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News 29 March 2017

France attracts foreign talent

Talent Passport

Overview of « Talent Passport »:

  • Target audience: Company directors, prospective startup directors and their employees, highly skilled employees, employees transferred within a group (french contract), young graduates or employees working in innovative new companies, etc.
  • Validity period: Four years, on a renewable basis.
  • Family: « Talent Passport – Family » residence permit granted to spouse of the main applicant, guaranteeing identical family treatment and automatic labor market access (as an employee, business founder, etc.).
  • No specific work permit is required for any work performed as an employee.

For further information, please see the « Residence permits » section.

Multi-year « Intra-company transfer » residence permit « Salarié détaché ICT » and « Salarié détaché mobile ICT »

Overview of these new residence permits:

  • Target audience: Intra-company transfers of foreign nationals posted to France to work for a French subsidiary or branch.
  • Validity period: Three years, on a non-renewable basis.
  • Family: « Intra-company transfer – Family » permit granted to spouse of the main applicant guaranteeing identical family treatment and automatic labor market access (as an employee, business founder, etc.).
  • No specific work permit is required for any work performed as an employee.

For further information, please see the « Residence permits » section.

Simplified short stays

Foreign employees on assignment in France for less than 90 days will not require a work permit to undertake certain activities that will be listed by decree.

For further information, please see the « Do you need a work permit? » section.

 

In a nutshell:

Status Previous residence permits Current residence permits
Company director « Skills and Expertise » (valid three years) Or « Business Activity » (valid one year) « Talent Passport » (valid four years, on a renewable basis) or « Entrepreneur/independent professional » (valid one year)
Business investor « Exceptional Economic Contribution » (valid 10 years; investment of at least €10 million) « Exceptional Economic Contribution » (valid 10 years; investment of at least €10 million)
Employee on intra-company transfers – French employment contract « Employee on Assignment » (valid three years) « Talent Passport »(valid four years, on a renewable basis)
Employee on intra-company transfers – secondment « Employee on Assignment » (valid three years) Multi-year «Intra-company transfer» residence permit « Salarié détaché ICT » or « Salarié détaché mobile ICT » (valid three years)
Highly skilled employees « European blue card » « Talent Passport » (valid four years, on a renewable basis)
Other key talents « Research Scientist » « Artistic and Cultural Profession » « Skills and Expertise » residence permit holders « Talent Passport » (valid four years, on a renewable basis)