Residency by investment in France
Your gateway to
residency in France,
through real investment
in the French economy.
France IDEA gives international investors and their families a direct, lawful path to French and European residency through the France golden visa route, officially the multi-year “talent” residence card for economic investors (formerly Passeport Talent), backed by direct investment into vetted French companies.
€300k
Minimum direct investment into an eligible French company
2–5
Months* from onboarding to residence card
Up to 4 yrs
Residence permit, renewable subject to continued eligibility; family included
5 yrs
Generally, of residence in France before you may be eligible to apply for citizenship; never automatic
*Subject to individual eligibility and decisions by the competent French authorities.
- Built on French Law No. 2016-274
- Escrow in lawyer-regulated CARPA accounts
- Open to all nationalities
- Offices in Paris and Dubai
Our programs
Six routes to residency in France
France IDEA advises on six routes to French residency. Investors usually start with the France golden visa. Retirees, entrepreneurs, founders and skilled professionals have their own routes, and all of them can lead to permanent residence. Our guide to residency in France compares the six side by side.
01 · Investors
France Residency by Investment
The France golden visa route: a direct investment of at least €300,000 in an eligible French company, with a residence permit for you and your family valid for up to 4 years, renewable subject to continued eligibility.
02 · Retirees & passive income
France Passive Income
Based on the French long-stay visitor visa, for financially independent applicants who wish to spend extended periods in France without local employment.
03 · Entrepreneurs
France Company Creation
Establish and operate a real business in France, with a residence application based on your project and your role as its director.
04 · Founders
France Startup
For founders whose innovative project is recognised by an approved incubator, accelerator or public investment body.
05 · Executives & experts
France Talent Residence Permit
A single multi-year permit for qualified employees, company directors, senior executives, researchers and recognised experts.
06 · Long-term pathway
Permanent Residence and Citizenship Pathway
After 5 years of residence, you may be eligible to apply for a 10-year resident card and, generally after 5 years of actual habitual residence, for French citizenship. Neither is automatic.
Route finder
Which route fits you?
Three quick questions. We point you to the programs on this site that match your answers.
Indicative only — book a consultation for a personal assessment.
Why France
A major European economy with a legal route for investors
France combines the scale of one of the world’s largest economies with the lifestyle, education and healthcare that international families look for. Since 2016, French law has given investors a defined route in. France residency by investment is that route.
Global standing
One of the world's largest economies
Europe’s top destination for foreign investment projects for several years running, and first in Europe for industrial projects.
Mobility
One of the world's strongest passports
Regularly ranked in the global top 5, with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to over 185 destinations and full EU and Schengen access.
Healthcare
World-class, universal healthcare
Universal coverage and a wide network of high-quality public and private hospitals.
Education
Leading universities and business schools
HEC, ESSEC, Sciences Po and Sorbonne University are among the schools open to your children.
Lifestyle
The world's leading tourism destination
Culture, food, climate and fast connections to the rest of Europe.
Momentum
Backed by France 2030
A €54 billion national plan for innovation, healthcare and industry. The companies France IDEA works with fit these priorities.
Paris
The legal foundation
Built on an existing French law
What people call the France golden visa is a residency route that already exists in French law, and France IDEA is structured entirely around it. That is where the program gets its stability: it has been part of French law since 2016, with the same published conditions for every applicant.
Talent residence card, economic investor category (formerly Passeport Talent)
Created under French Law No. 2016-274, part of reforms to make France more attractive to international investors, entrepreneurs and skilled professionals. Today it is the “talent – porteur de projet” card for economic investors in article L.421-16 of the CESEDA (the code on foreign nationals’ entry and residence), recodified by Ordonnance n° 2020-1733 of 16 December 2020 and renamed “talent” by Loi n° 2024-42 of 26 January 2024. The €300,000 threshold is in article R.421-35, and the family card in article L.421-22, as amended by Loi n° 2025-391 of 30 April 2025.
What the law requires
- Minimum €300,000 direct investment
- Investment into a French operating company
- Investment maintained for a minimum of 5 years
- Contribution to the French economy
- Job creation or job preservation
- Source of funds verification
What it grants you
- Residence permit valid for up to 4 years, renewable subject to continued eligibility
- Full inclusion of your family
- Right to work and operate businesses in France
- No obligation to reside in France to maintain residency
- No French-language test for this permit
- Eligibility to apply for citizenship, generally after 5 years' residence in France
What it gives you
One investment. A residency
pathway for your whole family
Beyond the right to live in France, the France golden visa gives internationally mobile families what they care about most: freedom to travel, more options for the future, and a long-term base in Europe.
01
Residency for the whole family
Your spouse and dependent children are included in the same application, so one investment covers the whole household.
02
Open to all nationalities
Applicants of any nationality can apply, subject to standard compliance checks.
