Work permits and visas in France: An employer’s guide

Whether you're hiring in France or relocating a team member, you'll have to comply with the country's work permit and visa requirements.

Every individual needs the correct documentation to work in France, so it's important to understand local regulations around immigration and compliance.

This article offers an overview of work permits and visas in France. We'll also explain how a global HR partner like Remote can help you hire or relocate employees abroad quickly and efficiently.

Who is eligible to work in France?

French citizens are, by default, eligible to work in France (even if they currently live abroad), as are permanent residents.

Citizens of the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) member states can also live and work in France without the need for a visa or work permit, as can citizens of Switzerland, Monaco, and Andorra. The current EU and EEA member states are:

Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Iceland

Nationals of countries outside the European Union can also live and work in France, but they will require both a work and residence permit.

Work permits and visas in France

As mentioned, non-EEA/Swiss nationals require both a work permit and residence permit to live and work in France.

These documents can be issued for various purposes, such as for Highly Skilled Employment, seasonal work, specific professions (i.e. medicine, teaching, and modeling), and internships.

The most common streams are the following:

Highly Skilled Employment in France

This stream is suitable if you are hiring an employee in France for either a permanent or fixed-term position in a role considered as Highly Skilled Employment. These candidates may apply for a Talent Passport. There are different types of Talent Passport available, depending on the educational and professional background of the candidate and the role offered.

For fixed-term contracts under one year, employees will need to apply for a Talent Passport long-stay visa (VLS-TS), which is valid for up to 12 months and can be renewed thereafter.

For employment agreements exceeding one year, they will first receive a VLS (Visa de Long Séjour) Visa to enter France and begin their employment. Shortly after arrival, they will be required to exchange this visa for a residence permit.

The Talent Passport route is typically the fastest and most straightforward option. There are several Talent Passport subcategories, such as the EU Blue Card, depending on the candidate's qualifications and experience. Notably, candidates who hold a French Master's degree may benefit from reduced salary thresholds under a different Talent Passport category compared to the EU Blue Card.

The Talent Passport — EU Blue Card is the most common permit for Highly Skilled candidates from outside the EEA. To qualify for this permit, the candidate must:

• Have a diploma attesting at least three years of higher education or five years of professional experience of comparable level or have acquired, under conditions determined by decree of the Council of State, at least three years of relevant professional experience during the seven years preceding the application
• Have an employment contract of at least six months
• Have a gross annual remuneration of at least €53,836.50 (subject to indexation annually).
  
  

In France, Blue Cards are issued for the duration of the employment agreement with a maximum duration of four years, renewable for indefinite contracts.

Note that, if your candidate has held an EU Blue Card in another EU member state for at least 18 months, they can benefit from faster processing timelines to obtain their French EU Blue Card (provided they apply within a month of arriving in the country). You can learn more about France's Blue Card here.

Local employment in France

In case the candidate does not qualify for a Talent Passport, you may consider a separate work authorization and long-stay visa or residence permit. Only the employer can apply for the work authorization. Depending on the role, you may have to complete a labor market test. This is to prove that you have attempted to find a candidate in the French labor market and wider European labor market before hiring a non-EEA national.

In case a labor market test is required, you must publish the job posting for at least three weeks on a public employment agency website (such as Apec or France Travail).

If no suitable candidate is found in France or the wider EU, you can apply for the work authorization online. During the visa application process, you will need to provide:

• A cover letter detailing the job role
• Documents supporting your company's status as a legal employer in France
• Copies of your candidate's passport, CV, and relevant qualifications and certificates
  
  

Note that, if your company is based outside of France, your visa application must also include:

• A signed employment contract
• A sworn declaration of application for registration in the French social security system
  
  

Your application form will then be assessed based on the following criteria:

• Current employment levels in your candidate's field
• Your candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience
• Your company's level of compliance with regulatory conditions and labor laws
• The conditions and salary of the role (which must not be lower than the national minimum wage in France)
  
  

You will be notified by email if your visa application has been successful. You can learn more about acquiring a work permit on the French government website.

Temporary posting in France

This stream is suitable if you don't have a registered business entity in France, and the employee will be providing services to a French client as a one off mission.

If your employee will be in France for less than 90 days, a posted worker declaration is required depending on their nationality. For assignments longer than 90 days, a specific work authorization and a long-stay visa will be necessary.

Intra-company transfer

This stream is suitable if your company has an entity in France, and you are relocating an existing employee.

If the employee will carry out higher management functions or has a higher education qualification and requires to follow a training in the French entity, they will require a Talent Passport: Qualified Employee - Intra-Company Transfer permit. If they do not meet the Talent Passport requirements, an alternative option would be to apply for a specific work authorization in combination with a long-stay visa (up to 12 months).Getting a visa for France

If the candidate qualifies for a Talent Passport, they can apply directly at the French Embassy or French Consulate in their current country of legal residence. The average processing time is approximately three weeks.

If the candidate does not qualify for the Talent Passport and will instead apply under the standard local employment route (involving a separate work authorization and residence permit), the employee must apply in person for an entry visa at the French Embassy or French Consulate in their current country of residence after you have received the work authorization.In both cases, after the entry visa is issued, the employee can travel to France and must either

• Validate the visa online within three months of arrival (if it is a VLS-TS), or
• Exchange the visa for a physical residence permit depending on the visa type issued

What about the Schengen Visa?

The Schengen Visa allows holders to visit France (or any Schengen member state) for up to 90 days. It does not allow holders to work in France. It is generally designed for tourism, business visits, or personal visits, such as visiting family or friends.

Does France offer a digital nomad visa?

Currently, the answer is no — there is no specialist digital nomad visa available in France. It's also illegal to work on a Schengen visa. However, your employee can potentially work for up to one year on a working holiday visa.

These visas are intended for young workers between the ages of 18 and 30, and are available for nationals of the following 16 countries:

Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Taiwan, and Uruguay.

Note that the age limit is extended to 35 for nationals of Argentina, Australia, and Canada. You can learn more about France's working holiday visa here.

As you can see, handling work permits and visas to support your team member's move abroad is not an easy process. Apart from dealing with a mountain of paperwork, you'll also have to deal with the intricacies of hiring, paying, and managing employees in France in compliance with local laws.

How can Remote help?

If you partner with a global HR service like Remote, international hiring and relocation can become quick, simple, and efficient. As well as helping you manage your employees' onboarding, benefits, taxes, and payroll, we can also support you with their relocation process. Specifically, we will:

• Set up a consultation with one of our mobility experts
• Review your employee's existing visa and citizenship status
• Review the visa and work permit requirements for the desired country relocation
• Review your employee's eligibility to work in France
• Fill out the paperwork (with assistance from you and your employee)
• Submit the application form
  
  

Download Remote's Relocation Guide for expert advice on how you can make the process of employee relocation simple. You can also book a consultation with one of our friendly mobility gurus to get the relocation process started today.