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VISAS

Does France have a ‘golden visa’?

As Spain announces the scrapping of its 'golden visa' scheme, what's the situation in France for people who make a significant investment in the country?

Published: 12 October 2023 17:19 CEST
Updated: 9 April 2024 10:20 CEST
Does France have a 'golden visa'?
Photo: AFP

Several countries offer variations of a ‘golden visa’ scheme, whereby people can get residency or even citizenship if they have a lot of money and are prepared to invest it in the host country – although Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez has announced the end of his country’s visado de oro.

So what’s the situation in France?

Well, if you were hoping to avoid France’s famously cumbersome bureaucracy by splashing some cash around, then I’m afraid we are going to have to disappoint you.

Talent Passport

Probably the closest thing to a ‘golden visa’ is the Talent Passport visa – this is a multi-year visa that allows you to bring family members with you to France.

READ ALSO Talent-passport: The little known visa that could male moving to France a lot easier

It’s traditionally given to people who work in certain highly-skilled sectors such as scientific research, but there are also categories for people who intend to;

  • create a business or take one over
  • make a direct economic investment
  • engage in an innovative economic project recognised by a public body

However it’s important to note that if you intend to apply under these sectors, it’s not just about the money. You will need to have a detailed business plan and show exactly how you intend to invest – you can’t just buy an expensive property and describe that as your investment.

As Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness Franck Riester said in 2020: “The passeport talent offers the possibility for investors, entrepreneurs, and foreign executives to settle and work in France with their families.

“It is to encourage talents from all over the world to choose our country to develop growth and employment.”

Otherwise, you would normally apply for a visa based on your status – eg a worker or self-employed visa if you intend to work in France, or a visitor visa if you want to retire here. 

EXPLAINED What type of French visa do you need?

Financial requirements

Certain visa types do have financial requirements with them – if you’re not intending to work in France you will need to prove that you can support yourself and won’t become a burden on the French state.

However, we’re not talking big sums here – the guideline amount is the French minimum wage, known as the SMIC, so you will need to prove that you have income equivalent to the French minimum wage, or that you have savings equivalent to a year’s worth of minimum wage.

Minimum wage is regularly revised, but at the time of writing, the savings option adds up to about €16,000 – find full details HERE

You only need to prove that you have this amount or above, there’s no particular advantage in visa terms if you can demonstrate that you have 10 or 20 times that amount available.

Will my visa be processed faster if I have a high net worth?

No. 

READ ALSO How long does the French visa process take?

Will it help to hire a lawyer?

If you have the cash to do so, then hiring a lawyer can remove some of the administrative burden, but it won’t make any particular difference to your application.

The best way to save time is to make sure your application includes all the relevant documents in the correct format, so that authorities don’t need to request extra information. A lawyer can help with this, but you can do it yourself by becoming a visa nerd and closely reading all the rules and requirements.

READ ALSO Do I need a lawyer for my French visa or residency card application?

What about ‘golden’ citizenship?

France is fairly generous with its citizenship, but the application must be made based on either; residency in France (if you lived here for five years, or two years if you completed higher education); marriage to a French citizen; having a French parent; five years of service in the French Foreign Legion. 

READ ALSO The complete guide to getting French citizenship

Your application will be decided based on whether you fulfil the criteria. You do need to prove that you have a ‘stable and regular income’ in France, but again there is no particular advantage in having a lot of money as opposed to just having enough to support yourself.

You will also have to take part in an in-person interview (in French) where you demonstrate your knowledge of France, commitment to its values and genuine desire to become French.

The country of égalité does of course have its inequalities, and life is easier in all sorts of ways if you are wealthy – but don’t expect money to buy you a visa or French citizenship.

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READER QUESTIONS

Does it help with moving to France to be married to a French person?

If you’re a citizen of a country outside the European Union, moving to France to live is administratively much more difficult – but are there any advantages to being married to someone who is French?

Published: 30 May 2024 11:26 CEST
Does it help with moving to France to be married to a French person?

