France is pushing forward with plans to become a leading hub for entrepreneurs and startups by expanding its “Passeport Talent” scheme to include a French Tech Visa.
The scheme, which launched in 2016, was set up to attract foreign tech talents to France with the French Tech Ticket. The French Tech Ticket is a 12-month seed accelerator program set up for international entrepreneurs who want to build a startup in Europe.
The French Tech Visa is part of this scheme. It is open to foreign startup and scale-up founders and employees, foreign talents joining a French startup or scale-up, foreign investors and business angels.
If successful, the visa is valid for four years on a renewable basis, it covers the spouse of the main applicant and no work permit is required for any work performed as an employee.
Within the Tech Ticket, selected entrepreneurs and projects will work in one of 41 French partner incubators, which will provide mentorship to help with fundraising, expert advice and pitch practice. Currently, people within the EEA and Switzerland don’t need a visa to work in France in this way.
Within the scheme, the government will be creating a list of France’s leading startups and people joining these companies in various capacities and roles will qualify for a visa.
La French Tech is an initiative by the French government to support local startups. It is managed out of the French Ministry for the Economy and Finance, in partnership with the Direction Générale des Entreprises, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, the Commissariat général à l’Investissment, Bpifrance, Business France, and Caisse des Dêpôts et Consigation.
It is a key area of growth for the French government, and this was shown in the recent State of European Tech report produced by Slush with investment firm Atomico.
The report found that, overall, tech hubs are growing in places such as London, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm – as is to be expected – but the report also finds European entrepreneurs are cropping up across the continent.
