France: French Tech Visa -Startup Visa

Overview:

France is known for having a mixed economy that combines extensive private enterprise, with substantial state enterprise and government intervention.

France is also ranked the world’s 9th largest and the European Union’s second-largest economy by purchasing power parity. It ranks fourth in the Fortune Global 500 ahead of both Germany and the United Kingdom, which makes it a great destination for entrepreneurs.

French tech Visa:

The French Tech Visa is a simplified procedure for investors,
founders and collaborators of non-European startups who want to settle in France.

Advantages:

  • The visa automatically extends to your spouse and minor dependent children.
  • It is valid for four years and renewable.
  • We don’t look at your diplomas like most startup development programs do.

Who can apply?

The collaborators:

To be eligible for the French Tech Visa for collaborators, you must have:

  • an employment contract of at least three months with a French company eligible for the French Tech visa
  • a gross annual salary of at least twice the minimum wage (€ 36,509.20 on January 1, 2019)

To know more about French Tech Visa for collaborators, click here!

The founders:

To be eligible for the French Tech visa for founders, you must have:

  • financial resources or a gross annual salary corresponding to at least one year of minimum wage
  • official admission to one of the French Tech visa incubators, accelerators, or other partners, through the usual selection processes

To know more about French Tech Visa for founders, click here!

Investors:

You are eligible for the French Tech Visa for investors:

  • if you invest personally, you agree to invest in a company in which you take at least 10% of the capital, invest 300,000 euros, create or save jobs within four years which will track your investment (or commit to doing so)
  • if you invest via a company that you own or in which you hold at least 30% of the capital: invest at least 300,000 euros and create or save jobs in the four years following your investment (or commit to making). For more information, visit the Welcome to France website.

To know more about French Tech Visa for investors, click here!

A startup looking to recruit international talent via the French Tech Visa:

If you are looking to recruit international talents through the French Tech Visa program, you have to:

  • Be registered in France and present your SIRET number (a 14-digit number for all French companies)
  • Check one of the requirements mentioned here.

Know more about eligibility, procedure and application for your company via the platform.

Costs:

  • The long-stay visa authorizing you to enter France costs € 99 (payable at the consulate before your arrival).
  • Once in France, you have to pay a tax of € 200 at the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII), as well as a stamp duty of € 25. You will make these payments when you collect your residence permit.

The total cost of the visa and residence permit thus amounts to € 368.

Supporting documents needed:

To benefit from the accelerated procedure, you will need to provide the acceptance letter from the French Tech Mission, as well as the supporting documents required for an investor “Talent Passport” residence permit request.

Check the list of documents here.

Note: This is only an indicative list. Contact the authority that will process your request – your consulate or prefecture – to obtain a list corresponding to your personal situation.

Where to apply:

  • If you live outside France:

Applicants living outside France should apply to the French consular authorities in their usual place of residence.

The application for a “Talent Passport” long-stay visa authorizing entry into French territory for the foreign company leader is initiated on the official France-visas website.

  • Once in France:

The residence permit will be issued to the employee by the Prefect of their department of residence upon presentation of the long-stay visa as well as other supporting documents, previously provided to the Consulate.

Sources: La French Tech / Welcome To France / République Française

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