France · Work
France Blue Card
Income needed: €59k+ a year ≈ $66k
Talent card: EU Blue Card (carte bleue europeenne)
Checked against official sources on Change log
Key facts
Blue Card is a work route for France. Applicants need income of €59k+ a year ≈ $66k. You can stay 4 yrs, renewable. You can't take local work. Checked 2026-10-12 against the official source.
- Money needed
- €59k+ a year ≈ $66k
- Government fees
- €350 ≈ $390
- Processing
- Up to 90 days
- First stay
- 4 yrs
Cost, time and long term
To apply: government fee €350 ≈ $390; income to show €59k+/yr ≈ $66k; decision: up to 90 days. No lawyer or agent fee is included.
Government fees€350 ≈ $390
- EUR 350 (≈ $390)Residence card fee: EUR 300 (≈ $340) tax plus EUR 50 (≈ $56) stamp duty, paid by tax stamps.
Shown, not spent€59k+/yr ≈ $66k
- EUR 59,373 a year (≈ $66,300)1.5 times the reference average gross annual salary; contract of at least 6 months.
RenewalRenewable
Valid for the contract length up to 4 years for contracts of two years or more; for shorter contracts the contract plus three months, up to two years.
Permanent residenceAfter 5 years of residence
The EU long-term resident card needs 5 years of stay, or 2 years in France as a Blue Card holder after 3 years in the EU on a Blue Card, national highly skilled card or researcher card.
CitizenshipAfter 5 years of residence
Naturalisation needs at least 5 years of residence in France, a valid residence permit at the time of application, integration into the French community and sufficient French.
ProcessingUp to 90 days
The prefecture must answer within 90 days (30 days if you already hold a Blue Card from another EU state); silence counts as a refusal.
Where to applyAbroad or in-country
The procedure differs by location: apply for the visa at the French consulate if you live abroad, or at the prefecture if you are already in France.
Why this route may not fit
Check this before you apply.
- Needs a job offer from an employer in France
- Work isn't allowed on this route
- Not open to EU, EEA or Swiss passports, or passports from Algeria
What you'll need
Who can apply4
- The applicant is a non-EU/EEA/Swiss national; Algerian nationals follow the bilateral agreement.
- At least three years of higher education, or five years of comparable experience.
- The experience requirement falls to 3 years gained in the last 7 years for professions listed by ministerial order.
- Also granted after one year in another EU state on a Blue Card (six months from the second move).
What you must show1
- Gross annual salary of at least EUR59,373 (≈ $66,300) (1.5 times the reference average).
Documents1
- A contract of at least 6 months.
When you become tax resident
How France decides tax residence and treats foreign-source income, from its tax records.
- Stay on this route
Up to 4 years at first, renewable
- Tax residence
Tax domicile rules in Art. 4 B CGI.
- Income tax
Progressive scale per family-quotient share: 0% to EUR11,600, (≈ $13,000) 11% to EUR29,579, (≈ $33,000) 30% to EUR84,577, (≈ $94,500) 41% to EUR181,917 (≈ $203,000) and 45% above, set by Finance Act 2026-103 of 19 February 2026.
All tax rules for France Tax records checked
Full official text
Card for holders of at least three years of higher education (or five years comparable experience) with a contract of at least six months paying at least EUR59,373 (≈ $66,300) gross a year. 1 2 3
What you must show and pay
- Income of at least EUR 59,373 a year (≈ $66,300) · 1.5 times the reference average gross annual salary; contract of at least 6 months. 1
- A fee of EUR 350 (≈ $390) · Residence card fee: EUR 300 (≈ $340) tax plus EUR 50 (≈ $56) stamp duty, paid by tax stamps. 1
Requirements
- The applicant is a non-EU/EEA/Swiss national; Algerian nationals follow the bilateral agreement. 1
- At least three years of higher education, or five years of comparable experience. 1
- The experience requirement falls to 3 years gained in the last 7 years for professions listed by ministerial order. 1
- Also granted after one year in another EU state on a Blue Card (six months from the second move). 1
- Gross annual salary of at least EUR59,373 (≈ $66,300) (1.5 times the reference average). 1
- A contract of at least 6 months. 1
Stay
- Multi-year card valid for the length of the work contract, up to four years, for contracts of two years or more; for shorter contracts, the contract length plus three months, up to two years. A stay under 12 months uses a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS "talent"), validated online within 3 months of arrival. For a stay of one year or more the consulate issues a 3-month long-stay visa and the card is requested online after arrival.
- First stay: up to 48 months, decided case by case.
- Visa validity: 3 months. Validity is the window to use the visa, not the length you may stay.
- Renewable, subject to the conditions in force at renewal.
