France does not have a digital nomad visa at the legislative level. However, in this European country, there are alternative programs for self-employed individuals that allow them to live and provide services privately:
- Freelance Visa (Entrepreneur/profession libérale);
- Working Holiday Visa (Vacances-Travail);
- Talent Visa (Passeport talent – Artistique et culturelle).
Each program provides a freelancer with a residence permit and offers a differentiated set of benefits. For potential participants in the digital nomad analog program, the most practical cities are considered to be Paris and Lyon. The French capital is abundant with coworking spaces, and the administrative center of the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and Paris are connected by one of the highest-speed communication lines (400 Gb per second).
The entry permit is issued in the Visa Department of the General Consulate of France (Moscow, Kazansky Pereulok, 10).
Freelance Visa Specifics
The Professional Freelancer Visa (Profession Libérale) is geared towards freelancers and those involved in industrial, commercial, and craft activities. The document allows legal residence in the Fifth Republic and conducting business for a year.
However, the applicant faces strict requirements regarding financial guarantees and the profitability of the business activity. The monthly profit must not be below the minimum wage in France (1,747 euros). In the absence of monthly profit, one can verify financial support with a bank statement for the year (minimum deposit amount – 21,000 euros). The business activity must be registered with the Social Security and Family Assistance Fund Collection Bureau (URSSAF).
If the applicant is applying for a working holiday visa, the financial support conditions are similar to those in the Profession Libérale program. Foreign guests aged 18 to 35 years from fifteen countries with which France has bilateral agreements can apply for the Vacances-Travail. This visa format is not available to Russians. Vacances-Travail is issued for 1 year.
For the self-employed going to France under the Passeport talent – Artistique et culturelle program, differentiated financial guarantee conditions are provided. In particular, a certified specialist must receive a salary not less than 1.5 times the average monthly gross salary established in France. Entrepreneurs seeking the Talent Visa must develop an industrial, craft, or commercial business project and invest at least 30,000 euros in it.
Freelancer Taxation
For applicants participating in the digital nomad analog programs, French authorities have provided a progressive income tax scale. A zero tax rate applies if the freelancer’s income profit does not exceed 10,770 euros per year. The maximum tax rate (45%) is imposed on those whose profit exceeded 169,000 euros per year.
Visa Costs
The consular fee for processing an analog freelancer visa in France is 99 euros. Services of the visa center will additionally cost the self-employed 35.5 euros (service fee).
Understanding all the bureaucratic intricacies on your own is sometimes not easy, but our experts are always ready to review your case and help on the path to a comfortable life.
Required Documents
For applying to the analog program of the digital nomad visa, the applicant will need:
- Application form;
- International passport;
- National ID passport;
- Biometric data;
- Color photo 3.5 x 4.5 cm (3 copies);
- Certificate of no criminal record;
- Rental agreement;
- Business project plan;
- Documents confirming financial guarantees (bank statement, proof of income and expenses);
- Cover letter explaining the need to move to France.
The list of documents may be expanded depending on the specifics of the chosen relocation program. For instance, applicants for Entrepreneur/profession libérale must fill out a special CERFA form No. 13473*01 – “Retail trader, craftsman, manufacturer”.
Recent Changes in Visa Issues with France
In 2024, not all program formats allowing remote work in the French state are available. In particular, the French authorities have not provided the possibility of issuing a working holiday visa to compatriots.
Popularity statistics for Digital Nomad Visa to France
According to open data from Google Trends, in the third quarter of 2024, the demand for a nomad visa to the Fifth Republic decreased, but by the fall there were trends of active growth in interest in the program.
