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France digital nomad visa: there isn't one
France has no visa for people working remotely for foreign employers or clients. Here's what French law does offer for long stays, and the nearest countries with a real remote-work visa.
- Nomad visa
- None
- Visa-free stay
- 90 days in any 180 (Schengen)
- Visitor card
- €1,477.93/mo, no work in France
- Freelance route
- Entrepreneur / liberal profession card
What exists today
Short stays: 90 days in any 180
France is in the Schengen area. The European Commission says non-EU visitors can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period across all Schengen countries combined, entering as often as they like within that limit. Stays over 90 days follow national rules.
For more than 3 months in France you need a French long-stay (type D) visa. Service-Public says adults must get one even if their nationality doesn't need a visa for short stays.
Sources: European Commission: EU visa policy (Schengen short stays) ↗; Service-Public.fr: long-stay visa (more than 3 months to 1 year), verified by the publisher 9 Oct 2026 ↗ · read Oct 31, 2026
The visitor visa and "visiteur" card (no work in France)
This is the long-stay route people most often mean by a "French nomad visa", but it is not one. Service-Public lists "visitor" among the long-stay visas of more than 3 months up to 12 months: you must be able to live on your own resources, and the visa doesn't allow you to work or receive social benefits.
To stay on, the temporary residence card "visiteur" requires three things: enough resources for the whole stay (at least €1,477.93 net a month over a year for a single person, with proof of €17,735.19 a year), health insurance for the whole stay, and not working in France in any form: employee, trader, auto-entrepreneur, craftsperson, liberal profession and so on. You sign a handwritten statement that you won't work in France.
The card lasts up to 1 year and is renewable. You apply online (ANEF) between 4 and 2 months before your current visa or permit expires, and it costs €350 (€300 tax + €50 stamp duty).
Sources: long-stay visa ↗; Service-Public.fr: temporary residence card "visiteur" ↗ · read Oct 31, 2026. Service-Public notes that Decree 2026-1001 (26 Oct 2026) changes some residence-permit rules from 30 Oct 2026 and that the visitor page is being updated.
Remote work for a foreign employer on visitor status
The visitor rules say "no work in France", which left remote workers unsure. A member of parliament asked the Interior Ministry directly, and its answer was published in the Journal officiel on 23 June 2026:
- No text covers the residence rights of foreigners who telework in France for the economy of another country.
- A work residence permit is for activity integrated into the French economy, the French "market".
- A foreigner living in France who doesn't meet those criteria, stays paid and pays the related taxes in their home country, must apply for the "visiteur" card.
- If you aren't employed in France and don't work for a company located in France, telework for an employer under foreign law means you are treated as non-active under French law.
- Visitor card holders still may not carry out a professional activity in France that requires authorisation.
This is a ministerial answer, not a change in the law, and it says nothing about tax or social security. Service-Public's visitor page, which says it is being updated, still lists a signed statement that you won't work in France.
Source: Assemblée nationale: written question 11730 on remote work and visitor status, Interior Ministry answer (Journal officiel, 23 Jun 2026, p. 5748) ↗ · read Oct 31, 2026
Freelancing in France: the entrepreneur / liberal profession card
If you want to run a commercial, craft, industrial or liberal-profession activity in France, the residence card "entrepreneur/profession libérale" is the route. The activity must be your main one, registered with the guichet unique des formalités des entreprises, economically viable, give you enough to live on, and match your qualifications or experience.
This is a permit to do business in France, not a visa for working for clients abroad while you travel.
Source: Service-Public.fr: residence card "entrepreneur/profession libérale" ↗ · read Oct 31, 2026
Working holiday visa (if your country has an agreement)
Nationals of Argentina, Australia, Canada, South Korea can apply from 18 to 35, and nationals of Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, Taiwan and Uruguay from 18 to 30. It lasts up to 12 months and generally can't be extended, with exceptions set by some agreements (Canadians can stay up to 24 months, and up to 36 in specific study or training cases). Service-Public adds that Taiwanese nationals can get it without a bilateral agreement.
Source: Service-Public.fr: long-stay visa (more than 3 months to 1 year), verified by the publisher 9 Oct 2026 ↗ · read Oct 31, 2026
The "talent" card (job or project in France)
The multi-year "talent" card covers profiles such as qualified employees, employees on assignment within a group, staff of innovative companies and innovative economic projects. The qualified-employee route needs gross pay of at least €39,582 a year, and the card can run up to 4 years. It isn't designed for remote work for a foreign employer.
