Welcome to la French Tech – FAQ
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You want to settle in France to join, found or invest in a startup ?
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 British citizen ? Check our dedicated sheet and brexit.gouv.fr.
You are an Algerian citizen ? Check our dedicated sheets.
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. Among the various residence permits, the “Talent Passport” titles have been introduced in order to promote the attractiveness of the territory for foreign talents and their families.
Find all the answers to your questions!
The advantages of the "Talent Passport
The “Talent Passport” is a residence permit, which :
- can be issued for 4 years;
- does not require a work permit to work for Talent Passport Employee;
- allows your family to accompany you under the same conditions (spouse and children of the couple) by giving the right to undertake any professional activity;
- is renewable under the same conditions as long as your situation in France is unchanged (the criteria for obtaining it are still met);
- If these conditions are no longer met because your life path has changed, you can apply for another residence permit (Talent Passport or other).
French Tech Visa
One of the latest initiatives to attract foreign talent to France is the introduction of the French Tech Visa.
This is a simplified procedure, dedicated to operators within the ecosystem, enabling the “Talent Passport” to be obtained as a multi-year residence permit for 3 categories of Tech talent:
- French Tech Visa for Founders for international start-up founders selected by partner incubators and accelerators;
- French Tech Visa for Employees or international talents recruited by French companies based in France recognised as innovative by the French Ministry of Economy ; and
- French Tech Visa for Investors for international investors wanting to settle in France
We felt like ‘we were invited here by the French government’ – that’s pretty cool
French Tech Central
In order to simplify the development of start-ups, French Tech created French Tech Central, located within Station F in Paris and in important locations in French Tech capitals.
This public service offering makes it possible to:
- offer support for start-ups by public operators, in different formats, such as office hours, workshops, masterclasses,
- arrange collaborations between start-ups and public operators, depending on opportunities, in the context of public procurement procedures, open innovations or beta-tests.
The Welcome Office regularly invites you to join Masterclasses on how to establish foreign talent in France. We cover all topics relating to this subject – visa & residence permits, taxation, health, etc. It is also an opportunity to join our team and talk with us directly.
Check the French Tech Central programme