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Living in France legally: the Talent Passport, permits for artists and entrepreneurs, the visitor status, and naturalisation compared with other EU states.
24 articles tagged France
Who will find it harder to get permanent residency and a French passport, what language levels are required, and how income and real residence are checked.
How to get a residence permit in France and Spain within months, why European status beats an Emirate ID, and how to arrange taxes at 15% instead of a tax-free regime.
French Decree 2023-191 and the August 1, 2023 order allow an alternative residency permit filing when ANEF fails — via a help center, in-person visit, or lawyer's request.
France, Netherlands and Britain grant passports after 5 years. Comparison of conditions, costs, language requirements and residency permit timelines before naturalisation.
Invest €30,000, apply from Abu Dhabi with no Schengen visa, and switch a D visa into French residency. Timelines for each stage, plus crypto and property tax rules.
Invest €30,000 in a French company, get a Talent residence permit for your family, and apply for citizenship in 5 years — versus Greece's €800,000 golden visa.
Long stays in France require a residence permit (titre de séjour) issued by the prefecture. The multi-year Talent Passport covers skilled employees, researchers, investors, founders and artists, while the visitor status suits people living on their own income without working.
French citizenship is usually obtained by naturalisation after several years of lawful residence, with a language requirement and an assessment of integration.
Newcomers usually first obtain a long-stay visa (VLS-TS or visa D), validate it online after arrival and only then apply for a residence permit. Most titre de séjour applications are filed through the ANEF online portal. The standard residence requirement for naturalisation is five years, which can be cut to two for people who completed two years of higher education in France. A refused permit can be challenged through an administrative appeal or before the administrative court, within strict time limits.