France — Work Authorization & Visas

France requires most foreign nationals to obtain work authorization before taking up employment, but the requirement varies sharply by nationality and the individual's immigration status. The Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile (CESEDA) governs entry, residence, and the right to work, with work authorization managed jointly by the Ministry of Labor (via the regional DRIEETS offices, formerly DIRECCTE) and the Ministry of the Interior (via the prefecture system).

## EU/EEA/Swiss nationals: no work permit required

Citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area (EU member states plus Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein), and Switzerland enjoy freedom of movement and may work in France without a work permit or residence permit. They benefit from equal treatment in access to employment, subject only to narrow public-sector exceptions for roles reserved for French nationals (primarily high-level civil service positions involving the exercise of sovereign authority).

A national ID card or passport is sufficient for these nationals to enter and reside in France for work purposes; they may register with the local mairie (town hall) but are not subject to the CESEDA work-authorization regime.

## Third-country nationals: work authorization required

All other foreign nationals — often called "third-country nationals" — must obtain work authorization (autorisation de travail) before starting salaried employment in France, as set out in CESEDA Articles L421-1 and L421-3. Delivering a residence permit for employment is conditioned on the prior grant of work authorization, which is employer-initiated and reviewed by the regional labor authority (DRIEETS) under standards found in Articles L5221-2 et seq. of the Code du travail (French Labor Code).

Employment-based residence permits

The two principal residence permits for salaried work are:

• Carte de séjour temporaire "salarié" (temporary residence card – employee): issued for employees on a permanent contract (CDI, contrat à durée indéterminée). Duration is one year maximum, renewable. Work authorization is specific to the employer and position stated on the work permit; changing employer triggers a new work-authorization request (CESEDA Art. L421-1).

• Carte de séjour temporaire "travailleur temporaire" (temporary residence card – temporary worker): issued for employees on a fixed-term contract (CDD, contrat à durée déterminée) or for workers seconded (posted) to France under Articles L1262-1 et seq. of the Labor Code. Duration matches the contract term, capped at one year, renewable with the contract (CESEDA Art. L421-3).

Both require employer-sponsored work authorization. In practice, the employer initiates the request by completing a work-permit application through the DRIEETS online portal, which evaluates the labor-market test (is a French or EU candidate available?) unless the position falls on the list of occupations in tension (métiers en tension), where the labor-market test is waived. If the DRIEETS grants the work permit, the foreign worker then applies for the visa or residence permit through the consulate (if abroad) or the prefecture (if already in France on a different lawful status).

Talent Passport route

Highly qualified employees, entrepreneurs, investors, researchers, and artists may qualify for a Passeport Talent (multi-year talent residence permit) under CESEDA Articles L421-7 et seq. The Talent Passport route offers streamlined processing, longer validity (up to four years), and—in many categories—exemption from the labor-market test and prior work authorization; the residence permit itself conveys work authorization for the activity that justified its grant.

Students and limited work rights

Foreign students holding a carte de séjour "étudiant" may work up to 964 hours per year (60 percent of the statutory annual working time) without a separate work authorization. Employment beyond that threshold requires the employer to apply for a work authorization through DRIEETS.

## Employer verification obligation

Before hiring any foreign national, the employer must verify the authenticity of the worker's residence permit and confirm that it authorizes the contemplated work. Verification is done by contacting the prefecture at least two working days before the contract start date. If the prefecture does not respond within two working days, the verification obligation is deemed satisfied. This requirement applies even to EU/EEA/Swiss nationals when the employer wishes to confirm status, though it is most critical for third-country nationals whose work authorization is title-specific and job-specific.

Source: Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile – Article L421-1 Source: Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile – Article L421-3 Source: Service-Public.fr – Authorization to work for a foreign employee in France

The carte de séjour pluriannuelle portant la mention "talent" (multi-year residence permit bearing the "talent" designation) is France's flagship work-authorization route for highly skilled third-country nationals. Governed by CESEDA Articles L421-7 et seq., the talent permit offers streamlined processing, longer validity (up to four years), exemption from the labor-market test in most categories, and—critically—the residence permit itself conveys work authorization for the stated activity; no separate work permit from DRIEETS is required (CESEDA Article L421-7).

