France Talent Passport: Requirements and How to Apply

The France talent passport (passeport talent) is a multi-year residence card for skilled workers, researchers, entrepreneurs, investors and other qualifying profiles. For a qualified employee, the headline requirement is a gross salary of at least €39,582 a year plus a master's-level diploma and a contract longer than three months. The card can last up to four years, and your spouse can apply for a family card.

It is the main legal route for Americans, Brits, Canadians and Australians who come to France with a job offer. Thresholds are indexed and change, so check the service-public page and the France-Visas wizard before you apply. See also our France country guide.

Who qualifies

The service-public page lists several categories: skilled employee (including innovative-company employees and intra-group assignments), EU Blue Card, medical and pharmacy professions, researcher, project leader, corporate officer, artistic and cultural professions, and persons of national or international renown. Each has its own conditions, and your employer usually completes forms specific to the category.

Income requirement

For the qualified-employee, innovative-company and assignment routes, the page states a gross annual salary of at least €39,582, which is about €3,299 a month gross. The other thresholds on the page are €59,373 for the EU Blue Card, €41,386.48 for medical and pharmacy professions, and €67,212.60 for corporate officers. A secondary guide quotes €65,629.08 for the corporate officer route, so confirm the figure for your category. The amounts are indexed to reference salaries and may be revised, so confirm the current figure.

Documents you'll need

• Employment contract longer than three months, with the salary threshold met
• Master's-level diploma (or equivalent) for the qualified-employee route
• Category-specific contract form completed by your employer
• Valid passport
• Proof of accommodation and other documents listed in the France-Visas wizard
• For the card in France: ANEF application, tax stamps, photos and, where required, a medical check

Step-by-step application

1. Confirm your category and threshold with your employer.
2. Have the employer prepare the contract and category form.
3. Use the France-Visas wizard to build your checklist, and apply for a long-stay visa marked "talent".
4. Enter France on the visa. For stays under a year, the visa itself stands in for the card.
5. For longer stays, apply for the multi-year card through ANEF and pay the tax stamps.
6. Apply for family cards for your spouse and minor children.
7. Renew on ANEF before the card expires.

Costs and timeline

Service-public lists €350 in tax stamps for the card (€50 stamp duty plus €300 tax), paid when it is issued. The long-stay visa has its own fee. The pages we read give no processing time, and it varies by consulate and category, so ask your employer and consulate.

Taxes once you're resident

France taxes residents on worldwide income. Bands for 2026 run from 0% up to €11,600 to 45% above €181,917, plus social charges. Some new arrivals may qualify for the impatriate regime for up to eight years, which exempts part of relocation pay and some foreign income, but conditions are strict. Americans should also plan US filing. Get advice before signing a contract.

Family members

Your spouse and minor children can apply for a "talent-family" card through a simplified accompanying-family procedure, without going through standard family reunification. Spouses can generally work. Apply together with your own file when possible.

Alternatives

If you are self-employed rather than employed, look at the freelance and entrepreneur visa. If you do not plan to work, the long-stay visitor visa is the usual choice. For a Blue Card or work route in other countries, see:

Thresholds and rules change often. Each route links to its official government page — confirm there before you apply. Not legal advice.

Rules change, so confirm with the consulate or a qualified advisor.