Do you want to start a business in France, or maybe continue your current business activity from France? These are the three sponsor-free France entrepreneur visas to create a business in France, plus two extras!
I will detail the main information for each of them: first the Entrepreneur – Profession Libérale, second the Talent Passport Entrepreneur and the Talent Passport – Profession Artistique.
Whether you are a startupper, an entrepreneur, a freelancer or an artist, there is a France entrepreneur visa for you to start a business in France without needing a sponsor! Yes, the French entrepreneur visa requirements are often not as selective as the salaried visa so there are some great options to explore!
All these visas also apply to British citizens that have not settled in France before January 1, 2021.
Table of Contents
The Entrepreneur visa (Entrepreneur / Profession Libérale)
Who is this France entrepreneur visa for?
This is the easiest visa to start a business in France. However, the type of business setup you choose to have will impact the visa process.
This visa applies to both people doing freelance work from France and to people incorporating a company structure, slightly more complex in terms of visa requests and definitely more complex in terms of administration for the company.
This visa is often wrongly called the micro-entrepreneur visa because many people under the French sole proprietorship status request this visa. However, you do not have to be a micro-entrepreneur to request the Entrepreneur/Profession Libérale visa. It is totally suitable for entrepreneurs with an incorporated company, even with many employees!
The main advantages of this visa:
- No work authorisation from the DIRECCTE, employer sponsorship or specific public sector recognition)
- You only need to provide proof of savings and a solid business plan and financial projections. You will not require having income for the first months in France
- You can have clients both from France and/or overseas
- So you can work remotely from France with either a business you already have or a new business
- It puts you on track to French citizenship (possible after 5 years of continuous residence in France paying taxes)
The main points to take into account:
You will need to declare and pay taxes in France (wherever your clients are) which will give you access to French healthcare, maternity and retirement.
You will need to justify that your entrepreneurial project (or existing company) is viable with a minimum income of the legal French minimum wage for the renewal (currently about €1,500/month).
Side note if you are incorporating a company
You may have heard about the commerçant visa (French for merchant). The commerçant visa is the old name for the Entrepreneur / Profession Libérale visa that was used for a specific category.
The commerçant side of the Entrepreneur / Profession Libérale visa is for business owners incorporating a company as opposed to people working under a liberal profession.
Since the commerçants have a company structure, more investments are usually needed and documents are required for the visa application.
Therefore, you are required to submit your business file to a specific entity for approval BEFORE you submit your visa request to the French Consulate or the visa centre.
One important note: There is no dependent visa for Entrepreneur / Profession Libérale visa holders.
If you are unsure which of the entrepreneurial visas suit best your situation, it is recommended to take the France Visa quiz that you can access by clicking on the lick just below.
The Talent Passport – Company founder (Passeport Talent – Créateur d’entreprise)
Who is this France entrepreneur visa for?
This France entrepreneur visa is for larger-scale businesses with significant investment in France.
In many ways, this visa is similar to the Entrepreneur – Professional liberal visa we have just seen. However, there are 2 criteria that make it difficult to access for people just starting out their business.
- An initial investment of €30,000 is required
- The requirement to hold a Master’s degree or 5 years of proven professional experience in the fields you are starting the business
In addition, DIRECCTE is consulted to give its opinion on the company structure and the potential of your business in France. This significantly slows down the approval process compared to the previous visa. (art. R. 313-57 and s. of the Ceseda).
The main advantages of this visa
These extra requirements also come with specific advantages:
- Initial permit of 2 to 4 years which gives more time to set up the business in France
- A dependent visa is granted to the spouse giving the authorisation to work with no restriction (your spouse is granted a Vie Privee et familiale visa)
Side note
There is another visa for entrepreneurs, it is the “Talent Passport – innovative business project” (Passeport talent Porteur de projet économique innovant reconnu par un organisme public). It is also often called The French Tech Visa for Founders.
This visa requires a sponsor since you will need to be formally accepted by one of the French Tech Visa Partner Incubators or Accelerators, via their regular process of selection to be able to request it.
The Passeport Talent Profession Artistique
Who is this France entrepreneur visa for?
This France entrepreneur visa is for performers and artists coming to France to pursue their artistic careers. You will need to demonstrate that your artistic project is coherent and that your primary mission matches your artistic skills and also how you will develop them in France.
The most important aspects of this visa request are how you will develop your art in France and integrate yourself into the local art network and community. How you will make a living comes after compared to the other visas.
At first glance, this can seem like an advantage, however, this minimum income requested can be difficult to live on, especially if you choose to live in Paris or the big French cities.
The main things to know about this visa:
- You can have several sources of income but they all must be related to your artistic project (you cannot have a side hustle like teaching English or anything else to top up your income). But if you are a photographer, you could also give photography classes, for example.
- There is no restriction in terms of the type of contract you take (as long as they are coherent with your artistic project). And every different source of income and status (like being employed with a part-time CDD or CDI, intermittent du spectacle, micro-entrepreneur, royalties) will have different registration requirements and tax levels which make it a difficult visa to navigate in terms of red tape. Consulting a tax advisor or an accountant is recommended.
- The minimum income required for the renewal is €1,100/month, however, if you plan to request a multi-year card when renewing your right to stay in France after the first year or also request French naturalization after 5 years in France, this income will not be sufficient (the French administration request at least 1.5 times the French minimum wage)
Cost of these residence permits
Here is a breakdown of the visa and residence permit costs per applicant to start a business in France:
- Initial entry Visa: €99 (can vary depending on the country where the visa is requested)
- Visa validation as a residence permit: €225 (stamp duty of €25 + tax of €200) by fiscal stamps.
- Subsequent renewals: €225
- Permanent Residence card (10 years): €225
- French citizenship application cost: €55
PLUS the cost of the legislation and translations done by translators validated by the French Court of Appeal.
France Entrepreneur visas takeaways
All these France entrepreneur visas to start a business in France require that you work for that business only. You cannot complement your income with any type of salaried activity unrelated to your business.
But the good news is that all of them are a pathway to requesting a French passport after 5 years of paying taxes in France if you justify sufficient income.
The two other statuses that also grant the authorisation to launch a business in France: The Vie Privée et Familiale (mainly granted to spouses of French nationals), plus the 10-year residency card.
Has France become a start-up country in the past few years? At least these visa opportunities are really a way to try to attract foreign talents.
