General program requirements

To qualify for the initial 4-year visa, the applicant must – personally or through a company in which he has at least a 30% shareholding – invest or commit to invest €300,000 in the fixed assets of a business in France. 

The investment must create or protect jobs within the four years following the investment and the investor must own at least 10% of the shares of the company in which he invests.

The main applicant’s dependent spouse and children under 18 can apply immediately for the ‘Talent Passport – Family Permit’.

€600 in processing fees apply, along with a €269 spouse permit fee and €99 for dependent children.

The investment value does not need to increase per additional dependent.

Program benefits

• Increased visa-free travel;
  Freedom of movement (but not settlement) within Schengen;
• Path to citizenship;
• Permits dual/multiple citizenship;
• Enhanced education opportunities;
• Enhanced business access to large economies;
• Short processing time

Requirements to qualify for citizenship

Applicants start by preparing the application online and applying for a long-stay visa no earlier than 3 months before the date of arrival in France. This visa, granted at the consulate and attached to passport, grants initial entry. Once in France, the applicant will present the long-stay visa at the local préfecture (French government administrative office) which will then issue the residence permit, allowing the investor to stay and work in France for 4 years.

The residence permit may be extended if the investment is held and not withdrawn. After the completion of the fifth consecutive year of Residency the applicant may apply for the Settlement Permit (Permanent Residency) which is effective for 10 years. At this stage, the investment may be withdrawn from the business.

The investor may apply for citizenship after 5 years. i.e immediately after receiving permanent residency. There are possibilities for part of the residency to be waived and reduced to 2 years.

Applicants are required to have integrated into French society (that is, through language skills and understanding of the rights and responsibilities of a French citizen), to be demonstrated during an interview with the French authorities. 

Applications for this program may be directed to:

Direction Générale des Etrangers en France (DGEF) & Business France 

Legislation upon which this program is based:

Code de l’entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d’asile” (CESEDA) November 2004