approach for certain candidates through the High Potential Individual visa.

France is no exception. The country operates a dedicated migration mechanism to attract qualified workers, the Talent Passport (Passeport Talent). In this article, we examine what it is, as well as the advantages and limitations of this status.

What is the Talent Passport in France

The Talent Passport is a category of French residence permit for foreign nationals who come to France on grounds related to qualified employment, research, entrepreneurship, investment, and several other professional profiles. In practice, it is a residence permit with a maximum validity of up to four years.

Advantages of the French talent passport:

• Validity period. The residence permit can be issued for up to four years, depending on the duration of the employment contract or project.
• Covers the applicant’s family. There is a separate category allowing family members to obtain residence permits.
• Immediate right to work. The status does not require a separate work permit.

Limitations of the French talent visa:

• Strict linkage to the qualifying grounds. The type of card depends on the specific category, and the right to reside and work is conditional on maintaining the declared basis.
• Administrative complexity. The talent passport of France processing time involves not only document preparation but also a lengthy procedure to verify their authenticity.
• Prior visa requirement. When applying for the Talent Passport from outside France, an entry visa must first be obtained, and the applicant must enter the country within the prescribed timeframe.

Categories of the Talent Passport in France

The Talent Passport or Talent Visa in France includes several subcategories, each with its own set of eligibility criteria. If an application is submitted under an inappropriate category, the applicant will receive a refusal.

Qualified Employee (Salarié qualifié)

This category applies to employment scenarios in France where the applicant meets qualification requirements and receives an offer from a French employer.

Key requirements:

• An employment contract with a French employer for a period exceeding three months.
• The contract must provide for a minimum annual gross salary of €39,582.

Qualification requirements for applicants:

• Graduates of French universities. A degree at least at doctoral level or an equivalent qualification obtained in France is required.
• Young professionals in an innovative company. Employment must be with a company officially recognized as innovative, and the role must be directly linked to research and development projects.

EU Blue Card Holders

Unlike the standard qualified employee subcategory, the EU Blue Card involves a higher salary threshold and a more rigorous assessment of whether the applicant’s profile matches the position.

Talent passport of France requirements:

• Employment contract with a French employer. To qualify for the EU Blue Card, the applicant must hold an employment contract in France for a minimum of six months, although contracts of twelve months or longer are preferable.
• Annual gross salary level. The salary must not be lower than 1.5 times the average annual gross wage in France. As of August 2025, this threshold is approximately €59,373 gross per year.
• Applicant’s qualifications. The applicant must hold a higher education degree of at least three years in duration or a recognized equivalent, together with a minimum of five years of professional experience in the relevant field.

Business Creation in France (Création d’entreprise)

This Talent Passport category is intended for foreign nationals who plan to establish and develop their own business in France. It is commonly used by entrepreneurs, startup founders, and owners of service or trading companies.

Key requirements:

• A genuine business project in France. The project must be economically viable, realistically implementable in France, and consistent with the applicant’s professional background.
• Minimum investment amount. For this category, the indicative investment threshold starts at €30,000. This refers specifically to funds invested in the project, such as share capital, start-up costs, and business development expenses. The investments must be documented, and the source of funds must be lawful.
• Applicant’s qualifications. The entrepreneur must hold at least a bachelor’s degree or have comparable professional experience sufficient to implement the proposed project.
• Sufficient funds for living in France. Separate from the business investment, the applicant must demonstrate personal funds of approximately €21,000–22,000 to cover living expenses.

The highest number of refusals under the Talent Passport framework occurs in the business creation category. This is due to the absence of clearly defined formal assessment criteria for entrepreneurial projects. Even when all baseline requirements are met, the prefecture evaluates each business plan on an individual basis.

We previously described how to get a talent visa and move to France through the real-life example of a woman who launched her own online French language school. Even in this case, she was unable to obtain a Talent Passport on her first attempt, because the final decision depends on how convincing the project appears to the specific officer reviewing the application and can vary from one region to another.

