France Talent Passport:
EU Blue Card

The EU Blue Card is a European Union-wide work and residence permit which provides the holder with a pathway towards permanent residence and citizenship in an EU country. The application for an EU Blue Card is made to the competent national authorities in the country where the applicant wishes to work.

France’s Blue Card scheme gives highly qualified workers from outside the EU the permission to live and work in France, provided they have higher professional qualifications such as a university degree, and an employment contract or a binding job offer with a high salary compared to the national average.

To apply for a France Talent Passport – EU Blue Card, you must:

• Have a diploma of at least 3 years of higher education or 5 years of professional experience of comparable level.
• Have an employment contract of at least 1 year.
• Have a gross annual remuneration of at least €53,836.50.

This card may also be granted to applicants who have stayed for at least 18 months in another EU country with an EU Blue Card. In this instance, you must apply within a month of entering France.

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

The application process for a Talent Passport – EU Blue Card consists of the following steps:

• Preparation of the visa and residence permit applications by the international talent.
• Visa application submitted by the international talent to the consulate or French embassy.
• Visa issued.
• Arrival in France.
• Residence permit requested online by the international talent on the dedicated website.
• Residence permit issued by the prefecture where the employee resides in France.
• Stay may be extended by request at the prefecture of the place of residence in France.

If the applicant is already living in France under a different type of residence permit, they will have to apply for a change of status on the dedicated website.

Applicants will need to pay the following fees when applying for a Talent Passport – EU Blue Card:

• The long-stay visa authorizing entry into France costs €99.
• A tax of €200 must be paid to the French Immigration and Citizenship Office (Office français de l’immigration et de l’intégration – OFII) when the permit is issued.
• A stamp duty of €25 is also charged on residence permits.

Most applications for this category are processed within 90 days from the date of submission. Please note, the actual processing time remains at the discretion of local authorities and may vary.

If the duration of your stay is 1 year or more, the consulate will issue you a long-stay visa with the mention “talent passport” for a duration of 3 months. You can then make your request for a residence card online. The maximum duration is 4 years, on a renewable basis.

note:

This page is intended for informational purposes only. Immigration rules are subject to change and may vary based on your individual circumstances. For up-to-date advice and guidance, please contact Smith Stone Walters.