Residence Permit in France (VNZ) is one of the most popular requests among our agency's clients. With this status, a resident can legally live in France, work, enroll in universities, avail medical services, and travel to EU countries without a visa. A residence permit is required for anyone planning to stay in the country for more than 90 days.
GARANT.IN specialists deal with various types of residence permits: for financially independent individuals (FNL), students, entrepreneurs, through employment, via the Talent Passport program, through marriage, and family reunification. The most common request is to obtain a new status in France for FNL or through the Talent Passport program. We will delve into these two types of residence permits in more detail: discussing the conditions and timelines for obtaining them.
Irrespective of the program, future residents must meet several requirements:
- Be of legal age.
- Have accommodation in France - either personal or long-term rental.
- Have no criminal record or legal issues in any country.
- Have no outstanding debts to banks and the state (alimony, utility bills, etc.).
- Not have any dangerous diseases (physical or mental) that pose a threat to society.
Talent Passport Residence Permit
Passeport Talent is a special program launched by the French authorities since 2017. It was developed to attract foreign specialists to contribute to the country's economic, social, scientific, and cultural spheres. With the Passeport Talent residence permit, a resident can live and work in the country legally for 4 years, with the option to extend the status thereafter. After 5 years, if the conditions for obtaining the status are met, one can apply for permanent residency, and another 5 years later, for citizenship.
One advantage of this visa is that the applicant's family can relocate to France with them. Family members over 18 years old have the right to official employment. One can apply for the Talent Passport under 11 categories, obtaining a visa through a simplified scheme. It is essential to be a highly skilled specialist in one's field and prove it.
Since the Talent Passport residence permit is essentially a startup visa, it requires the applicant's startup to be approved by the French Ministry of Economy. Based on the decision, the applicant obtains the desired status.
The process can be briefly divided into the following stages:
- Drafting a business plan.
- Submission to and approval by the French Ministry of Economy.
- Engaging a specialized attorney dealing with startup visas.
The Talent Passport residence permit can be obtained within 3-4 months. If the waiting time for the business plan approval is considered, the process takes up to six months.
Residence Permit in France for Financially Independent Individuals (FNL)
The residence permit for FNL is suitable for applicants who have a stable income outside of France. With this status, it is prohibited to seek employment within the country – the applicant lives off income from stocks, bonds, inheritance, pensions, and other sources.
FNL does not have the right to free medical services and social benefits. The status can be obtained for the applicant's family and parents over 65 years old. All participants must be dependent on the main applicant. It is essential to demonstrate an income of at least €20,000 per year and have accommodation in the country (a permanent address) – either personal or leased for the long term.
The FNL residence permit allows the applicant to live freely in France, travel within the European Union, and visit Schengen countries.
The brief process of obtaining it can be divided into the following stages:
- Collecting and preparing documents, scheduling an appointment, and submitting documents.
- Receiving approval and activating the Visitor visa.
- After the first renewal (after a year), the resident receives the residence permit card.
The collection, preparation, and submission of documents take about a month. The duration depends on the choice of consulate. For example, currently, there is a short waiting time at the consulate in Dubai, and the process of submission and approval will be faster there. The decision-making process takes about 10-14 days.
If you've long dreamed of changing your status, moving to live and work in another country, providing your children with a prestigious education – it's time to schedule a consultation with the migration specialists at GARANT.IN agency. We will provide professional support at all stages of your migration journey, help you adapt to the new environment, and resolve associated issues. With us, you'll save valuable time, energy, and avoid numerous mistakes.
