Working in France

The short answer

Main routes	Talent passport (several categories, including the EU Blue Card), employer-sponsored salaried permit, intra-company transfer
Talent – EU Blue Card 2026	gross salary of at least €59,373 a year, contract of at least six months
Talent – qualified employee	for graduates of French institutions (master's level), gross salary of at least €39,582 a year
Language	French expected in most roles; English common in tech, research, finance and large groups
Who decides	French consulates and VFS centres in India (visa), the prefecture and ANEF online portal (residence and work authorisation)

Where the opportunities are

French employers report shortages in healthcare, hospitality and catering, construction, engineering, IT and logistics. France publishes regional lists of occupations under pressure ("métiers en tension"); for jobs on these lists, employers do not have to prove they could not hire locally.

The Indian presence in France is strongest in IT services, engineering, aerospace, pharmaceuticals and research. Around Paris, Toulouse, Lyon and Grenoble you will find Indian engineers and researchers in large numbers.

The main routes

Talent passport – EU Blue Card

For highly qualified employees with at least three years of higher education, or five years of relevant experience, and a contract of at least six months paying at least €59,373 gross a year (2026 figure). The card lasts up to four years and covers your family.

Talent passport – qualified employee

For people who earned a master's-level diploma in France and have a job paying at least €39,582 gross a year. If you studied in France, this is often the simplest route. Other Talent categories cover researchers, entrepreneurs, innovative companies and employees of young innovative companies.

Standard salaried permit

For jobs below the Talent thresholds, the employer applies online for work authorisation through the ANEF portal. You then apply for a long-stay visa as a salaried worker. For jobs on the shortage lists, the labour market test is waived.

Intra-company transfer

Indian companies with French subsidiaries or clients often transfer staff through the ICT route ("salarié détaché ICT").

Step by step

1. Get your diploma assessed if your employer asks, through the ENIC-NARIC France certificate of comparability.
2. Secure a job offer with a written contract.
3. The employer handles work authorisation where needed.
4. Apply for the long-stay visa through France-Visas and the visa centre in India.
5. Validate your visa online within three months of arrival, which turns it into your residence permit for the first year.

India–France ties worth knowing

India and France signed a Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement in 2018 and named 2026 the India–France Year of Innovation. France has also eased short-stay Schengen visas for Indian alumni of French higher education institutions. If you studied in France, mention it everywhere: it opens doors.

Life in France

Learn French as early as possible. Even in English-speaking workplaces, administration, healthcare, housing and social life run in French. Paris is expensive; Lyon, Toulouse, Lille, Nantes and Grenoble offer lower costs and strong job markets.

Quick answers