The 2024 Immigration Law (Loi n° 2024-42 of 26 January 2024) consolidated the prior "passeport talent" nomenclature and merged multiple subcategories into two principal employment-based routes: talent-salarié qualifié (qualified employee) and talent-carte bleue européenne (European Blue Card). Both require the employer to sponsor the application and both are subject to minimum-salary thresholds set by ministerial order.

## Talent-salarié qualifié: three pathways, single salary floor

CESEDA Article L421-9 defines three pathways for the "talent-salarié qualifié" permit, each subject to a remuneration threshold set by decree. CESEDA Article R421-16 A (created by Décret n° 2025-539 of 13 June 2025) specifies that the applicant must earn gross annual remuneration at least equal to the reference average gross annual salary (salaire brut moyen annuel de référence) set by ministerial order. The Arrêté of 21 August 2025 fixes that reference salary at €39,582 gross. The three qualifying pathways are:

1. Master's-level graduate (Article L421-9, 1°): The foreign national "exercises a salaried professional activity and has obtained, from a nationally accredited higher-education institution, a diploma at least equivalent to a master degree or appearing on a list established by decree." There is no requirement that the job match the field of study, but the €39,582 threshold applies.

1. Employee of an innovative enterprise (Article L421-9, 2°): The foreign national "is recruited in a jeune entreprise innovante conducting research and development projects as defined in Article 44 sexies-0 A of the Code général des impôts, or in an innovative enterprise recognized by a public body, to exercise functions related to the research and development project of that enterprise or to its economic, social, international, and environmental development." The €39,582 threshold applies.

1. Intra-company transfer / posted employee (Article L421-9, 3°): The foreign national "comes to France in the context of an assignment (mission) between establishments of the same enterprise or between enterprises of the same group" and demonstrates—in addition to the contract of employment with the French entity—"at least three months' seniority in the group or enterprise established outside France." The €39,582 threshold applies (Article R421-16 A).

The permit is valid for the duration of the employment contract, capped at four years (Article L421-9). It is renewable. The activity authorized is the salaried professional activity that justified issuance (Article L421-9). The employer initiates the application online through the prefecture's portal; if the foreign national is abroad, he or she applies for a long-stay visa bearing the mention "talent" at the French consulate, then exchanges it for the residence permit upon arrival.

## Talent-carte bleue européenne: EU Blue Card for highly qualified employment

CESEDA Article L421-11 transposes the EU Blue Card Directive (2021/1883/EU) and sets a higher salary threshold and a tighter educational or experiential gate. The foreign national must:

• Occupy a highly qualified job (emploi hautement qualifié) for a duration equal to or exceeding six months;
• Hold "a diploma certifying at least three years of higher education or professional experience of at least five years at a comparable level or"—under conditions set by decree regarding the profession—"have acquired at least three years of relevant professional experience during the seven years preceding the application"; and
• Earn gross annual remuneration meeting a threshold "fixed by decree in the Council of State and the amount of which may not be less than 1.5 times the average gross annual salary."

CESEDA Article R421-21 A (created by the same Décret n° 2025-539) specifies that the Blue Card applicant "must justify gross annual remuneration at least equal to 1.5 times the reference average gross annual salary" set by ministerial order. The Arrêté of 21 August 2025 sets the reference at €39,582, yielding a Blue Card minimum of €59,373 gross (1.5 × €39,582).

The Blue Card is valid for the duration of the contract, capped at four years if the contract is for at least two years; if the contract is shorter than two years, the card is issued for the contract duration plus three months, capped at two years (Article L421-11, paragraph 2).

The Blue Card confers intra-EU mobility rights unavailable under the talent-salarié qualifié route: after eighteen months' legal residence in another EU member state holding an EU Blue Card, the holder may move to France and, upon notification, begin work (Article L421-11, paragraph 3 et seq.). Blue Card holders may also apply for a ten-year carte de résident de longue durée-UE (long-term resident permit) after two years holding the Blue Card in France, provided they have spent at least three additional years in another EU member state under a qualifying card (CESEDA Article L421-12).

## Other talent categories: entrepreneurs, researchers, artists

CESEDA Articles L421-13-1 through L421-21 establish additional talent-permit routes:

• Researchers and academics (Article L421-15): Foreign nationals engaged in research under a convention d'accueil (hosting agreement) with a French research institution accredited by the Ministry of Higher Education and Research. The hosting agreement itself serves as the basis for the permit; no separate minimum-salary threshold is specified in the statute, but the agreement must describe the research project and its financing.