03
Live, work and access Schengen freely
Live in France, run a business and travel across the Schengen Area. No language test is needed to get or renew this card.
04
No obligation to relocate
You can keep your residence card, valid for up to 4 years and renewable subject to continued eligibility, without becoming a French tax resident or living in France full-time. If you later want to apply for a resident card or for citizenship, the years you actually live in France are what count.
05
Access to healthcare and education
Your family gains access to France’s universal healthcare system and to its leading schools and universities.
06
A clear long-term pathway
After 5 years of lawful residence in France, you may be eligible to apply for a 10-year resident card. You may also be eligible to apply for citizenship, generally after 5 years of actual habitual residence in France. Holding the investor permit alone is not enough, and naturalisation remains discretionary.
07
Real economic exposure, not a passive fee
Unlike donation-based schemes, the France golden visa puts your capital into a real, vetted French company. As with any company investment, there are capital-loss and liquidity risks.
Not sure which route fits your family? Book a consultation
The investment
Where your €300,000 goes
France IDEA finds, checks and structures opportunities in eligible French operating companies for you: businesses with real activity that fit France’s economic priorities. A hospitality operating project may qualify through its company structure; buying a hotel room or residential property is not the France IDEA route.
What you invest in
- Real, operating French companies, not passive funds
- Businesses requiring restructuring, expansion or relaunch capital
- Opportunities reviewed for economic substance and compliance
- Sectors aligned with national priorities such as France 2030
What's excluded
- Passive property purchases, such as residential property or a hotel room
- Companies that fail strategic or compliance review
- Opportunities without demonstrable economic activity
Target sectors
Luxury & heritage
Healthcare & life sciences
Industrial SMEs
Advanced manufacturing
Technology & innovation
Strategic French brands
Example: ODIOT, a French luxury house founded in 1690 and holder of the EPV (Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant) label — a model of the kind of heritage, industrial-value opportunity France IDEA sources for its clients.
Investment risk
What to know before you invest
Every opportunity is a real company, so the terms depend on each project. The final investor documents govern each opportunity, and you should review them with your own legal and tax adviser.
Terms depend on each project. You can lose part or all of your capital, and you may not be able to sell your stake when you want to (liquidity risk). The final investor documents govern each opportunity.
Security & safeguards
How your funds are safeguarded
Your France golden visa investment moves through escrow, lawyer-supervised accounts and full compliance checks, so you and the authorities can trace every transfer.
K
Legal review
KPMG Avocats has reviewed the legal and technical aspects of the programme.
E
Secured escrow
Funds are held in secure escrow accounts. No capital is deployed before your residency approval is confirmed.
C
CARPA accounts
Lawyer-regulated CARPA accounts keep every movement of your money traceable and under a lawyer's supervision.
Every applicant also goes through full due diligence: identity checks, source of funds and wealth, sanctions and PEP (politically exposed person) screening, and anti-money-laundering checks.
The process
Six steps from onboarding to residence card
France IDEA coordinates every step of the France golden visa process with its legal, banking and immigration partners, and you can see where your file stands at each stage. The official conditions for the talent residence card are on Service-Public.fr, the French government’s information site.
01
Investor onboarding
An initial strategic review of your profile and objectives, to confirm eligibility and define the right structure for your application.
At the start
02
Secured escrow
Your funds go into escrow with a Paris law firm, in a CARPA account: the regulated account French lawyers use to hold client money.
—
03
Compliance review
Identity (KYC), anti-money-laundering (AML) and source-of-funds checks by banking and legal professionals, before anything moves forward.
Before filing
04
Visa D application
Your application for the French long-stay Visa D is filed with the relevant French consulate, with full support throughout.
At the consulate
05
Direct economic investment
Following approval, your investment goes into the eligible French operating company, only once every condition has been met.
After residency approval
06
Residence card issuance
In France, you apply for your multi-year talent card, valid for up to 4 years and renewable subject to continued eligibility. This completes the process for you and your family.
After arrival in France
Overall: 2 to 5 months*, from onboarding to residence card. *Subject to individual eligibility and decisions by the competent French authorities.
