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
1–3
Months (indicative) from onboarding to residence card
4 yrs
Renewable residence permit, full family included
5 yrs
Of residence in France before permanent residency; citizenship subject to conditions
- 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.
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 4-year renewable residence permit for your family.
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 residency granted 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, eligibility for a permanent residence card and, subject to conditions, French citizenship.
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.
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
- 4-year renewable residence permit
- Full inclusion of your family
- Right to work and operate businesses in France
- No obligation to reside in France to maintain residency
- No language requirement for residency
- Path to permanent residency and citizenship 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 4-year renewable residence card without becoming a French tax resident or living in France full-time. If you later want permanent residency, 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 can apply for permanent residency. French citizenship can follow, subject to conditions.
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, so it can earn a return as well as support your residency.
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.
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
- Pure passive real estate investment
- 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 structures
How your investment can be structured
Each France residency by investment opportunity is negotiated individually, around the company’s needs and your objectives. Three models recur, and each is set out in full in your investment file.
I.
Direct capital participation
Your money goes into the company as new capital, usually in exchange for shares. You own a real stake in the business and share in its growth.
II.
Contractual revenue participation
In select opportunities, the investee company enters into a contractual revenue-sharing arrangement directly with the investor. This provides a defined annual return over the holding period — agreed in advance and set out in the investment contract — in addition to any capital appreciation on the underlying participation.
III.
Buy-back commitment
In some opportunities, the company or its shareholders agree by contract to buy back your stake at the end of the 5-year holding period, on terms fixed at the start. That gives you a known exit.
Revenue-sharing and buy-back terms apply only to certain opportunities. They are negotiated case by case and set out in full in the investment documents, and France IDEA reviews them during due diligence. Review all terms with your own legal and tax adviser. As with any investment in a company, the value of your stake can fall as well as rise.
Security & oversight
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
KPMG oversight
Governance, structure and financial controls are reviewed in collaboration with KPMG, ensuring full transparency and regulatory alignment.
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.
A few days
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.
2–4 weeks
04
Visa D application
Your application for the French long-stay Visa D is filed with the relevant French consulate, with full support throughout.
A few weeks
05
Direct economic investment
Following approval, your investment goes into the eligible French operating company, only once every condition has been met.
Immediately after visa issuance
06
Residence card issuance
Your 4-year renewable residence card is issued in France, completing the process for you and your family.
Following arrival
Overall: about 1 to 3 months, indicative. It depends on your profile, your country of residence, the consulate and how complex your file is.
From application to citizenship: the full timeline
- StartOnboarding to escrowFunds placed in a secured escrow structure
- 1–3 monthsVisa D & residency card issued
- Renewable every 4 yearsInvestment held, family resident in France
- 5 yearsPermanent residency eligibilityCitizenship, subject to conditions
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, below Portugal and Spain, takes an indicative 1 to 3 months, and puts your money into a working business rather than property.
| Country | Minimum investment | Structure | Residency timeline | Validity | Citizenship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portugal | €500,000 | Funds / private equity | 12–24 months | 2 years | 5+ years (uncertain) |
| Greece | €400,000–€800,000 | Real estate | 6–12 months | 5 years | No clear path |
| Latvia | €50,000–€250,000 | Start-up / business | 3–6 months | 5 years (renewed annually) | 10 years |
| Spain | €500,000 | Real estate | Program closed in 2025 | ||
| France IDEA | €300,000 | Direct economic investment | 1–3 months | 5 years | 5 years (if tax resident) |
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 4-year renewal so your file still meets the conditions for permanent residency, and later citizenship.
After 5 years of residence
- Eligibility for a permanent residence card, subject to continuous lawful residence
- Your qualifying investment or activity still in place
Citizenship, subject to conditions
- French tax residency during the qualifying period
- A2-level French language proficiency
- Continuous lawful residence and integration in France
French naturalisation is granted at the discretion of the French authorities and is never automatic. 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: permanent residency needs continuous lawful residence, and citizenship requires French tax residency during the qualifying period.
How long does the France golden visa take?
The France investor visa takes about 1 to 3 months from onboarding to residency card, and that figure is indicative. Your profile, the consulate handling your Visa D and the complexity of your file all affect it. The compliance review alone usually takes 2 to 4 weeks.
How does France residency by investment lead to permanent residency?
Your France golden visa residence permit runs for 4 years and is renewable. After 5 years of continuous lawful residence, with the qualifying investment still in place, you can apply for a permanent residence card. Citizenship can follow, subject to conditions, but naturalisation is at the discretion of the French authorities and never automatic.
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.
Talent Passport
France Talent Passport Family Permit: Can Your Spouse and Children Join You?
Who qualifies for the family card, whether your spouse can work, schooling for your children and the documents to prepare. 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. We review your profile and suggest the investment opportunity that fits it.
Your enquiry is reviewed individually. Prefer email? Write to charlie@franceidea.com