• Project entrepreneurs (Article L421-16): Three sub-routes for foreign nationals creating an enterprise in France:

(1°) Master's degree or five years' comparable professional experience, demonstrating a "real and serious economic project" and creating an enterprise in France—minimum project financing of €30,000 (Article R421-33-1) and resources for the applicant and family at least equal to the annual full-time SMIC (Article R421-33); (2°) Innovative project recognized by a public body—resources at least equal to the annual full-time SMIC (Article R421-33-2); (3°) Direct economic investment in France—no statutory minimum investment amount is specified in the current codification, but resources at least equal to the annual full-time SMIC apply (Article R421-33-3).

• Artists, performers, and individuals of national or international renown:

(Article L421-20) Foreign nationals exercising activity in a scientific, literary, artistic, intellectual, educational, or sports domain and holding one or more contracts with enterprises whose principal activity involves the creation or exploitation of works of the spirit (as defined in Code de la propriété intellectuelle Article L112-2)—the cumulative contract duration must be at least three months over twelve months (Article R421-37-3); (Article L421-21) Foreign nationals "whose national or international renown is established or who are capable of participating in a significant and lasting way in France's economic development, territorial planning, or influence (rayonnement), and who come to exercise an activity in a scientific, literary, artistic, artisanal, intellectual, educational, or sports domain"—resources at least equal to the annual full-time SMIC (Article R421-37-4).

## Family members and work authorization

The spouse (age eighteen or older) and minor children of any talent-permit holder receive a carte de séjour pluriannuelle portant la mention "passeport talent (famille)" valid for the same period as the principal's card (CESEDA Article L421-22). The statute provides that this family card "confers the right to exercise a professional activity" (Article L421-22, final paragraph); no separate work authorization is required. Family members entering from another EU member state where the family was already constituted (e.g., following a Blue Card holder exercising intra-EU mobility) may obtain the family card without satisfying the normal family-reunification conditions set out in Article L412-1, provided they apply within one month of entry (Article L421-23).

## Effective date of the salary thresholds and renewal implications

The €39,582 reference salary (and the €59,373 Blue Card threshold) entered into force on 1 September 2025 under the Arrêté of 21 August 2025. Article 2 of that Arrêté expressly repeals the earlier orders of 20 June 2016 (Blue Card) and 28 October 2016 (passeport talent Blue Card). The prior regime tied the salarié qualifié threshold to twice the annual SMIC (approximately €43,243 in 2025) and the Blue Card threshold to a median-salary formula of €53,836. The new thresholds are lower for the salarié qualifié route and higher for the Blue Card route.

Practitioners should note that renewals of talent permits issued under the old regime are assessed against the new thresholds; the Décret n° 2025-539 does not contain an explicit grandfathering clause for existing permit-holders at renewal. Holders whose salary no longer meets the €59,373 Blue Card floor should plan a status change (e.g., to salarié qualifié or another route) well in advance of expiry to avoid a gap in work authorization.

Source: CESEDA Article L421-7 (talent permit framework) Source: CESEDA Article L421-9 (talent-salarié qualifié pathways) Source: CESEDA Article L421-11 (talent-carte bleue européenne) Source: CESEDA Article L421-15 (researchers) Source: CESEDA Article L421-16 (entrepreneurs, project holders, investors) Source: CESEDA Article L421-20 and L421-21 (artists, renown) Source: CESEDA Article L421-22 (family members) Source: CESEDA Article R421-16 A (salarié qualifié salary threshold) Source: CESEDA Article R421-21 A (Blue Card salary threshold) Source: CESEDA Articles R421-33, R421-33-1, R421-33-2, R421-33-3 (entrepreneur financing and resources) Source: CESEDA Articles R421-37-3 and R421-37-4 (artist contract duration and renown resources) Source: Arrêté of 21 August 2025 setting the reference salary at €39,582 Source: Décret n° 2025-539 of 13 June 2025 (talent-permit reform)

Most work-authorization applications for third-country nationals hired on a salarié or travailleur temporaire residence permit are subject to a labor-market test (opposabilité de la situation de l'emploi) before the regional labor authority (DRIEETS, formerly DIRECCTE) will approve the work permit. The test requires the employer to prove that no suitable candidate—French or EU national—is available for the position on the local labor market. Positions on the government's list of occupations in tension (métiers en tension) are exempt from the test and can proceed directly to work-permit issuance, making this list critical for practitioners hiring in sectors facing recruitment difficulties.

