France

EU Blue Card for highly qualified employment. A non-EU national with a qualifying offer for highly qualified work in France may apply for a residence and work permit. The salary and qualification tests are country-specific.

Free, with the law behind every answer

EU Blue Card for highly qualified employment

Residence and work authorization for qualifying employment in France, subject to the conditions on the issued card.

Who qualifies

A binding job offer or contract for highly qualified work, with the required duration under the applicable national rules.
European Commission: highly qualified workers
The offered salary must meet France’s current threshold; regulated professions and professional qualifications have separate checks.
European Commission: EU Blue Card in France

You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Does it fit your family?

One question, from the program’s own rules.

Do you have a binding job offer in that country?

Not legal advice.

What it takes.

Time: The national authority’s current processing time depends on the country and the application file.
Cost: Government fees and any employer or adviser costs vary by country; check the issuing authority before paying.
The hard part: Proving the job, salary and recognized qualifications meet the issuing country’s current rules.

Citizens by 2034.

If your first permit is issued in 2027 and you keep living there, this is the road.

2027
First residence permit
2 years, renewable for 2 years at a time.
2029
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 2 years.
2031
Renew the permit
Filed before the old one lapses; renews for 2 years.
2032
Permanent residence
The 10-year long-term resident card: 5 unbroken years on a qualifying card (no absence over 6 months in a row or 10 months in total), French at B1, and a pass in the ‘carte de résident’ civic exam.
2032
Apply for citizenship
With a language test and a civics test.
2034
Citizenship
The decision usually takes 12–21 months.

Language: French at B2 in speaking and writing, shown with a TCF or TEF certificate under 2 years old or a French diploma at that level (raised from B1 on 1 January 2026).
Civics: The civic exam, compulsory since 1 January 2026: 40 multiple-choice questions in 45 minutes on French values, institutions and history, with at least 32 right to pass. Then an assimilation interview at the prefecture.
Time away: France must be your home: the centre of your working life and family ties, with a valid residence card when you apply. There is no fixed day count, but long spells abroad can break the 5 years.
Two passports: Yes. You keep your U.S. citizenship.

Lawful residence on this status builds the ordinary residence clock while the permit remains valid.

The law behind these dates

Living there.

Time you must spend there: The program sets no minimum number of days. Renewal still expects it to be your home.
Tax: Working and living in the country can create tax obligations; the permit itself is not a tax ruling.

We never file a tax return. We tell you what applies and brief the professional who does.

Start today.

Check France’s Blue Card requirements and the national application authority.Open home-affairs.ec.europa.eu ↗
Gather these documents.
- The signed job offer, salary, and recognized qualifications
- Health cover for the move

Postern can’t run this for you yet.

Postern cannot run this application yet. Missing: The employer’s Blue Card contract certificate (Cerfa 15615), applicable US France-Visas filing, ANEF first-card documents and renewal are not pinned, mapped and fully specified. A general talent application cannot substitute for talent-carte bleue européenne.

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