Relocating to France on long-term is possible for creating a business or for engaging in an economic activity, among many other reasons. For individuals who want to start a business, obtaining French residency by investment can be a convenient route to have the right to remain in the country for long periods or indefinitely, as chosen. In this article, we briefly outline the conditions for obtaining the residence permit in France for entrepreneurs. However, for more in-depth information, as well as legal assistance, please feel free to reach out to our French immigration attorneys.
Table of Contents
In France, residency by investment is possible for NON-EU/NON-EEA/Swiss citizens through the Talent Passport – Business Investor route which is representing the entrepreneur visa in this country. When applying for the entrepreneur visa in France, the applicant needs to provide adequate documentation to support his position as an investor, either currently owning a business or planning to set up a company that will meet the required criteria.
There are several manners in which a foreign national may obtain a residence permit in France. One of the common ones is through employment and another one via starting an enterprise.
An entrepreneur who plans to open a business in France can be awarded the right to reside in the country. For this purpose, he obtains a long-stay visa with the specification skilled residence permit or business creator (“passeport talent” or “créateur d’entreprise”).
The main conditions that apply to those who are interested in obtaining the French residency by investment are the following:
The visa application is submitted together with the documents that can attest to the aforementioned four important points; the applicant will need to provide proof of the amount of his or her personal investment in the business.
Moreover, once a foreign investor has lived in the country long enough, he can apply for French citizenship, provided that he complies with the local requirements.
For entrepreneur visa in France, or French startup visa, you will be required to prove that your business has financial stability and your project is viable. The most important required documents to obtain residency by investment in France are:
Find professional support from our specialized immigration lawyers in France who can offer assistance in the documentation process to obtain French residency by investment. We offer immigration services also for persons who want to immigrate to France from UK or other countries, such as Oman or Kuwait.
There are several ways to obtain long-term residency in France, which include the entrepreneur visa in France as well as the French startup visa. Though the auto entrepreneur visa in France and micro entrepreneur visa in France are not immigration routes, the talent passport schemes can lead to permanent residency and possibly citizenship where applicants meet investment and business requirements.
The French entrepreneur visa, commonly referred to as the “Passeport Talent”, is designed for launching or acquiring a business venture in France. Applicants are required to present a viable business project proposal, invest a minimum of €30,000, and demonstrate sufficient financial means to live in the country. Separately, the French startup visa, targets founders who open innovation-based startups, requiring a strong business plan and matching the minimum capitalization from the previous visa type. In contrast, the French auto entrepreneur visa and the micro entrepreneur visa in France do not serve as immigration pathways, but rather as self-employment options aimed solely for individuals who already have the legal right to work in France. Both the entrepreneur and startup visas grant a renewable residence permit for up to four years, allowing also the family members to move to France alongside the main visa holder under the “Passeport Talent – Famille” program.
Entrepreneurs also have other options for investment, apart from the possibility to open a business under the conditions mentioned above. These include making a direct economic investment in a recipient company:
Our team of French immigration lawyers can give you more details about each of these conditions as well as more information on the supporting documentation, the overall investor visa application process and what one may expect during the application.
According to data presented by the French Ministry of the Interior in 2024, France has recorded the highest migration levels in the last period. Data for migration in this country shows the following:
When you choose to work with our team you can rest assured that the documentation will be prepared accordingly and that you will follow through with all the current legal requirements for obtaining the visa.
Furthermore, we can also provide details on how to apply for French citizenship, as we can also help you if you want to immigrate to France from the USA. If you want to get the citizenship for St. Kitts and Nevis or other countries, we can put you in touch with our local partners.
For more information on obtaining France residency by investment, we invite you to contact us.