You’ve met, fallen in love with and married a French citizen. Congratulations. 

Unfortunately, that doesn’t give you an automatic right to French citizenship, or even – necessarily – the right to live in France. You will still have some bureaucratic hoops to jump through, even though the process is a little bit less complicated.

You’ll also benefit from having a native French speaker on hand to translate the various forms for you – although unless your Frenchie is actually a lawyer, don’t assume that they are knowledgeable about French immigration law, most people know very little about the immigration processes of their own country (because, obviously, they never have to interact with them). 

Visa

If you were living in France when you did the marriage deed, you’ll have already done the visa thing, anyway. But if you married outside France, and have never lived in France, there are still things to do, including – and most pressingly – getting a visa.

The thing is, being married to a French person isn’t quite the live-in-France carte blanche that some people may think – you still need to go through the visa process and gather documents including your marriage certificate and proof of your spouse’s French nationality.

The main benefit is that anyone who is married to a French citizen can apply for a family visa (sometimes known as a spouse visa). This allows you to come to France without a job and it gives you the right to work.

Residency card

Once you have legally moved to France you can apply for a carte de séjour vie privée et familiale. 

Once your visa (which normally lasts for one year) is nearing expiration, you can apply for the multi-year private and family life residence permit.

You must meet the following conditions  :

  • You must share a common address with your spouse – except in particular circumstances (the government website mentions death of your spouse, or in cases of domestic violence);
  • Your spouse must be French on the day of the wedding and must have retained French nationality;
  • You cannot be married to more than one person;
  • If your marriage was celebrated abroad, then it must be transcribed in the civil status registers of the French consulate so that it is recognised in France.

In either case, you must apply for this document, no earlier than four months and no later than two months before the expiry date of your existing residence document (visa, VLS-TS or permit).

The usual list of reasons for refusal apply: if you have failed to comply with an obligation to leave the country (OQTF); if you have committed forgery and use of false documents; if you have committed a serious criminal offence; if you have committed acts of violence against elected officers, or public officials.

Additional information is available, in French, here. 

The situation is a little different for people who initially entered France without a long-stay visa. Usually, this applies to those from countries who do not benefit from the 90-day rule and are required to get a short-stay visa to enter France. If this is your situation, then when applying for your carte de séjour you will need to prove;

  • You are not living in a state of polygamy;
  • You are married to a French national with whom you have lived together for 6 months in France.

In this instance the first carte de séjour vie privée et familiale will be issued for a year.

Citizenship

Citizenship by marriage is a ‘right’ in the same way that children born in France to foreign parents have a right to be a citizen through the ‘droit du sol’. Yes, it exists – but there are rules, and it’s not automatic.

Applying for citizenship via marriage involves applying for something known as citizenship par Déclaration. This is, arguably, the more simple of the processes available to adults.

It works to the theory that citizenship via marriage is ‘a right’. That, however, doesn’t mean that citizenship will be handed out automatically – there are a number of conditions that you must fulfil, including having a reasonable level of French, and if you either don’t fit the criteria – or, more accurately, do not provide sufficient proof that you do fit the criteria you can and will be rejected.

READ ALSO Are you entitled to French citizenship if you are married to a French person?

If your spouse divorces you, or dies while you are still going through the process then your application may be no longer valid. Equally, if you get divorced within a year of getting French citizenship it’s also possible (although rare) for your citizenship to be annulled.

Divorce

Yes, we’re spoilsports but people who get married do sometimes get divorced and if you are in France on a visa or residency card that is linked to your marital status then getting divorced can affect your right to stay.

This doesn’t mean you will automatically be kicked out of the country if you split up. In most cases it’s simply a question of applying for a new residency permit in your own right – whether you are working, studying or retired.

If you have minor children in France then you have the right to stay even if you don’t meet the criteria for any other type of residency permit.

You can find full information on how to change your status in case of divorce HERE.

What about children?

Any child born to a French citizen has the right to claim nationality, whether or not they were born in France. So, whether you’re French or not has no bearing on that particular situation.

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