A whole new batch of French Tech Visa incubators/accelerators has been certified for 2018. Meaning what? If one wants to settle in France to launch a startup, the door is wide open for the founder and family. Discover how.
Simplified procedure
To settle and work in France, one must obtain a residence permit. This can be a long procedure. A startup founder is welcome to settle and work in France and the procedure is a lot faster. He/she will get a 4-year renewable permit within a few months but, of course, a few conditions must be met.
Conditions for the “Talent Passport”
The permit for startup founders is called “Talent Passport”. To be eligible, one must:
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have financial ressources (equal to the French annual minimum wage)
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have an innovative project
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have the approval of the Direccte (French Administration)
Find a French Tech Visa partner
What is a French Tech Visa partner? It’s an incubator or accelerator that has been certified. This is the crucial step to get the “Talent Passport”, this may even be the longest as the founder must be accepted in the incubator. No visa for anyone founding a startup in France on their own. It is the incubator that sends an official letter attesting the innovative nature of the startup (requirement n°2)
The partners are renewed after careful study of their application. And the new 2018 batch is here!
The French Tech Visa website displays all partners by sector, location and maturity stage. Maturity in developpement that is, not the age of the founder…
Locations and sectors
In a country where many things are centralized in Paris, it’s a relief to see some incubators are outside of the capital city. Still, 22 of 51 are in Paris. The most represented cities (besides Paris) are Bordeaux, Lille, Saclay and Toulouse.
30 sectors are covered, well, some a lot more than others. The big winner is the sector of Internet of Things with 14 incubators. The second place is a tie between Foodtech (hey, this is France, remember,) and Mobile sectors with 9 incubators each.
Family business
Settling down in a foreign country is a huge step especially if you have a family. The French Tech Visa covers that by inviting the spouse and kids to join in. The spouse’s visa allows him/her to work in France too.
Dynamic startup scene, #Franceisback, red carpet to settle down and found a startup… So, what are you waiting for?