## The labor-market test: statutory framework

Code du travail Article R5221-20, 1° establishes the first condition for granting a work authorization: the DRIEETS must examine "the situation of employment in the profession and in the geographic area for which the application is made, taking into account the specific requirements of the job, and the prior searches already carried out by the employer with the public employment service to recruit a candidate already present on the labor market." In practice this means the employer must demonstrate that it conducted a good-faith search for available workers—French nationals, EU/EEA/Swiss nationals, or third-country nationals already authorized to work in France—and none were suitable for the offered position.

The procedural mechanism is found in the Arrêté du 1er avril 2021 (as amended by the Arrêté du 3 janvier 2025), which sets out the documentary requirements for work-permit applications. When the labor-market test applies, the employer must provide:

• A copy of the job offer deposited with an agency of the public employment service (France Travail, formerly Pôle emploi);
• Proof that the job offer was published for three consecutive weeks within the six months preceding the work-permit application; and
• A document prepared by the employer listing the number of applications received and attesting that no applicant met the characteristics of the proposed position.

The three-week publication rule is strict: the offer must run for three consecutive weeks with France Travail or another public-employment-service partner. The DRIEETS will verify the dates and reject the application if the publication period is incomplete or if the employer cannot demonstrate that candidates who applied were unsuitable (for example, lacking the required professional qualification, experience, or diploma).

If the DRIEETS concludes that a suitable candidate was available, it will deny the work-permit application on labor-market grounds, and the prefecture will in turn deny the residence permit tied to that work authorization.

## The list of occupations in tension: automatic waiver

Code du travail Article R5221-21, 1° provides that "the elements of assessment mentioned in 1° of Article R5221-20 [the labor-market test] are not opposable when the work-authorization application is presented for a foreign national applying for a position appearing on one of the lists mentioning either the occupations or the occupations and the geographic areas characterized by recruitment difficulties," established by joint ministerial order under CESEDA Article L421-4.

In other words, if the offered position falls within an occupation listed as "in tension" for the relevant region, the employer need not publish the job offer with France Travail or prove that no suitable candidate exists. The work-authorization application proceeds directly on the remaining criteria in Code du travail R5221-20 (employer compliance with labor and social-security obligations, the employee's qualifications matching the job, the proposed salary meeting the SMIC minimum and collective-agreement floors, etc.).

The current list is fixed by the Arrêté du 21 mai 2025, which identifies occupations and geographic zones characterized by recruitment difficulties. The list is regionalized: a given occupation may be in tension in Île-de-France but not in Normandy, or in tension nationwide except in specific regions. Practitioners must check the annexes to the arrêté to confirm that the offered position's ROME occupational code and the region (département) of the workplace both appear.

The May 2025 list replaced the prior Arrêté du 1er avril 2021 and reflects updated labor-market data. It includes approximately 80 to 100 occupations—construction trades (masons, plumbers, roofers), healthcare (nurses, home-care aides, hospital attendants), hospitality and catering (cooks, servers, hotel staff), agriculture and food processing, transport (truck drivers), and certain technical and industrial roles—with substantial variation by region. The list is to be updated annually going forward.

The 2024 Immigration Law (Loi n° 2024-42 of 26 January 2024) introduced an exceptional regularization pathway for undocumented workers employed in occupations in tension: a third-country national who has resided in France continuously for at least three years and worked in a listed occupation for at least twelve months (consecutive or not) during the preceding 24 months may apply—until 31 December 2026—for a one-year residence permit on that basis, even without the employer's sponsorship. While this provision is separate from the standard work-authorization process, it underscores the policy significance of the métiers en tension list and its dual role in both facilitating employer-sponsored permits and enabling exceptional admissions.

