French and European regulations govern the procedure for settling in France for professional purposes.

To make it easier for you to settle in France and to reduce the risk of a conflict with the authorities, you will need to initiate the procedure that best suits your aspirations and offers the most advantages.

• Recruiting a foreign employee in France

The standard procedure enabling a French employer to hire a foreign employee for a fixed (CDD) or indefinite period (CDI) requires a work permit to be issued in advance by the competent body under the authority of the Ministry of internal affairs (Ministère de l’intérieur).

In some cases, it is necessary to demonstrate that the state of the economic sector in question has forced the employer to accept the application of a foreign national. In such cases, the regulations require that a strict and restrictive procedure be followed, for which it is advisable to be accompanied by a specialist.

The procedure culminates in the issuance of a visa or a residence permit « salarié » or « travailleur temporaire ».

• Starting a business in France

If you want to set up or take over a company in France or be a freelance worker, you must first obtain a visa or residence permit « entrepreneur / profession libérale ».
In all cases, you will need to demonstrate the seriousness and economic viability of the proposed business and its compliance with French law. In most cases, it is essential to be accompanied by competent professionals in order to comply with the relevant procedure and submit all the relevant documentation (business plan, provisional budget, etc.).

• The Passeport Talent program and « French Tech » visas

A visa can also be issued more quickly and more easily, and be more advantageous in certain specific cases, depending on the employee’s qualification, the salary they are to receive in France, their level of responsibility or the type of activity they are to carry out in France.

Foreigners wishing to set up their own business in France can also receive a Passeport Talent visa under certain conditions.

Finally, the Passeport Talent program is designed to encourage the integration of foreign talent into France’s new technology ecosystem, known as French Tech. Future investors, company founders or employees will be able to benefit from advantageous conditions while applying for a visa or a residence permit.

The aim of the Passeport Talent program is to enable its beneficiaries to obtain a residence permit valid for between 2 and 4 years as soon as they enter France.

• Posting an employee to France and intra-group assignments

A company established abroad may wish to temporarily second one of its employees to France. This may involve an assignment between companies of the same group, or the enforcement of a service contract between two companies.

The procedure to be followed depends on the characteristics of the project: the nature of the assignment planned, the country of origin of the company established abroad, the nationality of the employee, etc.

It should be noted that the Passeport Talent program may also apply in certain cases.

The issue of medical coverage for posted employees is often the most complex aspect of a secondment, and depends on the signature of a social security agreement between France and the other country involved.