Source: Service-Public.fr: multi-year residence card "talent" ↗ · read Oct 31, 2026
Not legal advice. The Interior Ministry's answer covers visitor-card holders, not short visa-free stays, and none of these sources cover tax. Confirm with the French consulate before you go.
Nearby countries with a real remote-work visa
If you want a long stay in southern Europe on a visa built for remote workers, these four are open and checked on their official pages.
| Visa | Money test | Stay | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpainDigital Nomad Visa | €2,849 gross per month (€34,188/yr): 200% of Spain's 2026 minimum wage (SMI €17,094/yr). Some consulates calculate it on the 14-payment monthly SMI (€1,221), which gives €2,442/month, so plan for the higher figure | Consular visa valid 1 year; you can then apply in Spain for a residence permit (from 60 days before the visa expires) | inclusion.gob.es ↗Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| ItalyDigital Nomad Visa | At least 3× the minimum level for health-cost exemption (3 × €8,500 per year, i.e. ≥ €25,500/yr) | Not confirmed | amblavalletta.esteri.it ↗Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| PortugalD8 Digital Nomad Visa | €3,680 per month: average monthly income over the last 3 months of at least 4× Portugal's guaranteed minimum monthly wage (RMMG €920 in 2026) | Residence permit valid 2 years | aima.gov.pt ↗Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
| MaltaNomad Residence Permit | €42,000 gross per year (€32,400 for applications filed before 1 April 2024) | 1 year | nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt ↗Checked Oct 31, 2026 |
Compare them head to head
Quick answers
Does France have a digital nomad visa?
No. As of Oct 31, 2026, French law has no residence permit for people who work remotely for a foreign employer or foreign clients. The long-stay options on Service-Public.fr are built for study, salaried work, family, business activity in France, "talent" profiles, working holidays and "visitors" who live on their own resources without working.
How long can I stay in France without a visa?
For a short stay, the Schengen rule applies: up to 90 days in any 180-day period across the whole Schengen area (European Commission, home-affairs.ec.europa.eu, read Oct 31, 2026). Stays over 3 months need a French long-stay (type D) visa, and Service-Public says adults need one even if their nationality doesn't need a short-stay visa.
Can I work remotely in France on a visitor visa?
The Interior Ministry addressed this in a published answer to a parliamentary question (Journal officiel, 23 June 2026). It says no text covers foreigners teleworking in France for another country's economy. Someone living in France who isn't employed in France and doesn't work for a company located there, stays paid and pays the related taxes in their home country, should apply for the "visiteur" card, and their telework for an employer under foreign law means they're treated as non-active under French law. Visitor card holders still may not carry out a professional activity in France that needs authorisation, and Service-Public's visitor page still asks for a signed statement that you won't work in France. It's a ministerial answer, not a law, and it doesn't cover tax: check with the consulate before relying on it.
How much money do I need for the French visitor card?
Service-Public says the minimum for a single person is €1,477.93 net a month over one year, and lists proof of resources of €17,735.19 a year among the documents. The card is valid for up to 1 year, is renewable, needs health insurance for the whole stay, and costs €350 (€300 tax + €50 stamp duty), read Oct 31, 2026.
Can I freelance in France as a non-EU citizen?
Yes, through the "entrepreneur/profession libérale" residence card, but it is for running a business in France: the activity must be your main one, registered with the guichet unique des formalités des entreprises, economically viable, give you enough to live on, and match your qualifications or experience (Service-Public, read Oct 31, 2026).
Is there a French working holiday visa?
Yes, for nationals of countries with a bilateral agreement: Argentina, Australia, Canada, South Korea (ages 18 to 35) and Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Russia, Taiwan and Uruguay (ages 18 to 30), for up to 12 months, generally not extendable. Canadians can stay up to 24 months, and up to 36 in specific study or training cases (Service-Public, read Oct 31, 2026).
What are the closest digital nomad visas to France?
Spain Digital Nomad Visa (€2,849 gross per month); Italy Digital Nomad Visa (at least 3× the minimum level for health-cost exemption); Portugal D8 Digital Nomad Visa (€3,680 per month); Malta Nomad Residence Permit (€42,000 gross per year). Each is checked on its official government page.