Moving to France in 2025 for permanent residence

France ranks 2nd among European countries in the ranking of living standards. This is a very beautiful and promising country, whose permanent residence and citizenship gives the right to visa-free travel in the EU and many countries around the world. French medicine is famous for its excellent quality and wide coverage of services, which is covered by basic and additional insurance. As in the case of other EU countries, first a Russian applies for an annual visa to France, then a temporary residence permit, and after another 5 years – permanent residence. Grounds are required for entry and long-term legal stay on its territory. Such grounds may include proof of financial independence, outstanding achievements, or the opening of a startup or company. Let’s consider each of them.

Residence permit program for financially independent

By the financial independence of a foreigner, the French migration service understands the receipt of funds from the rental of real estate, passive income or salary from the provision of professional services outside the EU. Such a person should receive at least 1,800euros per month and at least 21,600 euros per year. If a financially independent foreigner is already 18 years old, he has opened an account at a local bank, deposited more than 30,000 euros there and purchased medical insurance, then he is given a long-term Visiteur visa. The documents are checked for 2-3 weeks.

Visa documents

• a copy of your national and foreign passports;
• a copy of your birth and marriage certificate (if any);
• application;
• medical insurance;
• an apartment or house rental agreement or a certificate of ownership of real estate;
• a bank statement confirming the balance of 30,000euros and an annual income of 21,600euros + documents to confirm
  the origin of funds (for example, a salary certificate);
• 3 photos 35×45 mm;
• application with motivated refusal of employment in France.

The cost of obtaining a residence permit

Creating a startup in France

The country strives to attract talented foreign entrepreneurs with bright new ideas that can benefit the economy. There is a Projet Economique Innovant visa for startups in France. This is a specific type of visa and residence permit in the Passeport Talent category, intended exclusively for entrepreneurs with innovative projects.

This residence permit is issued to entrepreneurs who:

• Have an innovative business project for implementation in France;
• Received approval from a French business incubator or accelerator;
• They can confirm financial independence.

The main task of the applicant is to demonstrate the business plan and prove the innovativeness of his project to the Ministry of Economy. If the visa is approved, the foreigner receives the right to tax benefits, free movement within the Schengen area and relocation of close relatives with the right to employment.

In France, there is another program for startups, launched in 2017 – French Tech Visa. It is a simplified and accelerated scheme for obtaining resident status in France, created specifically to support the country’s technological ecosystem. This is not a specific type of visa, but rather a general procedure aimed at different categories of talent.

The French Tech Visa offers 3 main directions:

• French Tech Visa for Founders – for startup founders who have been selected in partner incubators.
• French Tech Visa for Employees – for employees of French startups recognized as innovative.
• French Tech Visa for Investors – for foreign investors wishing to open a representative office in France.

Here are the categories of foreign citizens to whom it applies:

• an employee of a newly opened innovative company with a 3+month employment contract and an annual income above € 38,150;
• an employee of one of the international network organizations who travels to France to exchange experiences;
• a self-employed person who intends to launch a startup and has received approval from a French accelerator or the Ministry of Economy;
• representatives of the arts sector: writers, performers, creators of artistic works.

The minimum level of education for a foreigner applying for a startup visa is a master’s degree (bachelors can prove official work experience in the specialty for at least 5 years). The minimum level of proficiency in French is A2, English is B2. However, you cannot open a business in other countries.

Step-by-step process

The process of obtaining the Projet Economique Innovant status takes 6-10 months and looks like this:

1. Preparation of a 15-20-page business plan dedicated to the implementation of a fundamentally new model for creating goods or services (1 month). To do this, go to the official website of the Regional Department of Economics (DRIEETS), view a list of questions for startups and write a business plan for them. It is also necessary to prepare a mini-presentation of the project on 12-15 slides explaining the purpose of opening a startup in France.
2. Receiving a letter of support from a business incubator working with the French Tech Visa program (2-3 months). Incubators set deadlines for submitting projects, so it is important to send a business plan, presentation and questionnaire on time.
3. Submitting an application on the DRIEETS portal in French (2 months). It is important to focus on innovation and not add water to the project description for the sake of volume or making a better impression.

Request a D visa at the French Consulate via VFS Global (1 month). At this stage, the project must be approved by the Ministry of Economy. To obtain a visa, you need to download your application form from the DRIEETS portal, print out the contract with the incubator or the letter of support sent to them, fill out the 14571-05 LONG SEJOUR Schengen visa form, confirm the meeting at VFS Global and agree to the processing of personal data. The rest of the documents for a long-term Schengen visa are standard.

