France Keeps the VLS-TS Visiteur Off-Limits for Remote Work

France’s Long-Stay Visitor Visa now comes with a hard stop: remote work isn’t allowed, even if your clients, employer or payroll are outside France. The rule has been enforced nationwide since June 1, 2025 and French tax authorities have said it plainly, which, surprisingly, ended years of messy advice from consultants and visa forums.

That matters. A lot.

The ban hits digital nomads, remote employees and freelancers who were using the visitor visa as a legal-looking base for laptop work, because préfectures have already started refusing renewals when applicants admit to telework. Tourists on visa-free entry, including many EU, US and Canadian nationals, still get their usual 90 days, but they still can’t work remotely while in France and employers who ignore the rule can face fines of up to €18,750 per worker.

What to do now

If you’re staying in France and still earning, you need a different status. The main paths are Profession Libérale for self-employed work and the Talent Passport for higher-skilled or entrepreneurial cases and both come with income thresholds, paperwork and real processing time, honestly more than most people expect.

• Profession Libérale: roughly €21,876 annual income, business proof, insurance and a viable activity plan.
• Talent Passport: often €34,650+ income for some categories, plus project documents and qualifications.
• Budget: change-of-status filings often run €1,200,€2,000 in legal fees.
• Timing: status changes can take up to 3 months.

If you’re already in France on a visitor visa, don’t wait for renewal season. Audit your status, talk to an immigration lawyer and move early, because the first big renewal cycle is already exposing people who kept working on the wrong permit.

Read our full France guide for the complete picture and check the latest visa updates.