France · Temporary Residence
France Talent Card: Residence for Founders
Founders and investors who qualify hold France's multi-year talent card for up to four years. Their families receive matching talent-family cards, and the card is renewed online through the ANEF portal before it expires.
- Startup route
- Talent card – project leader (incl. French Tech Visa)
- Minimum capital
- EUR 30,000 for the company-creation route
- Permanent residence
- 5 years (EU long-term resident card)
- Citizenship
- 5 years; 2 years in specific cases
Talent card (multi-year residence card)
The talent card is a multi-year residence card valid for up to four years. For stays shorter than one year, a long-stay visa carrying the talent mention is used instead. Applicants who enter with a long-stay visa apply online within two months of arrival, and holders renew by applying between four and two months before the card expires. The card is collected at the prefecture or sub-prefecture, often by appointment, and each issue costs EUR 350 in tax stamps. Applicants also sign a commitment to respect the principles of the Republic.
- Validity
- Up to 4 years
- First filing
- Within 2 months of entry on a long-stay visa
- Renewal window
- 4 to 2 months before expiry
- Government fee
- EUR 350 in tax stamps
- Short stays
- Talent long-stay visa for under 1 year
- Leads to
- EU long-term resident card after 5 years
Requirements
- Continued eligibility under the talent category in which the card was issued.
- A signed commitment to respect the principles of the Republic.
- An online application through ANEF and collection of the card at the prefecture.
- Payment of EUR 350 in tax stamps when the card is handed over.
How to apply
- Apply through ANEF within two months of entering France on a long-stay visa.
- Attend the prefecture appointment to collect the card.
- Apply for renewal between four and two months before the expiry date.
Talent-family card (talent-famille)
Spouses over 18 and the children of a talent card holder can obtain the talent-family card through a simplified accompanying-family procedure, without going through family reunification. The card lasts for the remaining validity of the main holder's card and allows both employed and self-employed work, with employers exempt from a work permit and from the fee for hiring a foreign national. It costs EUR 350 in tax stamps. After five years in France on this card, renewal cannot be refused and is granted for four years.
- Validity
- Same end date as the main talent card
- Work rights
- Employed and self-employed work allowed
- Government fee
- EUR 350
- Eligible
- Spouse over 18 and the couple's children
- After 5 years
- Renewal cannot be refused; 4-year card
- No reply
- Silence after 4 months counts as refusal
Requirements
- Marriage to a talent card holder and age over 18, or status as the couple's child.
- A marriage certificate extract or a birth certificate showing parentage.
- The main holder's residence card and proof of address under six months old.
- A signed commitment to the principles of the Republic.
How to apply
- From abroad, apply for a long-stay visa at the French consulate.
- After arrival, apply online through ANEF within two months.
- Collect the talent-family card at the prefecture.
Talent card – direct economic investment
France's investor pathway sits within the talent card's project leader category. The investor must hold at least 30% of a company's capital, personally or through a business they manage or own, invest at least EUR 300,000 in tangible or intangible fixed assets in France, and create or save jobs, or commit to doing so. The file includes a business plan with a job-creation commitment and proof of jobs created or safeguarded within four years. Like other talent cards, it is valid for up to four years and covers the family through talent-family cards.
- Investment
- At least EUR 300,000 in fixed assets
- Ownership
- At least 30% of the company's capital
- Jobs
- Create or save jobs within 4 years
- Validity
- Up to 4 years
- Government fee
- EUR 350
Requirements
- At least EUR 300,000 invested in tangible or intangible fixed assets in France.
- Control of, or a 30% holding in, the company, directly or through a business the investor manages or owns.
- Creation or preservation of jobs, or a firm commitment to it.
- A business plan with a job-creation plan and proof of the investment.
How to apply
- Structure the investment and the 30% holding in the French company.
- Apply for a long-stay visa at the consulate with the investment and job-creation plan.
- Apply for the talent card through ANEF after arrival.
- Keep evidence of jobs created or safeguarded within four years.
Living in France on a talent card
A four-year card does not by itself reach the five years of residence needed for the EU long-term resident card, so reaching that status takes at least one renewal or a follow-on card. Renewal follows the conditions of the category held: an innovative founder whose situation is unchanged renews under the same rules, while a founder whose circumstances have changed can request a different residence card. The ANEF portal handles first applications and renewals, and the prefecture remains the place where the physical card is collected.
Families move on a parallel track. The talent-family card is issued without the usual family reunification procedure and ends on the same date as the main holder's card, which keeps the household's permits aligned. Because the spouse may work in any employed or self-employed capacity without a separate work authorization, a founding household can draw on two incomes from the start of the stay.
Questions and answers
How long is the French talent card valid?
Up to four years, with the exact period set by the purpose of stay and the project. For stays shorter than one year, a long-stay visa with the talent mention replaces the card. Renewal is requested online between four and two months before the card expires.
Can a founder's spouse work in France?
Yes. The talent-family card authorizes employed and self-employed work. Employers do not need a work permit for the holder and are exempt from the fee normally charged for employing a foreign national. The card lasts as long as the main holder's talent card.
Is there a residence-by-investment route in France?
France's investor route is the talent card for direct economic investment. It requires at least EUR 300,000 in fixed assets in France, a holding of at least 30% of the company's capital and the creation or preservation of jobs. It is tied to an operating business rather than a passive investment.
What happens if the prefecture does not answer a talent-family application?
If there is no answer after four months, the application is treated as refused. The applicant then has two months to file an administrative appeal or go to court. A written refusal usually comes with an obligation to leave France, which can be challenged before the administrative court.
Official sources
- Talent card: multi-year residence card of a foreigner in France - Service Publicwww.service-public.gouv.fr
- Carte de séjour pluriannuelle talent-famille - Service Publicwww.service-public.gouv.fr
- Can a foreigner set up a company in France? - Service Public Entreprendreentreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- French Tech Visa - La mission French Techlafrenchtech.gouv.fr
Reviewed October 2026. Immigration rules change often. Confirm the current requirements with the official authority or a licensed adviser before applying.
Your path in France.
Startup visa
Long-stay visa from a French consulate, then a talent card via ANEF
02Temporary residence
Talent card for up to 4 years; spouse and children get talent-family cards
03Permanent residence
EU long-term resident card after 5 years, with B1 French and a civic exam
04Citizenship
Naturalization after 5 years, or 2 in some cases; B2 French; dual allowed