Start-up founders do not need €30,000 or a master's degree to move to France. If your project is genuinely innovative and the French administration recognises it as such, the talent - porteur de projet card, "innovative economic project" route, gives you a residence permit of up to four years. It is often called the French Tech Visa for Founders.
Key facts
| Legal name | Carte de séjour pluriannuelle "talent - porteur de projet" (projet économique innovant), art. L421-16 2° CESEDA |
| Also known as | French Tech Visa for Founders; formerly Passeport Talent - projet innovant |
| Key condition | An innovative project, recognised by the Ministry of the Economy before you apply |
| Money | Personal resources of at least the annual minimum wage (SMIC), about €22,404 a year; no minimum investment |
| Degree | Not required |
| Validity | Up to 4 years, set according to your project |
| French language | Not required for this card |
| Family | Spouse and children get a "talent (famille)" card and the spouse can work |
| Fee | €350 for a first card, plus the consular visa fee if you apply from abroad |
| Long term | 10-year card after 5 years of legal residence; citizenship possible after 5 years |
Who this card is for
- The incubated founder. Your start-up has been accepted by a French incubator or accelerator.
- The deep-tech or research founder. Your project grew out of a lab, a patent or a research programme, and recognised players in the ecosystem support it.
- The founder whose company already exists abroad. You want to move the project, or a new entity, to France.
- Co-founders. Each founder applies separately, and all must hold executive roles in the company.
Innovative project or classic founder route?
| Innovative project | Company founder | |
|---|---|---|
| Degree or 5 years' experience | Not required | Required |
| Minimum financing | None | €30,000 |
| Personal resources | 1 × annual SMIC | 1 × annual SMIC |
| What the Ministry checks | Is the project innovative? | Is the project real and serious? |
| Fits best | Tech and research start-ups backed by an incubator or ecosystem | Traditional businesses: consulting, trade, services |
If you will be an employee of an innovative company rather than its founder, see the qualified-employee card (innovative company route).
Conditions
- An innovative project recognised by a public body. Before filing for the card, you obtain an opinion of the Ministry of the Economy on the innovative character of your project. Founders supported by an incubator are eligible, and so are founders backed by letters of support from the innovation ecosystem.
- Personal resources of at least the annual gross SMIC, about €22,404 a year in 2026. This figure follows the minimum wage.
The company does not need to be registered yet; it can also already exist abroad.
Not sure your project would be seen as innovative, or which supporters carry weight? A short consultation is enough to check before you apply.
Documents and procedure
There are two stages. First, each founder requests an attestation of the project's innovative character online. Then comes the card itself: through a long-stay "talent" visa at the French consulate if you live abroad, or through the préfecture if you already live in France legally. A first card costs €350 in tax stamps.
The attestation stage is usually quick. What decides it is how the project and its support are presented.
Your rights
- Work. The card covers the business activity linked to your project. It is not a general work permit.
- Family. Your spouse and children get a "talent (famille)" card without family reunification, and your spouse can work in France.
- No integration contract. No A2 test or civic exam for this card.
When it gets complicated
The procedure is fast. These are the situations where files most often go wrong:
- No incubator. Letters of support can replace an incubator, but who writes them and what they say decides whether the project is seen as innovative.
- "Innovative" vs simply new. A new app, shop or agency is not automatically innovative. The project has to show real novelty, not just a new market.
- Resources from abroad. Savings, a salary from a foreign company or fundraising money each raise different questions for the SMIC test.
- A company that already exists abroad. How the foreign entity and the French one relate affects both the residence file and taxes.
- Co-founders with different nationalities. Each founder needs a separate attestation and file, and timelines must line up.
- Renewal after a pivot. If the project changes substantially, the original attestation may no longer describe what you do.
Frequently asked questions
What is the French Tech Visa for Founders?
The popular name for the talent card's "innovative economic project" route. The innovative character of the project is confirmed first, then the card is issued on that basis.
Do I need to be in a French incubator?
No. Incubated founders are eligible, but founders without an incubator can apply with letters of support from the innovation ecosystem.
How much money do I need?
There is no minimum investment. You must show personal resources of at least the annual SMIC, about €22,404 a year in 2026.
Related reading
Two ways to move forward
Check your situation. If you want to know whether your project would qualify as innovative, or whether the classic founder route fits better, book a consultation.
Have the application handled. If you want the attestation and the card prepared for you and your co-founders, describe your situation and you will receive a proposal for full assistance.
General information under French law as at 28 October 2026. It is not legal advice for your situation.