• Entry to France and request a residence permit card for 4 years (2-6 months). A bank statement, a rental agreement, passport scans with a visa sticker, an E-Photo number, a description of the project and its approval from the Ministry of Economy are attached to the application. You will also need a French phone number. The state fee for the production of the card is 250€.
• Obtaining a residence permit card in the prefecture at the place of residence. Each year, the residence permit is extended by paying a state fee of 50-106 €.

Mandatory expenses

Opening a company in France

The company differs from a startup that seeks financing in incubators by the willingness of the entrepreneur to invest his own or borrowed funds in the French economy. The program within the framework of the Passeport talent visa for foreign businessmen is called Création d’entreprise. It is one of the most rational ways for businessmen and investors to obtain legal status in France. As with startups, the project should be interesting for the local economy and new for a competitive market.

Basic requirements for candidates

Step-by-step registration

The process of obtaining a residence permit based on the Création d’entreprise largely follows the path to a residence permit for startups, but has a number of differences:

1. Preparation of a business plan and financial model for 5-10 years (1 month). It is important to describe in detail the costs of hiring employees, taxes, salaries and other factors. The estimated time to reach sustainable revenue is up to 2 years.
2. Company registration (2 months). To do this, you need a director with a French passport, otherwise registration will be refused. Such a person can be found independently or through lawyers, paying about 1-1.500€. After that, the charter is drawn up, and the authorized capital of 1,000 euros is deposited into the French bank account of the hired director. The next step is to open a corporate account.
3. Replenishment of the account for 30,000€ (1 month). These funds will be considered an investment. If local banks will not accept the transfer of investment funds from Russia, you can buy prepaid Nickel card. The ways to replenish it are cash or transfers from other countries.
4. Registration and application submission on the DRIEETS portal (2 months). The application should describe in detail the way you earn money and attach a financial model. After consideration, a letter of approval will be sent from the Ministry of Economy.

With a letter from DRIEETS, you can apply for a French D visa with CERFA form No. 13473*01 and register at the visa application center. The language of filling out the questionnaires is French. Upon arrival in the country, the entrepreneur requests a residence permit card in the same way as described in the instructions for startups.

The cost of registration

Moving on merit

The French visa for talented people is called the Passeport Talent. This is a special type of French residence permit, introduced in 2016 in accordance with article L313-20 of the French Law on the Rights of Foreigners. The program is designed to attract highly qualified specialists, investors, entrepreneurs and talented figures in various fields to the country. The key feature of this residence permit is its long validity period (up to 4 years) with the possibility of extension and subsequent acquisition of permanent residence and citizenship. The program is aimed at people who are not citizens of the European Union and is suitable, among other things, for digital nomads.

Program categories and requirements for applicants

The presence of internationally recognized professional achievements must be confirmed in order to obtain the status of renommée nationale ou internationale. A well-prepared portfolio and a case with evidence of international recognition will help in this: diplomas on winning prizes at competitions, interviews in the state media, books, and more. A motivation letter in English or French is attached to the documents. Holders of a visa marked renommée nationale ou internationale are subject, among other things, to financial security requirements for the period of residence. Therefore, the applicant shows a bank statement with income from 1,800-3,400 €.

Portfolio preparation

Preparing a portfolio and building a reputation for a well–deserved move is a painstaking job that should be entrusted to consultants on European immigration programs. Our lawyers will help you prepare a convincing case, fill out the applications correctly, and maximize your chances of approval. Below is a detailed algorithm of actions based on the current requirements of 2025.

• Stage 1. Categorization and requirements analysis. The program includes 11 areas, including innovative projects (Projet Innovant), artists (Artiste), researchers (Chercheur), founders of companies (Créateur d’entreprise). Each category has specific requirements that are important to consider.
• Stage 2. Formation of the evidence base. Publications (Scientific articles, media materials). At least 5 publications in specialized publications are required. Participation in projects (exhibitions, conferences, startups). Confirmation from the organizers is required.
  Awards (international prizes, grants). Copies of diplomas/certificates are being prepared. Recommendations (letters from employers, clients). We are requesting 3 letters from legal entities with seals.
• Stage 3. Create a structured portfolio. The principles of the layout include a chronological order with an emphasis on the last 3 years, visual accompaniment (infographics, screenshots of projects), and translation into French through accredited translators. Mandatory sections are summaries with key competencies, achievements, media mentions, and recommendations.
• Stage 4. Legal support. This stage includes the preparation and apostillation of documents, medical insurance, and work with government accelerators.
• Stage 5. Submitting an application. The procedure takes place at the consulate. To do this, you need to make a pre-registration through the France-visas system.

For comprehensive training, it is recommended to start the process 9-12 months before the planned move. Special attention should be paid to the compliance of the project with the national priorities of France – digital transformation, environmental technologies or cultural heritage.