France is one of the most attractive countries to visit in Europe as well as in the world. Roughly 200 million tourists come to France every year. Paris is the most popular destination for international travellers from Europe and the whole world.
Maybe it is a small merit of the multi-year Passport Talent Residence Permit that was created for foreign employees and self-employed people to develop the economic attractiveness of France.
The Passport Talent card is for individuals who are anticipated to make a major or long-term contribution to the growth of the French economy, culture, science or sports, either directly or indirectly, through their abilities and talents.
The Passport Talent Card is a long-stay visa that allows its holder to stay in France for up to a year. After obtaining this one, you can apply on a renewable basis for a card similar to a residence permit and stay in France for up to four years.
Family members, such as spouses or children, can join you on multi-year residence permits. In order to obtain it, you and your family have to visit the local police station in France after 3 months from arrival.
Passport Talent Card – Eligibility Requirements
The country you come from is the most important factor which determines whether you can apply for a Passport Talent Card or not. If you are a national of a country that is not a member of the European Union, the European Economic Area, or Switzerland as well as a British citizen, you must apply for a residence visa. Algerian citizens are subject to additional criteria.
Another Talent Passport eligibility criteria is a contract with an employer established in France or a diploma from a higher learning institute on a national level proving grades at master or comparable.
Eligibility categories in a nutshell:
- A permanent job contract or a fixed-term employment contract with a French employer for at least three months.
- Qualification gained in France that is comparable to a master’s degree.
- Gross yearly pay of at least twice the statutory national minimum wage (SMIC) as of January 1, 2020, is €37,309.92.
Talent Passport Card – Application Process
You can apply either from outside of France or within France:
Applications from outside France
Applicants who live outside of France should submit an application to the French consular authorities from their home country. The foreign company leader can apply for a “Talent Passport” on the official France-visas website. This long-stay visa authorised access into French territory. With this visa, you will be able to work as soon as you arrive in France.
To complete the application for the residence permit, the foreign person must apply for the necessary Talent passport on the official website once they arrive in France.
Afterwards, the applicant will receive a certificate of approval, which will be equivalent to a residence permit, once the application has been validated by the Prefecture via the platform. This certificate will be valid until the talent attends an appointment with the Prefecture to obtain the definitive residence permit.
You can check the status of your application online, respond to any requests for information, and review the decisions.
Application from within France
If you already have a residence permit in France, submit an application for a change of status on the official French government website. You have to show that you are eligible for the required residence permit.
Between the time of application and the delivery of the residence permit, the applicant can check the status of his or her application online, respond to any requests for information, and review the decisions.
Passport Talent Card – Required Documents
Applicants can get a list of which papers are required for a residence permit application from the authority handling the application, as well as on France-visas. However, we present the list of the most common ones:
- Application Form for a French Long Stay Visa.
- Valid passport for a minimum of 3 months after the end of planned stay, with at least two blank pages in order to be able to put the visa sticker on it. The passport must have been issued within the last 10 years.
- Itinerary with a list of the things that you are planning to do while in France, how you get there (round-trip aeroplane ticket, a railroad reservation, or a document from a prepaid planned tour).
- Two photographs that are no older than three months.
- Proof that you have travel health insurance that covers any health problems that you might have on your trip and covers not only France but also the whole territory of Schengen with a minimum of €30,000.
- Older visa copies.
- Proof of sufficient funds.
- Proof of stays in France, such as hotel or hostel reservations for the places to visit, certificate of reception “Attestation d’accueil,” issued by the person who will be accommodating the visa candidate, rental contract – “Bail de location” in France if you will be staying in a rented place, or certificate of title for a property in France, if you are the owner of a property in France, etc.
- Certificate of the candidate’s criminal record from the home country demonstrating that the candidate is not involved in any criminal cases.
- Proof of payment of the visa fee.
How much is a residence permit in France?
The costs of French residence permit contains a fee of €200 to the French Immigration and Citizenship Office (Office français de l’immigration et de l’intégration – OFII), plus a stamp duty of €25 and the price of a long-stay visa that allows you to enter France of €99.
Expiration and Renewing
As was mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Passport Talent Card is possible to renew, but it must be submitted three months before the residence permit expires.
Also, changing a status should be done 3 months before the resident permit expires online or two months in the Prefecture of your place of residence for any other sort of residency permit.
