France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

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Program Type:

Active Investor Visa

Processing Time:

4 months

Citizenship Timeline:

5 years

Permanent Residency Timeline:

5 years

Physical Presence Required:

None (conditional)

Citizenship Visa-Free Access:

187 countries

Minimum Contribution:

€30,000

Contribution Options:

Business Investment

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France Talent Passport - Startup and Business Creation IMI

Program Overview

France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

The Startup and Business Creation categories are the two active investor visa categories of France’s wider Talent Passport program (which also has a passive investment category).

The categories allow those who either set up a company using their own financial means, or who obtain financing from an incubator, to get a renewable four-year residence permit in France.

After five years of living in France, participants are eligible to apply for French citizenship, subject to knowledge of French language.

France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

How to Qualify

To qualify for the Talent Passport under the Startup category, an applicant must:

  • Obtain an investment commitment of €225,000 from a recognized business incubator
  • Create an innovative startup project, incorporated as a legal entity in France
  • Designate at least €30,000 of the incubator financing to the startup’s R&D phase
  • Demonstrate financial means equivalent to the French minimum wage

Each French prefecture assesses the credibility of the project based on the full business plan and sector.

To qualify for the Talent Passport under the Business Creation category, an applicant must:

  • Submit a satisfactory business plan; and
  • Incorporate the business in France and invest at least €30,000; and
  • Hold at least a Master’s degree or equivalent, or at least 5 years of relevant business experience; and
  • Demonstrate financial means equivalent to the French minimum wage.

To apply, interested parties must first obtain a Long-Stay visa for residence permit at the French consulate. The responsiveness of the consulate can significantly impact the timeline and success of the process.

France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

Salient Benefits

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

France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

Citizenship Timeline and Requirements

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 applicant can renew the residence permit as long as the startup or business remains active.

After the completion of the fifth consecutive year of residency, the applicant can apply for the Settlement Permit (Permanent Residency), which is valid for 10 years. At this stage, the applicant need not continue the business.

Note that while France imposes no minimum physical presence requirements for applicants at the temporary residency stage, obtaining permanent residency (or citizenship) is only possible if the applicant has spent at least 183 days a year in France.

The investor may apply for citizenship after 5 years, i.e immediately after receiving permanent residency. To naturalize in France, applicants must 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.

Browse 195 countries’ paths to citizenship in the hyper-detailed IMI Citizenship Catalog.

France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

Program Authority and Legal Basis

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.

France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

IMI Pros Who Can Help You

France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

Qualifying Real Estate

As noted in the program qualifications above, an investor can qualify for this program with a local property purchase above the minimum investment threshold. View eligible properties curated by IMI and our real estate partners:

France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

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France Talent Passport (Startup and Business Creation)

Program Statistics

See more statistics on this program and others in the IMI Data Center.

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