France Tech Visa From UAE
UAE businesses and employers who wish to start or invest in the French tech space can apply for a French tech visa if they meet the eligibility requirements.
For more information about the tech visa, including details about the eligibility criteria, documents required and application process, contact Total Law at +44 (0)333 305 9375 or send a message online.
What Is The French Tech Visa And Who Is It For?
The French tech permit is a visa for tech professionals in France. It is a special permit under the talent passport programme in France. This visa aims to attract highly skilled employees to France.
The tech visa is valid for up to 4 years.
The French tech visa is for three categories of people:
- International tech founders and start-ups are selected by partner accelerators and incubators
- International investors who want to invest in the French tech space
- Talented international employees who have a job offer from a tech company in France
Page Contents
- What Is The French Tech Visa And Who Is It For?
- The Founder Tech Visa In France
- The Investor Tech Visa in France
- France Tech Visa Application Requirements For Employers
- France Tech Visa Application Requirements For Employees
- Obtaining a France Tech Visa: The Application Process
- Extending / Renewing The France Tech Visa
- How Can Total Law Help?
- Frequently Asked Questions
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The Founder Tech Visa In France
The tech visa for founders in France is open to UAE businesses or employers who want to start a new tech business or project in the French tech ecosystem.
To apply for this visa, you must sell your business or project idea to accelerators or incubators in France. If they accept your business proposal, they will inform the French government of the viability of your business idea. When the government approves of the idea, you can proceed to apply.
Note that UAE businesses or employers who want to move to France through this route must show that they have an income equivalent to the French national minimum wage.
The Investor Tech Visa in France
This category is for businesses from the UAE that wish to invest in an existing tech company in France.
You can invest using:
- Your savings
- Through a business that you own or manage
- Through a company you own at least 30% of the capital
UAE investors must prove their investment will create or save jobs within 4 years of investing in France. They must also show they can bring at least €300,000 in cash or assets to France.
The company or business you invest in must be duly registered in France. To prove this, such a business must present its SIRET number.
The business must also meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Received support from the public due to their innovation
- Be owned wholly or in part by an investment entity involved in financing innovative businesses
- Received support in the last 5 years from an establishment that caters to innovative companies in France
France Tech Visa Application Requirements For Employers
The criteria for founders and investors differ.
Application Requirements for Founders
If your business wants to set up a new branch in France, here are the documents you must submit to prove that your business is eligible for the tech visa:
- Visa application form. You must print, fill out and sign a long-stay visa application form obtained from the website of the Ministry of Interior
- Visa fee payment receipt. Applications without the receipt of payment will not be processed
- UAE passport. Your passport must be issued no earlier than 10 years from the date you applied for a visa. It must also be valid for 3 months after your visa expires
- 3 passport photographs. They must not be older than 3 months and should show the details of your face clearly
- Letter of support from an incubator or accelerator to prove to the Embassy that your business idea is viable. The letter must attest that your idea is innovative
- Letter of support from the French tech capital to prove that the French government considers your project innovative
- Bank statement showing you have at least €21,511.36 to be used to kick-start the tech project in France
- Birth and marriage certificates are necessary if you want to move to France with your family. They are to prove that you are the parent or the spouse of the family member travelling with you
Application Requirements for Investors
Submit the following documents to prove your business is eligible to invest in the French tech ecosystem:
- Visa application form which can be obtained from the website of the Ministry of Interior. You must print and fill out, then sign the document
- Receipt of visa fee payment to show that you have paid the visa fee
- UAE passport issued in the last 10 years and valid 3 months after your visa expires
- 3 passport photographs that show the details of your face clearly and not older than 3 months
- Proof of business ownership that proves that you are in charge of a business or own at least 30% of it
- Investment plan that explicitly shows how you intend to create or save tech jobs in 4 years
- Evidence of investment or intentions of investing at least €300,000 in cash or assets in 4 years in France
- Birth and marriage certificates to prove you are the parent and partner of the family members travelling with you
Note that any document you’re presenting written in Arabic must be translated to French. You’ll need to submit the original and translated copies.
France Tech Visa Application Requirements For Employees
If you are an employer in France looking to hire talents from the UAE, here are the documents that must be presented to prove you and your prospective employee meet the criteria for the France tech visa:
Visa Application Form
The employee must print, complete, and sign the long-stay visa application form.
Passport
The UAE talent must present a passport issued no earlier than 10 years from their visa application date. It must also be valid for 3 months after their visa expires.
Passport Photographs
The employee must present 3 passport photographs taken within the last 3 months.
