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FREntry · residence · long-term status

Legal ways to live in France.

France currently offers 6 active paths relevant to remote workers. There is no dedicated digital nomad visa, so the practical alternatives matter. Conditions below come from official immigration sources — filter by your citizenship.

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6 legalization paths · 8 sources · official immigration sources only

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6 legalization paths

01

Choose your route

A compact map of every documented option for France. Start with eligibility and duration, then open the full conditions below.

  1. 01Visa-free short stay (Schengen 90/180)Getting in · Visa-free stayWho qualifiesUS citizens, UK citizens, Ukrainian citizensDuration3 moNo direct PR path
  2. 02EU/EEA/Swiss citizens — freedom of movement (no permit required)Staying long-term · Special programWho qualifiesEU citizensDuration5 yrs +→ PR path
  3. 03Long-stay visa/permit — entrepreneur / profession libérale (self-employed)Staying long-term · Freelance permitWho qualifiesAll except EU citizensDuration1 yr +→ PR path
  4. 04Carte de séjour pluriannuelle 'Talent — porteur de projet' (business creation / investment)Staying long-term · Business visaWho qualifiesAll except EU citizensDuration4 yrs +→ PR path
  5. 05Long-stay visitor visa/permit (VLS-TS 'visiteur') — no work permittedStaying long-term · Temporary residenceWho qualifiesAll except EU citizensDuration1 yr +→ PR path
  6. 06Temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians (protection temporaire)Staying long-term · Special programWho qualifiesUkrainian citizensDuration6 mo +No direct PR path

02

Getting in

Who can enter France and on what terms — visa-free windows and entry visas.

01Getting in
Visa-free stayactive

Visa-free short stay (Schengen 90/180)

For: US citizens, UK citizens, Ukrainian citizens

Duration
3 months
Path to PR
No

Requirements (4)

04
  1. 01Valid (for Ukraine, biometric) passport of a Schengen visa-exempt country
  2. 02Maximum 90 days within any rolling 180-day period across the whole Schengen area
  3. 03Tourism, family visit or business only — local gainful work (employed or self-employed) is not permitted
  4. 04Sufficient means and accommodation; visa-free entry is not an unconditional right

03

Staying long-term

Grounds for residence — business, employment, special programs — with the conditions to qualify.

02Staying long-term
Special programactive

EU/EEA/Swiss citizens — freedom of movement (no permit required)

For: EU citizens

Duration
5 years, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Included

Requirements (4)

04
  1. 01EU/EEA (incl. Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway) and Swiss nationals may enter, live and work in France with no visa or residence permit
  2. 02Full freedom of establishment: register a business or practise a liberal profession on the same terms as French nationals — no permit, quota or income test
  3. 03A residence permit is optional (may be requested but is not required)
  4. 04Permanent residence (right of permanent residence) acquired after 5 years of continuous legal residence
03Staying long-term
Freelance permitactive

Long-stay visa/permit — entrepreneur / profession libérale (self-employed)

For: All except EU citizens

Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Not included

Requirements (5)

05
  1. 01Third-country nationals setting up or running a self-employed commercial, industrial, artisanal or liberal-profession activity in France
  2. 02Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) bearing the mention 'entrepreneur/profession libérale', valid 1 year; validate the visa within the first 3 months (online) and renew before expiry
  3. 03Must demonstrate the economic viability of the activity (business plan, resources) — for a new business, a viability opinion is required (arrêté of 13 May 2026 lists the supporting documents)
  4. 04Must comply with any regulation governing the activity and show it will provide a living
  5. 05No labour-market test, but the viability assessment is the real hurdle
04Staying long-term
Business visaactive

Carte de séjour pluriannuelle 'Talent — porteur de projet' (business creation / investment)

For: All except EU citizens

Duration
4 years, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Included

Requirements (4)

04
  1. 01Third-country nationals in one of: (a) hold a master's-level degree OR prove ≥5 years' comparable professional experience AND create a business in France backed by a real, serious economic project; (b) run an innovative economic project recognised by a public body; or (c) make a direct economic investment in France
  2. 02Justify financing of the business project of at least €30,000
  3. 03Prove resources at least equal to the gross annual French minimum wage (SMIC) for the stay
  4. 04Multi-year 'Talent' residence card, maximum 4 years, renewable; issued via a long-stay visa then a residence card within 2 months of arrival
05Staying long-term
Temporary residenceactive

Long-stay visitor visa/permit (VLS-TS 'visiteur') — no work permitted

For: All except EU citizens

Duration
1 year, renewable
Path to PR
Yes
Family
Not included
Income requirement
1,399 EUR/month

Requirements (4)

04
  1. 01Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) bearing the mention 'visiteur', valid 1 year and renewable
  2. 02Prove stable resources at least equal to the net SMIC (€1,398.70/month for a single person) for the whole stay, without working
  3. 03Formal undertaking NOT to carry out any professional activity in France (employed or self-employed)
  4. 04Adequate health insurance covering the stay and suitable accommodation
06Staying long-term
Special programactive

Temporary protection for displaced Ukrainians (protection temporaire)

For: Ukrainian citizens

Duration
6 months, renewable
Path to PR
No
Family
Included

Requirements (4)

04
  1. 01Displaced persons from Ukraine covered by the EU Temporary Protection Directive
  2. 02Register for the temporary-protection residence permit (autorisation provisoire de séjour 'bénéficiaire de la protection temporaire')
  3. 03Full right to work, including self-employment / freelance activity, without a separate work permit
  4. 04Access to the 'allocation pour demandeur d'asile'-style support and public services during protection

France

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