Immigration
The CESEDA code, the talent passport and prefecture residence permits
Immigration is governed by the CESEDA. EU citizens move freely; others need a long-stay visa and a titre de séjour, with a multi-year passeport talent for skilled workers, investors and researchers.
Key rules
- Non-EU nationals generally need a long-stay visa (VLS-TS) before applying for a residence card.
- The passeport talent gives a multi-year permit to qualifying skilled and highly paid workers.
- Applications are handled by prefectures, increasingly through the ANEF online platform.
Governing law
- Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile (CESEDA)
- Loi immigration (2024)
In practice
Prefecture appointment scarcity is the practical bottleneck; the ANEF portal has moved many procedures online but backlogs persist.