Visa to work in France : a little Q&A !

A visa to work in France is something many seeks. Indeed if you want to immigrate to France, you will also need to be able to work once you are here. Unfortunately, there are many obstacles on the road. The main one being the french administration always looking to cause trouble and of course never helping you in your process. Here after is a short Q&A on the matter :

Can I apply for a visa to work in France while I have a tourist visa ?

No you cannot. This is one of the most common mistakes. Someone is in France and he or she believes that she can apply straight away at the Préfecture and get a residence permit.

It is not possible. Only if you hold a long stay visa you are allowed to apply directly at the Préfecture. There are a few exceptions for family reasons.

Do I need a visa to work in France to live in the country ?

No you don’t. You can also choose to immigrate in France and not work. It is possible and immigration law allows it. But only if you are able to proove that you can sustain yourself while you are in France.

So if you are planning to immigrate to France, working is not the only way to get here.

How do I get one ?

There are many ways. It will first depend on the nature of your professionnal activity. Are you self-employed ? Or do you have a working contract or aiming to get one ? Once you know this, there will be two possible paiths.

If you have been hired by a company, the company needs to apply for a working authorization. Only they can do it, you are not allow to do it by yourself. The company will need to show that they have accomplished the process required.

If you are self-employed, you can apply straight away at the French Consulate the closest to where you live. However you will need to show that your project is financialy strong and allows you to live in the country without help from the state.

If I have such a visa can my family come with me ?

There are two kinds of visa to work in France. The first one is called « carte de séjour temporaire » and the second one « Passeport Talent ». Only if you have applied for the Passeport Talent visa to work in France are you allowed to come with your family. They will get a long stay visa as member of the family of someone holding a Passeport Talent. In such an instance, the spouse will be allowed to work in France also.

If I want to renew my visa  do I have to go back to the French Consulate ?

No you don’t. If you have already successfuly applied for a visa to work in France, once it expires you can renew it directly at the Préfecture where you live.

What will be the duration of my visa ?

It may be different but in general they will be delivered for one year. However this is not the case if you have a Passeport Talent.

What is the cost of a visa to work in France ?

There are no cost per se. You have application’s fee that will be different in each country. However if you hold a working contract, the company that got the working authorization has a tax to pay at some point.

After one year, when you will apply to get the first Residence permit, the cost of the permit will be 269 euros.