France · long-stay visa routes and official sources
6 routes tracked · last reviewed · every route links to its official government source
Long-term visa difficulty for France: Medium (48/100, lower is easier). Most practical route: Long-stay student visa / talent passport.
Common questions
What is the most practical long-term visa route to France?
Based on our July 2026 review, the most practical route is usually: Long-stay student visa / talent passport. Overall difficulty is rated "Medium" (48/100, lower is easier).
Can I move to France without a local job offer?
Yes — 1 of the 6 tracked routes do not require a local employer: Long-stay student visa. Each has its own income, funds, or admission requirements.
For admitted higher-education students; applicants in China use the applicable Études en France/Campus France procedure alongside consular visa steps.
Typical timeline / duration: VLS-TS student visa allows studies for 4 months to 1 year and must be validated after arrival.
Obtain course admission/enrolment and complete the applicable Études en France/Campus France process for China before the visa-file stage.
France-Visas requires proof of at least €877.50 per month for long-stay student applications submitted from 1 August 2026.
Follow the visa wizard and China handling channel for passport, photographs, accommodation, funds, course and other personal evidence; a Vietnam or Caribbean bank checklist is not automatically China's.
Salaried employment long-stay visa / work permit; Talent Passport for qualified categories
Talent is a family of category-specific permits, separate from ordinary salaried-worker authorisation. Match your qualification, role and salary to the selected category.
Typical timeline / duration: Category-dependent, up to four years. French Blue Card contracts under two years: contract plus three months, capped at two years.
Select the actual Talent category; qualified employees, researchers, founders and artists do not all share one eligibility test.
The French-graduate qualified-employee branch requires a qualifying French master-level/equivalent diploma and a contract over three months paying at least €39,582 gross annually; innovative-company and intra-group branches have separate conditions.
French Blue Card requires at least three years of higher education or five years of comparable relevant experience; designated professions can use three years in the preceding seven. Contract minimum six months and gross annual pay at least €59,373.
Requires employer and role approval; French helps a lot.
Typical timeline / duration: Short assignments are generally up to 90 days; work over three months usually uses a long-stay visa or residence permit, commonly up to 12 months
Obtain an employment contract or formal recruitment evidence from a French employer.
Unless an exemption applies, the employer must obtain the French work authorisation and the applicant must submit it with the visa application.
Prepare the passport, photographs, contract, work authorisation, qualifications, and personal documents identified by the France-Visas wizard.
For people who want to stay in France long term for private reasons without working.
Typical timeline / duration: Long-stay visa duration between 3 months and 1 year; extension beyond validity requires residence permit application.
A stay over 90 days requires a long-stay visa; if the visa is a VLS-TS, validate it online within three months of arrival.
Show that you can support yourself for the entire stay. Visitor residence rules generally require a single applicant's resources to reach the current annual net French minimum wage; evidence may include bank attestations, pension, recurring income, or a solvent guarantor's undertaking. Check the current amount and accepted format before filing.
Provide accommodation in France and private medical insurance covering the full stay; visitor status does not authorize employment or self-employment.
The Talent business-creation branch requires a serious project, qualifying education/experience, project financing and separate personal resources.
Typical timeline / duration: Up to 4 years
For business creation, hold a master-level/equivalent diploma or at least five years of comparable professional experience.
Present a genuine, serious French business-creation project with financing of at least €30,000 from accepted own or borrowed funds.
Demonstrate personal/family resources at least equivalent to the current full-time gross annual SMIC requirement; project capital and living resources are separate tests.
Obtain the Economy Ministry opinion on the project's genuine/serious character and prepare identity, project, qualification, funding and other requested documents.
Visa rules change frequently. Figures and requirements above were reviewed on the dates shown; always confirm against the linked official source before applying.