France EU Blue Card

The EU Blue Card is issued in France as a category of the multi-year talent residence card ("carte de séjour pluriannuelle talent, carte bleue européenne"). It lets a non-EU national live in France and do a highly qualified job for a French employer (Service-Public). It isn't a remote-work visa: the card covers the job in the contract.

• Salary: at least €59,373 a year gross
• Qualifications: A degree from at least 3 years of higher education or 5 years of professional experience, and a work contract of at least 6 months.
• Card length: up to 4 years, renewable
• Family: spouse and minor children get a "talent famille" card

The France guide compares this card with the other long-stay routes.

The card is open to non-EU nationals hired for a highly qualified job in France (Service-Public).

• Education or experience: A degree from at least 3 years of higher education or 5 years of professional experience, and a work contract of at least 6 months.
• Salary: a gross annual salary of at least €59,373, which is 1.5 times the average gross reference salary
• Employer: the job must be with an employer in France

Holders of an EU Blue Card from another EU country who have lived there with it for at least 1 year can move to France under the mobility rules. The salary threshold applies to the main applicant.

The core file shows the job and the qualification (Service-Public):

• a valid passport and, from abroad, the long-stay visa application
• an employment contract of at least 6 months stating a gross salary of at least €59,373 a year
• a higher-education degree of at least 3 years of study, or proof of 5 years of professional experience

The consulate or the ANEF online form sets the full document list for each case, including photos, civil-status documents for family members and translations.

Government fees come in two steps (Service-Public):

• Long-stay visa: €99, paid at the consulate (France-Visas fee list). Visa centers can add their own service charge.
• Residence card: €350 (a €50 stamp duty plus a €300 tax), paid in France
• Renewal: €250 (Service-Public)

The card fees rose on May 1, 2026 under the 2026 finance law. Health insurance, translations and any legal help are extra and vary by provider.

Apply for the long-stay visa at the French consulate or visa center in the country of residence, then apply online on the ANEF portal for the card within 2 months of arrival. Holders of another EU Blue Card held for at least 1 year can move under the mobility rules.

1. Apply for the long-stay visa at the French consulate or visa center in the country of residence (France-Visas).
2. Enter France and file the card application online on the ANEF portal within 2 months of arrival.
3. Pay the card fee by tax stamp when the prefecture issues the card.

People already living legally in France on another permit apply for a change of status online, between 4 and 2 months before the current permit expires (Service-Public). Service-Public sets no processing time. Silence from the prefecture past the legal deadline counts as a refusal.

The card lasts as long as the work contract, up to 4 years. When the contract is shorter than 2 years, the card covers the contract plus 3 months, up to 2 years (Service-Public).

• Renewal: Renewable while the conditions are still met; renewal fee €250 since May 1, 2026.
• When to file: online, between 4 and 2 months before the card expires
• Long-term residence: Yes, under the general rule: after 5 years of continuous legal residence a holder can apply for the 10-year EU long-term resident card, with French at level B1 and stable resources at least equal to the SMIC. Blue Card holders can count up to 3 years of residence in other EU countries if the last 2 years were spent in France.

Details of the 10-year card are on Service-Public.

Holding an EU Blue Card doesn't change how France taxes income. Service-Public lists no special tax regime for it.

France treats a person as a tax resident when any one of four tests is met: the household or main home is in France, the person spends at least 183 days there in the year, the main professional activity is in France, or the center of economic interests is there (Service-Public). Meeting one test is enough, so staying under 183 days doesn't guarantee non-residence. A tax treaty between France and another country can set different rules.

Anyone who keeps income or a home in another country should check the treaty and ask both tax authorities before the first French return.