Investor in the French Economy (Investisseur)

This category is intended for foreign nationals who invest their own funds into an existing or newly created economic activity in France. The key distinction from the business creation category is that the applicant is not necessarily acting as the founder of the business.

Key conditions of the French Talent Visa:

• Minimum investment amount of €300,000.
• Personal involvement of the investor in the project. The applicant must either hold at least 10% of the company’s share capital or occupy a managerial position.
• Job creation or preservation. The investment project must either result in the creation of new jobs in France or contribute to the retention of existing jobs that would otherwise be eliminated.
• Verified source of funds. French authorities require documentary evidence of the origin of the funds, including income statements, dividend records, asset sale documents, bank statements, and corporate documents when funds are invested through legal entities.

As noted earlier, the initial residence permit is issued for a period of up to four years. In this category, however, it is directly tied to the investment project and the duration of the investor’s participation. As a result, renewal of passport talent in France is only possible if the investment is maintained.

Talented Artists and Cultural Professionals (Artiste / professions artistiques et culturelles)

This category is designed for foreign professionals in the arts, culture, and creative industries who generate income from such activities in France. It applies to musicians, actors, directors, artists, photographers, designers, writers, architects, and other specialists in artistic fields.

Key requirements:

• Proof of professional activity. The applicant must demonstrate that the activity is professional rather than amateur in nature and that it has an economic dimension in France within the framework of a structured project, rather than a one-off private commission.
• Professional engagements in France. Contracts with French organizations, producers, galleries, agencies, or similar entities are required.
• Minimum income level. The applicant must show that their income is sufficient to live in France without relying on social assistance.
• Professional recognition. Particular attention is paid to the portfolio, professional references, and contractual track record.

Family Members of a Talent Passport Holder (Talent-Famille)

This is a separate category that applies not to the principal applicant but exclusively to their family members. This pathway is significantly faster than standard family reunification procedures and does not require proof of long-term prior residence in France.

The following family members are eligible to apply for a Talent-Famille card:

• the spouse of the principal applicant;
• a partner under a registered partnership agreement;
• the couple’s minor children.

Adult children and other relatives are not covered by this category and are assessed under different immigration grounds.

Key conditions:

• The principal applicant must hold a valid Talent Passport.
• Proof of the family relationship is required, such as a marriage certificate, registered partnership documentation, children’s birth certificates, and other evidence confirming the validity and continuity of the family ties.
• Cohabitation with the principal applicant in their accommodation in France.

The Talent-Famille card grants the right to reside in France for a period corresponding to the validity of the principal applicant’s permit and allows employment without a separate work authorization, both in salaried positions and in self-employed activities.

How to Obtain a Talent Passport in France

At the initial stage, it is essential to identify the correct category, as each category has its own specific criteria. Choosing the wrong category is one of the most common causes of difficulties at later stages of the process.

Once the category is selected, the application file is prepared. The standard set of documents required for passport talent visa of France includes:

• a valid international passport;
• an application form for a long-stay visa or a residence permit;
• photographs in the required format;
• proof of a residential address in France.

Supporting documents related to the qualifying grounds vary by category and may include an employment contract, a business plan, investment documentation, a portfolio, or contracts with French counterparties.

If the applicant is outside France, the procedure begins with an application for a long-stay visa marked “Passeport Talent” submitted through the France-Visas system or a French consulate in the country of residence. After entering France, the applicant must apply for the Talent Passport within the prescribed timeframe. If the applicant is already in France, the application must be submitted via the ANEF online platform.

Most common reasons for refusal:

• an incorrectly selected category;
• failure to meet the required salary, investment, or financial thresholds;
• weak or inconsistent evidence of qualifications and professional experience;
• lack of economic rationale in the business or investment project;
• discrepancies between the supporting documents, the application form, and the actual circumstances.