France
General
You must have an employment contract valid for at least 12 months and a salary of at least 1.5 times the average salary set for the specific year.
The minmum salary for the Blue Card France is 59,373 Euro gross per year (August 31, 2025).
You must also have a university or specialised college degree showing completion of at least three years study. Alternatively, you can prove your qualifications by proving you have at least five years relevant work experience.
Procedure
> When abroad
You request a Long-stay visa marked 'salarié qualifié (EU Blue Card)' with the French consulate at the French consulate in your country of origin.
The application has to be accompanied this form completed by your future employer.
Within two months of your arrival in France, request the multi-year residence permit (EU Blue Card). The validity period is the same as the duration of your employment contract, to a maximum of four years.
> Already in France
You are exempt from requiring a long stay visa and can directly apply for an EU Blue Card at the Prefecture (see link: Où s'adresser?) where you live, on the conditions:
- reside legally in France with another residence permit, or
- have an EU Blue Card issued by another EU country where you have lived for at least 18 months. In this case, you must apply for a new EU Blue Card at the Prefecture in your place of residence within one month of your arrival in France.
Rights
As a blue card holder, you may obtain an EU long-term residence permit after five years of uninterrupted stay in the EU, provided residence was based on the blue card and you have resided continuously in France for the last two years.
During the required five years of continuous residence, a maximum absence of 12 consecutive months and 18 months in total is allowed.
French immigration will check the employment contract against the conditions for issuance of an EU Blue Card and will also verify that the employer complies with labour regulations and conditions of employment.
More details, see tab 'Emploi hautement qualifié'.
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