Self-employed visa
Build Your Own Business in France
The entrepreneur/profession liberale visa lets you live in France and run your own business, no French boss required.
Freelancers, consultants, and founders get a one-year residency that renews, as long as the work pays.
Be your own sponsor
Most French work visas need an employer to hire you first. This one doesn't. You make the case yourself, with a real business and enough income to live on.
- No job offer or sponsor needed
- Invoice French and international clients
The numbers that matter
€22,400
A year in income, about one French minimum wage
2026 figure
1 year
Initial visa, then a 1 to 4 year card
renewable
2 to 8 weeks
France vets your business plan before you apply
new since 2025
21.2%
Flat social charge on service income
micro-entrepreneur
Get the green light first
Here's the catch. Since 2025, France reviews your business project before the consulate will open your file. Send a plan, your numbers, and proof of savings to the ANEF portal, then wait for an avis favorable. Figure 2 to 8 weeks, so don't quit your lease yet.
Long-stay (National) Visa
Required for U.S. citizens planning to stay in France for more than 90 days, or for purposes such as work, study, or family reunification. Application is submitted online via EasyStart, followed by an in-person appointment at a French consulate.
- Government cost
- $99
- Processing time
- ~15 days
- Timeline
- More than 90 days
- Difficulty
- Easy
Key requirements
- Valid U.S. passport
- Completed visa application form
- Proof of purpose of stay (e.g., work contract, enrollment letter)
- Proof of accommodation in France
- Proof of financial means
- Travel insurance
- Additional documents, depending on visa type
Taxes, minus the headache
Once you land, register your business through France's one-stop shop. Most freelancers start as a micro-entrepreneur: one flat rate on what you bill, little paperwork. The good news is it's simple. The catch: you still owe US taxes each year, but treaty credits stop you paying twice.
You don't have to figure it out alone
These folks help Americans land in France every week.
EasyStart
France Relocation Specialist
EasyStart handles the visa, the ANEF step, and business registration.
Amber Haggerty
France Local Guide
Amber is a Paris local guide for daily French life.
Paris Property Group
French Real Estate
Paris Property Group helps you find a place to live and work.
Cheaper than Paris, easier to breathe
Lyon
Work and food
France's second economic hub, quick trains to Paris and the Alps.
Nantes
Creative and young
A startup-friendly city near the Atlantic coast.
Montpellier
Sunny and growing
Warm and walkable, full of young companies and students.
Nice
Riviera base
Sea, sun, and a big remote-work crowd on the Riviera.
Common questions
How do taxes work once I'm self-employed?
Most freelancers register as a micro-entrepreneur and pay a single flat charge on what they bill, around 21.2% for services, with no separate expense accounting. You'll still file a U.S. return each year, but the U.S.-France treaty and foreign tax credits keep you from being taxed twice.
Can my spouse and kids come with me?
Not automatically on this visa. Your spouse applies on their own, often a visitor visa, or the family can join through family reunification after about 18 months. If you need everyone to arrive together, the Talent creation d'entreprise visa builds family in from day one.
Can I keep my US clients?
Yes. You can invoice clients anywhere, in the U.S., France, or elsewhere. France doesn't require your income to come from French customers, so plenty of people on this visa keep working with U.S. clients from a French address.
How much money do I need to show?
Plan on income or resources at least equal to the French minimum wage, roughly €22,400 a year (about €1,870 a month) in 2026. Showing a comfortable buffer above that helps, since matching the minimum exactly makes reviewers nervous.
What is the ANEF step everyone mentions?
Since 2025, France reviews your business project before you can apply for the visa. You upload a business plan, financial projections, and proof of savings to the ANEF portal, and a regional advisor decides whether to grant an avis favorable. It usually takes 2 to 8 weeks, and the approval is valid for six months.
Does this visa lead to permanent residency?
It can. The one-year visa renews into a multi-year card; after five years of continuous residence, you can apply for a ten-year resident card. You'll need some French along the way: A2 level to renew and B2 for citizenship.
Ready to make France home?
Take the Expatsi Test and see where you'd land.