## Other statutory exceptions to the labor-market test

Code du travail Article R5221-21 and Article R5221-22 carve out additional categories of third-country nationals for whom the labor-market test does not apply:

• Students with a French master's degree (or equivalent) who have found a job in relation to their training and with remuneration at least 1.5 times the monthly SMIC (approximately €2,795 gross as of January 2025), whether they are transitioning from student status or applying from abroad with a diploma obtained in France within the past year (CESEDA Article L421-4, second paragraph; Code du travail Article R5221-21, 3°).

• Students holding a "recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise" (job-search or business-creation) card granted after completing studies in France, who present a contract in relation to their training or research and with remuneration at least 1.5 times the monthly SMIC (Code du travail Article R5221-21, 2°).

• Foreign minors taken into care by the child-welfare service (aide sociale à l'enfance, ASE) before age 16 (or between 16 and 18 under specific conditions) who seek an apprenticeship or professionalization contract in line with their course of study: the labor-market test cannot be opposed and work authorization is granted by right (Code du travail Article R5221-22).

• Intra-company transfers (ICT) under the talent-salarié qualifié route (CESEDA Article L421-9, 3°) and other talent-permit categories: these routes generally bypass the salarié / travailleur temporaire labor-market framework altogether, though the talent-permit section of this guide covers the applicable thresholds and conditions.

## Renewal and change-of-employer implications

The labor-market test applies at initial grant and—under Code du travail Article R5221-33—at first renewal if the employee changes to "an occupation or a geographic area different from those that were mentioned on the initial work authorization." If the employee remains in the same occupation in the same region, the first renewal ordinarily is not subject to the labor-market test, provided the employer continues to meet the other Article R5221-20 criteria (compliance, salary, etc.). Subsequent renewals with the same employer in the same job typically do not require a fresh labor-market review, though the DRIEETS retains discretion to refuse renewal if the worker has violated the terms of the authorization or the employer has fallen out of compliance (Article R5221-34).

A change of employer before the expiration of the initial work authorization triggers a new work-permit application, which is subject to the labor-market test unless the new position falls on the list of occupations in tension (or another exception applies). Practitioners advising employees on salarié or travailleur temporaire permits should flag this requirement and ensure the new employer initiates the work-permit request well in advance of the proposed start date; working for a new employer before receiving the amended work authorization is a breach of the residence-permit conditions and can result in administrative sanctions or non-renewal.

## Practical checklist

When hiring a third-country national for a position subject to the labor-market test, the employer should:

1. Identify the ROME occupational code for the job and check the current métiers en tension list (Arrêté du 21 mai 2025, annexes) to determine whether the occupation and the region are listed. If yes, proceed directly to work-permit application without the three-week publication.

1. If not on the list, deposit a job offer with France Travail or another public-employment-service partner and ensure it runs for three consecutive weeks. Document the number of applications received, the reasons unsuitable candidates were rejected (lack of qualification, experience, availability), and preserve copies of the offer, the deposit confirmation, and the publication attestation.

1. Within six months of the end of the publication period, file the work-permit application with the DRIEETS via the online portal, attaching the publication proof and the employer's attestation of unsuccessful search.

1. Monitor the processing timeline: the Circulaire du 5 février 2024 directs prefectures to instruct complete applications within 90 days. Incomplete submissions can lead to delays or refusal, so front-load documentary verification.

1. For renewals or changes of employer: confirm whether the labor-market test applies by comparing the initial work authorization's stated occupation and geographic area to the proposed new position.

The labor-market test remains the principal gate for non-talent-route work permits in France, but the métiers en tension waiver and the student/child-welfare exceptions narrow its practical reach in sectors and demographic cohorts facing acute recruitment needs. Employers in construction, healthcare, hospitality, agriculture, and certain technical trades should prioritize verifying list coverage before initiating the three-week publication, as that step alone can delay hiring by two to three months.

Source: Code du travail Article R5221-20 (labor-market test criteria) Source: Code du travail Article R5221-21 (exceptions to the labor-market test) Source: Code du travail Article R5221-22 (child-welfare minors) Source: Arrêté du 1er avril 2021 (documentary requirements for work-permit applications, as amended 3 January 2025) Source: Arrêté du 21 mai 2025 (list of occupations and geographic zones in tension) Source: CESEDA Article L421-4 (exceptional-admission student pathway and reference to the list) Source: Code du travail Article R5221-33 (renewal and labor-market test)