Employment Offer
You must issue the employee a job contract that will last more than 3 months. The pay should be at least €41,933.
Innovative Company
You have to send a copy of a certificate that testifies your business is innovative. The certificate is obtained from the French Ministry of Economy.
Registration with the Social Security Platform
You must prove that you have been contributing to social security in France.
Duties of the Employee
You’ll need to issue the employee a letter outlining all they are expected to do while working for you.
Proof of Business Registration
You must submit an extrait K-bis if you are a business entity or an extrait K or craft licence if you are a sole owner to prove that your business is duly registered in France.
Delegation of Administrative Duties
You’ll need to issue a letter proving that you have appointed someone to help the employee moving to France settle properly in your company.
Obtaining a France Tech Visa: The Application Process
Here are the steps to getting a Tech visa in France:
Step 1: Get Approval from a French Incubator and Tech Capital
The first step is to sell your idea to a French incubator. This step is only for UAE businesses going the Tech founder route.
Step 2: Gather Your Documents
Use the requirements section as a checklist to prepare your documents. You’ll need them to apply for both the visa and the residence permit when you get to France.
Step 3: Complete the Application Form
Go to the website of the French Ministry of Interior and complete the long-stay visa application form.
Step 4: Pay the Visa Fees
You’ll need to pay €99.
Step 5: Submit Application
Schedule a visit to the Embassy of France in the UAE and submit your application. It will take at most 2 months for your visa to be processed. If you get an entry visa, you can move to France.
Step 6: Apply for a Residence Permit
Upon getting to France, apply for a residence permit at the website of the Ministry of Interior. Also, schedule your document submission at your prefecture or sub-prefecture in France.
Step 7: Pay the Residence Permit Fee
You’ll pay €200 to the OFII (Office français de l’immigration et de l’intégration) as tax on your residence permit. You’ll also need to pay an additional €25 stamp duty. These fees will be paid if the prefecture approves your residence permit application.
Even though the tech visa can be valid for up to 4 years, the prefecture can approve a duration of less than 4 years as they see fit.
Extending / Renewing The France Tech Visa
You can renew or extend the France tech visa. You must apply for an extension 3 months before your residence permit expires. You’ll need to show that you still meet the visa criteria.
You’ll also need to show the prefecture how far you have gone with your start-up or investment in 4 years when trying to renew.
Renewals will still cost you €225.
How Can Total Law Help?
One of the challenges many UAE businesses face when applying for the France tech visa is knowing if their business idea is innovative enough to get approval from French tech incubators. At Total Law, we have experts in French immigration and business law. They can review your business idea to ensure it is viable enough to get the attention of the tech incubators.
Furthermore, we can help you gather your documents, review your eligibility, and submit an application. It is advisable that you employ the services of a Total Law immigration consultant to avoid visa or residence permit refusal. We know how time and financially consuming applying for a visa is, and we’d like to make the process easier for you.
If you do not meet the criteria for this visa, we can advise you on other French business visas you can apply for.
If you need more information about what we can do for your business, don’t hesitate to contact a team member at Total Law today. Call us today at +44 (0)333 305 9375 or message us online.
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Appeal Package
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The Advice Package
During this Advice Session, an immigration lawyer will assess your circumstances, explain your options and tell you what you need to do to make a strong application.
We review your circumstances, explain the relevant requirements, identify potential problems or refusal risks, and advise you on the evidence and next steps.
The Application Package
With our Application Package, your dedicated immigration lawyer will assess your case, prepare your application, check your supporting documents and submit your forms on your behalf.
We check your application for missing information, inconsistencies and potential issues before submission, helping you avoid common mistakes that could affect your case.
The Fast Track Package
Our Fast-Track Application Package gives your case priority with our immigration lawyers, helping you get your application prepared, checked and submitted as quickly as possible.
Your case receives priority handling, including accelerated document reviews, application preparation, communication with your caseworker and submission support.
The Appeal Package
Our immigration lawyers will review the decision, explain why it was refused and advise on the strongest option available to you, including an appeal, review or fresh application where appropriate.
We will examine the reasons for refusal, identify weaknesses or errors, assess your available options and provide the legal support and representation your case requires.
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Frequently Asked Questions
You can apply for a France tech visa from another country. However, you must prove you are a legal resident in that country.
The age limit for the French tech visa is 18. Applicants from the UAE must be at least 18 upon application.
One advantage of the French tech visa is that holders can travel throughout the Schengen area without applying for a visa. The visa also allows you to travel with your family. It is also one of the fastest routes to French permanent residency or citizenship.
