The France Startup Visa (Passeport Talent / French Tech Visa)

In brief: the main route for foreign founders starting a company in France is the "créateur d'entreprise" (company creator) residence permit under the Passeport Talent (talent passport) system — commonly known as the French Tech Visa (founder track). Core requirements: a master's degree (or equivalent experience) + a genuine, feasible business project + at least €30,000 invested + means of subsistence at SMIC level. It grants residence of up to 4 years, with your family.

TL;DR

• Core requirements (all 4 must be met): a master's degree or 5 years of equivalent professional experience; a genuine and serious (réel et sérieux) startup project; at least €30,000 invested (own funds or borrowed); means of subsistence no lower than the annual statutory minimum wage (SMIC) (source: official application form, demarche.numerique.gouv.fr; legal basis CESEDA L421-16 / R421-33).

• Two steps: first apply online for the "recognition certificate" (attestation de reconnaissance, valid 12 months) → then use it to apply for a long-stay visa (VLS-TS) or residence permit, ultimately obtaining a multi-year residence permit of up to 4 years.

• Family: spouse and minor children can obtain the passeport talent "famille" permit, and the spouse has the right to work.

• After the 2024 immigration law, the scheme was folded into the new "talent" permit system (service-public now calls it carte talent), but the substantive conditions of the founder track are unchanged (source: service-public.gouv.fr).

• Where to apply: from abroad, get the VLS-TS via France-Visas; in France, convert or renew the permit via the Interior Ministry's ANEF online foreigners portal or the police prefecture; the recognition certificate is issued by DRIEETS Île-de-France.

The Créateur d'entreprise track in detail

Process and timing (source: official demarche page):

1. Submit the recognition-certificate application on demarche.numerique.gouv.fr (passport copy, business model, market study, degree/experience proof, investment proof).

1. DRIEETS Île-de-France reviews it (about 20–24 days in 90% of cases; incomplete files can take about 2 months).

1. With the 12-month recognition certificate, apply for the visa/residence permit: from abroad, France-Visas for the VLS-TS "passeport talent - créateur d'entreprise," then convert to the multi-year card within 2 months of entry; from within France, ANEF/police prefecture.

1. Obtain the multi-year residence permit of up to 4 years (carte pluriannuelle "talent - création d'entreprise").

• Fees: the residence-card tax (taxe de titre de séjour) is typically on the order of €200 — follow the France-Visas/police prefecture schedules (to be verified).

The French Tech Visa and the incubator route

• The French Tech Visa (since 2017) is the government's labeled gateway for international talent, covering three categories: founders, employees, and investors; the founder track rests on the same legal basis as the passeport talent founder permit above, and the official partner network (incubators/accelerators and other partner organizations) can endorse your project and help prepare your file.

• Admission by a qualifying incubator (such as Station F, Agoranov, and other partners) is a common way to satisfy the "genuine and serious project" requirement (the current official partner list is maintained at lafrenchtech.gouv.fr / welcome.businessfrance.fr).

• Note: older phrasings from early policy — such as "obtaining ≥€30k of institutional investment can substitute for incubator admission" — have been superseded by the unified €30,000 investment condition above (the official form governs).

Other related tracks (comparison)

Practical tips

• The recognition certificate is reviewed by DRIEETS Île-de-France (contact: drieets-idf.passeports-talent@drieets.gouv.fr); it applies nationwide, not only in Paris.

• False declarations can bring 3 years' imprisonment and a €45,000 fine (Penal Code article 441-1) — keep every document truthful.

• After the 4-year card expires: if the company is doing well, consider renewing under the passeport talent, or, once eligible, pursue the 10-year residence/naturalization paths (practice varies widely by prefecture — seek case-by-case advice).

English edition draft · Data as of 2026-09-20 · Source: Europe Startup Playbook (Chinese edition)