From application to citizenship: the full timeline
- StartOnboarding to escrowFunds placed in a secured escrow structure
- 2–5 months*Long-stay visa, then residence card
- Up to 4 years per cardInvestment held, family resident in France
- 5 yearsPossible eligibility to applyFor a resident card or citizenship; never automatic
Want an indicative timeline for your own file? Book a consultation
In context
How the France golden visa compares to
other European programs
Other European residency-by-investment programs face rising minimums, growing backlogs or outright closure. France residency by investment through France IDEA starts at €300,000, takes 2 to 5 months* and puts your money into a working business rather than property.
| Country | Minimum investment | Structure | Processing time | Residence permit | Path to citizenship | Work and run a business | Investment after residency approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | €500,000 | Investment funds (no real estate) | No official figure | First permit 2 years, renewable | 10 years (7 for EU and Portuguese-speaking nationals) | Yes | No |
| Greece | €800,000 or €400,000 (€250,000 for conversions to residential use or listed buildings) | Real estate (one property) | Within 2 months of a complete file, by law | 5 years, renewable | Confirm with local counsel | No | No |
| Latvia | €50,000 or €100,000 company capital, plus €10,000 to the state | Company capital | No official figure | Up to 2 years | 5 years after permanent residence | Yes | No |
| Spain | Investor residence route closed on 3 April 2025 | ||||||
| France IDEA | €300,000 | Direct economic investment | 2–5 months* | Up to 4 years*, renewable subject to continued eligibility | Eligibility to apply after 5 years' residence | Yes | Yes |
Indicative comparison prepared from publicly available information as at November 2026, for general orientation only, not legal advice and not a benchmark study. Programme rules change; each country’s conditions, costs and processing times should be confirmed with local counsel before any decision. Latvia: new Immigration Law in force since 15 September 2026. *Subject to individual eligibility and decisions by the competent French authorities.
Long-term pathway
After 5 years: permanent residence and citizenship
Whether you come in through the France golden visa or another route, we plan each renewal so your file still meets the conditions for permanent residency, and later citizenship.
After 5 years of residence
- Possible eligibility to apply for a 10-year resident card, subject to continuous lawful residence
- French at B1 for a first resident card since 1 January 2026, generally, subject to applicable exemptions
- Your qualifying investment or activity still in place
Citizenship, subject to conditions
- Generally 5 years of actual habitual residence in France
- French at B2 since 1 January 2026, subject to applicable exemptions
- Residence, integration, resources and conduct conditions
French naturalisation is granted at the discretion of the French authorities and is never automatic. Holding the investor permit alone is not enough. France IDEA’s role is to keep your file in the best possible position to be considered.
Common questions
France golden visa: your questions answered
Short answers to what investors ask us most. For more detail on each route, read our News & Guides.
Does France have a golden visa?
Not under that name. What most people call the France golden visa is the Passeport Talent for economic investors (investisseur économique), created under French Law No. 2016-274 and now issued as the multi-year “talent” residence card. It rests on a direct investment of at least €300,000 in a French operating company.
How much is the France golden visa?
The France investor visa needs a minimum of €300,000, invested directly in an eligible French operating company and kept there for at least 5 years. Government fees and professional costs come on top of that amount.
Can my family be included in the France golden visa?
Yes. France residency by investment covers the household: your spouse and dependent children are included in the same application, and their right to stay is linked to yours. Our guide to the Talent Passport family permit explains who qualifies and what to prepare.
Do I have to live in France to keep the France investor visa?
No. The France golden visa carries no obligation to live in France, and you don’t need to become a French tax resident to keep your card. Residence matters later on: a resident card needs continuous lawful residence, and citizenship generally needs 5 years of actual habitual residence in France.
How long does the France golden visa take?
The France investor visa process takes 2 to 5 months* from onboarding to residence card. *Subject to individual eligibility and decisions by the competent French authorities.
How does France residency by investment lead to permanent residency?
Your residence card is valid for up to 4 years, renewable subject to continued eligibility. After 5 years of continuous lawful residence, with the qualifying investment still in place, you may be eligible to apply for a 10-year resident card; since 1 January 2026 this generally needs French at B1, subject to applicable exemptions. You may also be eligible to apply for citizenship, generally after 5 years of actual habitual residence in France. It is never automatic: residence, integration, resources, conduct and language conditions apply (generally French at B2), and naturalisation remains discretionary.
News & Guides
Latest guides
Practical guides on the France golden visa and France’s other residency routes, based on official French sources. You’ll find every article on our News & Guides page.
Permanent Residence & Citizenship
French Citizenship Language Requirement: What Level of French Do You Need in 2026?
French citizenship language requirement explained: B2 since 1 January 2026, B1 for a resident card, the TCF, TEF and DELF, the civic exam and investor rules. Read the guide
Permanent Residence & Citizenship
How to Get PR in France for Indian Citizens: Step by Step
How to get PR in France for Indian citizens: the 10-year card after 5 years, B1 French, the €300,000 investor route and what happens to your Indian passport. Read the guide
All guides
Browse News & Guides
Guides to each French residency route, from the France investor visa to the long-stay visitor visa, with the official sources listed. See all guides
Next step
Find out if your family qualifies
Speak with the France IDEA team about your eligibility for the France golden visa. Your first step is a free preliminary eligibility assessment (informal, no commitment).
Your enquiry is reviewed individually. Prefer email? Write to charlie@franceidea.com