2026 Guide
France Entrepreneur Visa for Americans: 2026 Requirements, Costs and Steps
Oct 15, 2026 |
Julio Vero
10 min read
In brief: Americans who want to run a business or work as self-employed in France apply from the US for a long-stay visa marked “entrepreneur/profession libérale”. Your activity must be your main activity, economically viable, match your qualifications or experience, and give you enough to live on. The official benchmark is the full-time minimum wage: €1,867.02 gross a month (€22,404.20 a year) as income the activity pays you, not your business’s turnover. Founders with a larger, funded project can apply for the Talent Passport instead, a separate route with its own conditions that lasts up to four years.
What is the France entrepreneur visa?
It is a long-stay visa that acts as a residence permit for one year, marked “entrepreneur/profession libérale” (France-Visas). It covers people who want to create or run a commercial, industrial or craft business, or work in a liberal profession in France, including freelancers and consultants.
After the visa, you apply for a residence card at the prefecture. The first card lasts one year. At the end of it you can ask for a four-year multi-year card, which since 2026 requires French at A2 level and a civic exam, unless you are over 65. A one-year card cannot be renewed more than three times in a row on the same grounds (Service-Public F35795, verified 1 June 2026).
Is there a digital nomad visa instead?
No. France has no dedicated digital nomad visa, and the right route depends on how you work. If you work for your own clients, this visa is usually the route. If you are employed by a company abroad and do no work for businesses in France, the Interior Ministry said on 23 June 2026 that you are treated as non-active and should apply for visitor status. That reading comes with conditions and open tax questions, explained in our remote work guide.
What are the requirements in 2026?
Service-Public sets out what you must show for each situation:
|
Your situation |
What you must show |
|---|---|
|
Creating a commercial, industrial or craft business |
A viable project: business plan and multi-year forecast budget, an opinion on viability from the state’s foreign-labour platform, and a bank guarantee or a credit balance on a French bank account |
|
Creating a liberal or freelance activity |
Evidence the activity can pay you at least €1,867.02 gross a month, URSSAF registration, and the foreign-labour platform’s opinion |
|
Continuing an existing business or liberal activity |
Income drawn from the activity of at least €1,867.02 gross a month, shown by payslips or accounts and your tax notice |
|
Regulated profession (e.g. architect, health, legal) |
Your authorisation to practise or registration with the professional body |
Source: Service-Public F35795. The opinion on viability is requested online, and the documents for it have been set by a ministerial order of 13 May 2026.
Revenue is not income. The €1,867.02 a month is what the activity pays you, not what it sells. €22,404 of annual sales with high costs can leave you far below the line.
The full-time minimum wage (SMIC) has been €1,867.02 gross a month since 1 June 2026 (Service-Public F2300). It is revalued every 1 January, so check the figure when you apply.
What does "economically viable" mean in practice?
The authorities want evidence, not projections alone:
- a business plan and multi-year budget with realistic revenue, costs and the income you will draw
- signed contracts, letters of intent or existing clients
- experience and qualifications that match the activity
- the funds you are investing and proof you can live on them while the business starts
The same test comes back at renewal. In a June 2026 decision, an administrative court upheld a prefecture’s refusal to renew an entrepreneur card because the applicant’s activity did not provide income at the required level (Tribunal administratif de Poitiers, 29 June 2026). Plan for a business that pays you at least the SMIC within the first year, not eventually.
Is your project viable on paper? Our free eligibility check reviews your business plan and income before you apply. Check if you qualify
How do Americans apply?
- Prepare your evidence: business plan and forecast budget, contracts or client letters, proof of funds, diplomas, CV, and accommodation in France.
- Apply online on France-Visas and choose the entrepreneur/profession libérale category.
- Book an appointment at a TLScontact centre in the US (ten cities, including New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles and Chicago) and attend for biometrics.
- Validate the visa as soon as you arrive. France-Visas states this visa must be validated within 15 days of arrival, shorter than the three months that applies to most long-stay visas, so do it in your first days.
