France has a residence card built for people who want to start a company here: the talent - porteur de projet card, "company creation" route. With a master-level degree or five years of solid experience, a real business project and €30,000 behind it, you can get a residence permit of up to four years from your very first application. No French employer, no language test.
Key facts
| Legal name | Carte de séjour pluriannuelle "talent - porteur de projet" (création d'entreprise), art. L421-16 1° CESEDA |
| Formerly called | Passeport Talent - création d'entreprise (renamed by the law of 26 January 2024) |
| Validity | Up to 4 years, set according to your project |
| Work rights | The business activity behind your project |
| Money | €30,000 financing for the project, plus personal resources of at least €22,404 a year |
| French language | Not required for this card |
| Family | Spouse and children get a "talent (famille)" card |
| Fee | €350 for the 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
You will probably recognise yourself in one of these situations:
- The experienced professional going independent. A marketing director, engineer or consultant with ten years behind them, who wants to open a French company and serve clients from Paris.
- The founder moving an existing business. Someone who already runs a company abroad and wants to set up a French entity and live here.
- The graduate with a plan. A holder of a master's degree, French or foreign, with a funded project and a market in France.
- Co-founders. Several people can carry the same project, provided each of them meets the conditions on their own.
This card is about creating a business. If your situation is different, another card usually fits better:
| Your situation | Card to look at |
|---|---|
| Your project is innovative and backed by a public body | Talent - innovative project (French Tech Visa) |
| You invest €300,000 or more and create jobs | Talent - investor |
| You are sent by a group to run its French entity | Talent - legal representative |
| No master-level degree and less than 5 years' experience | Entrepreneur / profession libérale card |
| You just finished a master's in France | "Recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise" card |
Conditions
The law sets five conditions (art. L421-16 1°, R421-33 to R421-34 CESEDA):
- Qualification. A degree at least equivalent to a master's, or at least five years of professional experience at a comparable level.
- A real and serious project. You must actually create a company in France, with a credible business model and market.
- A prior opinion of the Ministry of the Economy. Before filing for the card, you request an attestation that your project is "real and serious". This step comes first, whether you live abroad or already in France.
- €30,000 of financing for the project. From your own funds or borrowed, as long as the money is shown to go to the business project.
- Personal resources of at least the annual gross minimum wage (SMIC). That is €22,404 a year since 1 June 2026, to cover your needs and your family's. This amount follows the minimum wage and changes when it is revalued.
The step that decides most files is the Ministry's opinion. It is not a formality: the project is read as a business case, and a weak or generic one is turned down before the card is even requested.
Not sure your experience counts as "comparable level", or that your project would pass the Ministry's review? A short consultation is enough to check before you spend months on it.
Documents and procedure
The file has two parts: one for the Ministry's opinion on the project, one for the card itself. Both rest on the same evidence: your qualification, the business plan and its market, the €30,000 financing, your personal resources and proof that the company exists. The exact list depends on where you apply and on your situation.
The Ministry's opinion is requested first, online. The card then follows, through a long-stay visa at the French consulate if you live abroad, or through the préfecture if you already live in France legally. Count roughly 1 to 4 months for the Ministry's stage alone. The card costs €350 in tax stamps.
The order and timing of the steps matter: the Ministry's attestation is only valid for a limited time, and from 30 October 2026 a préfecture that stays silent for 90 days after a complete application is treated as having refused (what the new 90-day rule changes).
Your rights and what comes next
- Work. The card lets you run the business activity linked to your project. It is not a general work permit: taking an unrelated salaried job needs a different status.
- Family. Your spouse and children get a "talent (famille)" card running until your card expires, without going through family reunification.
- No integration contract. Talent holders are exempt from the contrat d'intégration républicaine, so no A2 test or civic exam for this card.
- Renewal. At renewal you must still meet the card's conditions, so the business has to be real and running.
- Ten years and citizenship. After 5 years of legal residence you can apply for the 10-year resident card, which requires French at B1 and a civic exam. Naturalisation requires B2. If you plan to stay, start French early.
When it gets complicated
The rules look simple on paper. These are the situations where files most often go wrong:
- Experience instead of a degree. "Five years at a comparable level" is assessed case by case. How the career is presented often decides the outcome.
- Where the €30,000 comes from. Borrowed money, funds held abroad or money split between co-founders all raise questions about whether it is truly committed to the project.
- Switching status inside France. Moving from a visitor, student or employee card to a founder card is possible, but the timing and the coherence of your history are checked.
- A company that already exists. Taking over, restructuring or relocating an existing business does not always count as "creating" one.
- A previous refusal. A refused attestation or card stays in your history. A new application has to answer the reasons for the first refusal.
- A regulated activity. Consulting in law, accounting, health or architecture comes with its own French practice rules on top of the residence conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as the French Passeport Talent for entrepreneurs?
Yes. Since the immigration law of 26 January 2024 it is called the "talent - porteur de projet" card. The conditions were updated by a decree of 13 June 2025.
Do I need to invest the €30,000 from my own savings?
No. The financing can come from your own funds or be borrowed, as long as it is dedicated to the business project.
Do I need to speak French?
Not for this card. French becomes a condition later, for the 10-year card (B1) and citizenship (B2).
Can I apply while I am already in France?
Yes, if you hold a valid residence permit. The préfecture of your place of residence handles the change of status.
Related reading
- France talent card: which category fits you
- French Tech Visa for Founders
- Talent card for investors
- Talent family card for spouses and children
- Entrepreneur card renewal: turnover or real income?
- Naturalisation: which five years count
- Talent card and residence permits
Two ways to move forward
Check your situation. If you want to know whether your profile and project fit this card, or which card fits better, book a consultation.
Have the application handled. If you want the file prepared from the Ministry's attestation to the card, describe your situation and you will receive a proposal for full assistance.
General information under French law as at 29 October 2026. It is not legal advice for your situation.