France residency by investment
European residency through a direct investment in the economy
France offers residency to international investors through the Passeport Talent framework, under the Investisseur Économique Direct category. The route is built on an existing French law rather than a new or experimental scheme. You invest directly into a French operating company and hold that investment for a set period. In return you receive a renewable residence permit covering your immediate family, the right to work and run businesses in France, and the ability to live, work and travel across the Schengen Area. There is no obligation to live in France and no language requirement for the residency itself.
France is the most visited country in the world, with universal healthcare, schools and universities that include HEC, ESSEC, Sciences Po and the Sorbonne, and a passport in the global top five with visa-free access to around 190 destinations. It is also one of the world's largest economies and Europe's leading destination for foreign direct investment, which is the part that matters for a route built on investing in French companies.
€300k
Minimum direct investment into an eligible French company.
2 to 5
Months, indicative, from onboarding to residency card.
4 years
Renewable residence permit, family included.
5 years
Permanent residency eligibility, and citizenship subject to conditions.
Who can be included?
A single application covers your immediate family:
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Spouse or eligible partner, who receives a passeport talent (famille) card valid for the remaining duration of your permit.
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Dependent minor children.
Adult children and parents are not automatically included and would need separate legal grounds for residence.
How does it work?
The process runs approximately two to five months from onboarding to residency card, depending on your profile, your jurisdiction, and consular processing. Every applicant goes through full KYC and AML screening, covering identity, source of funds, and sanctions and PEP checks. Custody and escrow arrangements are confirmed separately with a regulated partner before any capital is deployed.
1
Investor onboarding. A review of your profile and objectives to confirm eligibility and define the right approach. A few days.
2
Funds transferred into a secured escrow structure, held by a Paris legal firm under lawyer-regulated CARPA accounts.
3
Compliance review. KYC and AML checks and source of funds verification by banking and legal professionals. Two to four weeks.
4
French long-stay Visa D filed with the relevant consulate, with support throughout. A few weeks.
5
Investment deployed into the eligible company, once every condition has been met.
6
Four-year renewable residency card issued at the préfecture.
Key advantages of French residency
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A four-year renewable residence permit for you and your family.
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The right to work and operate businesses in France.
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Schengen mobility. Live, work (in France only) and travel the Schengen Area, with no language test required for residency.
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No obligation to relocate. You can maintain the residency without becoming a French tax resident or living in France full time.
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Healthcare and education. Universal healthcare and leading schools and universities for your family.
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Open to all nationalities, subject to standard regulatory and compliance checks.
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A genuine economic stake. Your capital buys an interest in a vetted French operating company, with potential return.
The long-term pathway to citizenship
The permit carries no obligation to relocate, and you can hold it without becoming a French tax resident.
After five years of continuous lawful residence you become eligible for a permanent residence card, subject to maintaining the qualifying investment. Naturalization is a separate legal process, granted at the discretion of the French authorities, and it is never automatic. It requires France to be the effective center of your personal and professional life, French tax residency during the qualifying period, continuous lawful residence and integration into French society, and, for all applications from 1 January 2026, B2-level French under Loi n° 2024-42 and Décret n° 2025-648.
Citizenship asks considerably more of you than the permit does, including French tax residency.
Applicants who completed two years of higher education in France leading to a French diploma may qualify for a reduced two-year residence requirement under Article 21-18 of the Civil Code.
Because your position depends on your circumstances, we recommend reviewing it with a qualified adviser before you commit.
Consider France as your next step
France gives you residency in a major European economy through capital that buys a stake in a working business. The permit covers your family, carries no obligation to relocate, and leaves a long-term path open if you later decide you want one.
Book a private consultation to review your eligibility and the route best suited to your goals.
Other routes into France
France has other residency routes that suit different circumstances. The passive income visa is for retirees and rentiers with stable income from rental yields, dividends, pensions or savings.
Company creation is for entrepreneurs establishing and running a business in France. The startup route is for founders whose project is recognized as innovative by an approved incubator, accelerator or public investment body.
The talent permit covers qualified employees, directors and senior executives, researchers and recognized experts. If the direct investment route does not fit your position, one of these may.
How your investment is arranged
Three structures are used, depending on the opportunity.
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Direct capital participation. A capital injection into the eligible company, usually for an equity stake, giving you a genuine economic interest and exposure to its growth. The investment may be made personally, through a company you control, or through a vehicle in which you hold at least 30 percent of the capital. That 30 percent threshold applies to the investing vehicle, not to any minimum stake in the company receiving the investment.
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Contractual revenue participation. In some opportunities the company enters a revenue-sharing arrangement, with a defined annual return over the holding period agreed in advance, alongside any capital appreciation.
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Buy-back commitment. In specific pre-identified opportunities, the company or its shareholders commit contractually to repurchasing the participation at the end of the five-year period, on terms fixed at entry.
Revenue participation and buy-back terms are specific to certain opportunities, individually negotiated, and disclosed in full in the investment documentation. Review all terms with your own legal and tax counsel before committing.