- Register your business through the single business-formalities portal (guichet unique).
- Apply for your residence card at the prefecture in the two months before your visa expires.
The France-Visas assistant gives the document list for your exact situation, requirements can differ by consulate.
For the rest of the move (housing, documents, arrival), see our step-by-step guide on how to move to France as an American.
How much does it cost?
Sources: France-Visas (visa fee); Service-Public F35795 and A18881 (residence fees). Applying late for a renewal costs extra. Add business set-up costs, accounting, health cover and our fixed legal fee.
|
Step |
Amount (since 1 May 2026) |
|---|---|
|
Long-stay visa application |
€99, plus the visa-centre service fee |
|
Visa validation after arrival |
€300 |
|
First one-year residence card |
€350 (€300 tax + €50 stamp duty) |
|
Renewal of a one-year card |
€250 (€200 tax + €50 stamp duty) |
|
First four-year card |
€350 (€300 tax + €50 stamp duty) |
Entrepreneur visa or Talent Passport?
The Talent Passport is not a bigger version of the entrepreneur visa. It is a separate route with its own conditions, and for company creation the Ministry of the Economy must confirm the project is real and serious:
|
|
Entrepreneur / profession libérale |
Talent Passport — company creation |
|---|---|---|
|
Who it fits |
Freelancers, consultants, small businesses |
Founders with a funded company project |
|
Money |
Activity must pay you at least €1,867.02 gross a month |
At least €30,000 funding for the project + personal resources of €22,404.20/year |
|
Profile |
Qualifications or experience matching the activity |
Master’s degree or 5 years’ comparable experience |
|
Official check |
Viability opinion from the foreign-labour platform |
Opinion from the Ministry of the Economy |
|
Card length |
1 year, renewable; then a 4-year card possible |
Up to 4 years |
|
Family |
No simplified procedure: family reunification, possible after 18 months in France, with income averaging at least €1,867.02 a month and suitable housing |
Spouse and minor children receive a “Talent-famille” card without family reunification |
Sources: Service-Public F16922 and F35795, both verified 1 June 2026. Investors putting €300,000 or more into France, and founders of innovative projects recognised by the Ministry of the Economy, have their own Talent routes; see our Talent Visa page.
What should Americans know about tax?
Working as self-employed in France generally means French social security contributions, and US citizens keep their US tax filing obligations wherever they live. Get cross-border tax advice before choosing your business structure.
FAQs
1. How much money do I need for the France entrepreneur visa?
Your activity must be able to pay you at least €1,867.02 gross a month (€22,404.20 a year) since 1 June 2026. That is income you draw, not turnover. For a new commercial business you also need a viable plan and a bank guarantee or a credit balance on a French account.
2. Can I freelance in France as an American?
Yes, through the entrepreneur/profession libérale visa, if your activity can pay you at least that amount. The visitor visa does not allow freelancing.
3. Does France have a digital nomad visa?
No. Freelancers usually use the entrepreneur visa or the Talent Passport. Employees of a company abroad who do no work for businesses in France may qualify for visitor status under the Interior Ministry’s 23 June 2026 reading.
4. How long is the entrepreneur visa valid?
The visa lasts one year and must be validated soon after arrival. You then get a one-year card, and can ask for a four-year card after the first one if you meet the A2 French and civic exam requirements (unless you are over 65).
5. Can my family come with me?
Not straight away. With the entrepreneur card, your spouse and minor children come through family reunification: you can apply after 18 months of legal residence in France, with income averaging at least €1,867.02 a month over the previous 12 months (more for a family of four or more) and housing of a suitable size. The prefect has six months to decide. On the Talent Passport, your spouse and minor children can come with you from the start.
Talk to a lawyer before you invest
Your first consultation is free. Julio reviews your business, your figures and your family situation, tells you whether the entrepreneur visa or the Talent Passport fits, and sends a fixed-fee proposal.
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