Fact sheet: residence permit
Date of update
You are a citizen European Union nationals, European Economic Area national or Switzerland national?
You do not need a visa, work permit or residence permit to settle in France.
You are a citizen of another state and you hold a visa or a residence permit issued by an EU, EEA or Swiss member state ?
You can travel within the Schengen Area for stays up to 3 months. To work in France, you will normally have to apply for a work permit.
Beyond 3 months, you must be in possession of a residence permit issued by the French authorities.
Citizen of a Third State to the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland, you wish to settle and work in France?
Several types of visas and residence permits are available to foreign talents depending on their personal and professional situation and the reason for their stay. To successfully expatriate, it is necessary to prepare sufficiently in advance.
If entry to French territory requires a visa, you must apply for a residence permit in order to be able to settle in France. The residence permit adapted to your situation depends on the reason for your stay.
Directors, startupers or employees, a residence permit allows you to settle in France for a fixed period and to exercise your professional activity, whether salaried or self-employed.
Among the various residence permits, multiyear residence permits, in particular the “Talent Passport” and “Intra-Company transfer ICT” titles have been introduced in order to promote the attractiveness of the territory for foreign talents and their families.
Indeed, the family accompanying the talent in their mobility in France benefits from a simplified procedure which allows them a simplified installation and authorizing the exercise of a professional activity for the spouse. Discover our dedicated files.
Browse our different sections to find out the eligibility conditions for the different residence permits and the one that corresponds to your situation in order to find out how to issue them.
| Bon à savoir :
The post-Brexit transition period expired on December 31, 2020. For British citizens and their family members, the situation will depend on their date of arrival in France. If you resided in France before December 31, 2020, you will be able to apply for the new residence permit provided for by the agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union. If you reside in France after January 1, 2021, you will have to apply for a long-stay visa, a residence permit and a work permit, if necessary, under the same conditions as a non-EU citizen. For more information, do not hesitate to read our dedicated sheet “Fact sheet: British nationals and their family members” |
Algerian nationals benefit from a special regime.