Nationality
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals; Algerian nationals follow the bilateral agreement Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Work
Work for the employer; no work authorisation needed from the employer.
Family
Spouse and minor children can receive a multi-year "talent-famille" card through the simplified accompanying-family procedure, without a family reunification application, for the length of the holder's stay. Your spouse or partner may work in France without a separate permit.
Official sources
- Talent card: multi-year residence permit · Service-Public (DILA, Prime Minister), verified 1 June 2026 · checked 2026-10-10 · published 2026-06-01
- CESEDA article L421-11: talent card validity · Legifrance (Code de l'entree et du sejour des etrangers et du droit d'asile) · checked 2026-10-12
- Carte de séjour pluriannuelle "talent-famille" · Service-Public.fr (DILA) · checked 2026-10-12
- Long-term resident card - EU (foreigner in France for 5 years) · Service-Public.gouv.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative) · checked 2026-10-11
- French naturalization by decree · Service-Public.gouv.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative) · checked 2026-10-11
Blue Card and its alternatives
| Route | Money needed | Stay | Work |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Card | Needs income of €59k+ a year ≈ $66k | 4 yr, renewable | No |
| Intra-company transfer permit | Needs income of €1,867+ a month ≈ $2,090 | 3 yr | – |
| Employee residence card | – | 1 yr, renewable | – |
| Seasonal worker card | – | 3 yr, renewable | – |
| Talent · Company officer | Needs income of €67k+ a year ≈ $75k | 4 yr, renewable | – |
Questions people ask
How much money do I need for the Blue Card?
Income of at least EUR 59,373 a year (≈ $66,300). 1.5 times the reference average gross annual salary; contract of at least 6 months. A fee of EUR 350 (≈ $390). Residence card fee: EUR 300 (≈ $340) tax plus EUR 50 (≈ $56) stamp duty, paid by tax stamps.
How long can I stay on the Blue Card?
Multi-year card valid for the length of the work contract, up to four years, for contracts of two years or more; for shorter contracts, the contract length plus three months, up to two years.
How long does the Blue Card take to process?
The prefecture must answer within 90 days (30 days if you already hold a Blue Card from another EU state); silence counts as a refusal.
Can I work on the Blue Card?
No. Work for the employer; no work authorisation needed from the employer.
Can I bring my family on the Blue Card?
Spouse and minor children can receive a multi-year "talent-famille" card through the simplified accompanying-family procedure, without a family reunification application, for the length of the holder's stay.
Who can apply for the Blue Card?
Non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals; Algerian nationals follow the bilateral agreement Not open to: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Cyprus, Czechia, Germany, Denmark, Algeria, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, Greece, Croatia, Hungary, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia.
Does the Blue Card lead to permanent residence in France?
Time on the Blue Card counts toward permanent residence in France, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence. Time on the Blue Card counts toward citizenship, which the rules allow after 5 years of residence.
How are Blue Card holders taxed in France?
No special regime in our records is tied to the Blue Card. The standard rules apply: Progressive scale per family-quotient share: 0% to EUR11,600, (≈ $13,000) 11% to EUR29,579, (≈ $33,000) 30% to EUR84,577, (≈ $94,500) 41% to EUR181,917 (≈ $203,000) and 45% above, set by Finance Act 2026-103 of 19 February 2026.
More in France
Work visas elsewhere
≈ USD figures are approximate: daily reference rates from ExchangeRate-API, dated 12 Oct 2026, refreshed when the site is updated.
Ask the AI about this route AI
An AI assistant answers from the published records on this page and cites them. It can't assess your personal eligibility. Don't include personal details.
How this was checked
Checked on 2026-10-12 against 5 official sources. Status: verified against the official sources.
Every figure on this page comes from the official source it links to. The record was researched against these sources, then reviewed separately, with special attention to effective dates and amendments. Where a source does not state something, the page leaves it out.
- Talent card: multi-year residence permit · Service-Public (DILA, Prime Minister), verified 1 June 2026 · checked 2026-10-10
- CESEDA article L421-11: talent card validity · Legifrance (Code de l'entree et du sejour des etrangers et du droit d'asile) · checked 2026-10-12
- Carte de séjour pluriannuelle "talent-famille" · Service-Public.fr (DILA) · checked 2026-10-12
- Long-term resident card - EU (foreigner in France for 5 years) · Service-Public.gouv.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative) · checked 2026-10-11
- French naturalization by decree · Service-Public.gouv.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative) · checked 2026-10-11
Tracked since 2026-10-10. Rule changes and corrections are listed on the changes page, and the methodology page explains how facts are checked. Found something out of date? Email contact@stayglobe.app with a link to the official source.