French
Language
The language of the Republic
Country guide · France
Living and working in France
A guide for international candidates
Unless you're an EU, EEA or Swiss citizen, you'll usually need a residence permit that lets you work. Many skilled hires use the "talent" residence card: the qualified employee route needs gross pay of at least €39,582 a year, and the EU Blue Card at least €59,373. For most other jobs, the employer applies for a work authorisation.
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Euro
Currency
€, EUR
Paris
Capital
CET
Time zone
UTC+1, or CEST (UTC+2) from late March to late October · source
112
Emergency number
Or 15 (medical), 17 (police), 18 (fire) · source
Type E
Plug
230 V · source
Last checked 12 October 2026. Estimates are labelled.
Where the jobs are
All regions lets you pick a place and see rent, jobs and the sectors in this guide. Choose a sector to see that industry in every place.
Cyan is the region you picked. Navy is everywhere else.
Region
Île-de-France
Pay €3,479.
- Salaried jobs
- 6.4m
- Strongest sector
- Tech
Sector strength vs average for France
- Tech2.09×
- Healthcaren/a
- Engineeringn/a
- Finance1.56×
- Hospitality1.16×
Job links open all France roles for now.
View the map as a table
| Region | Population, 1 Jan 2026 | Salaried jobs, 31 Dec 2024 | Sectors above average (LQ 1.05 or more) | Average net monthly pay (FTE, private sector, 2024) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Île-de-France | 12,594,502 | 6,421,996 | Tech 2.09, Professional services 1.61, Finance 1.56, Hospitality 1.16 | €3,479 |
| Centre-Val de Loire | 2,589,286 | 902,510 | Manufacturing 1.35, Healthcare 1.05 | €2,426 |
| Bourgogne-Franche-Comté | 2,794,043 | 968,122 | Manufacturing 1.51, Healthcare 1.22 | €2,390 |
| Normandy | 3,353,726 | 1,203,932 | Manufacturing 1.40, Healthcare 1.14 | €2,432 |
| Hauts-de-France | 5,965,764 | 2,093,369 | Healthcare 1.18, Manufacturing 1.16 | €2,447 |
| Grand Est | 5,544,271 | 1,939,649 | Manufacturing 1.32, Healthcare 1.15 | €2,455 |
| Pays de la Loire | 3,965,226 | 1,528,105 | Manufacturing 1.51 | €2,437 |
| Brittany | 3,510,058 | 1,261,149 | Manufacturing 1.24, Healthcare 1.11 | €2,395 |
| Nouvelle-Aquitaine | 6,241,784 | 2,188,137 | Healthcare 1.17, Finance 1.05 | €2,409 |
| Occitanie | 6,246,988 | 2,146,346 | Healthcare 1.15 | €2,470 |
| Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes | 8,303,191 | 3,225,563 | Manufacturing 1.32, Hospitality 1.09, Professional services 1.05 | €2,634 |
| Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | 5,318,370 | 1,938,610 | Hospitality 1.31, Healthcare 1.05 | €2,569 |
| Corsica | 365,636 | 121,773 | Hospitality 1.22 | €2,303 |
Cities
Pay, rent and the share of pay that rent takes. Estimates stay labelled.
France
Paris
- Rent
- €1,721
- Pay
- €3,836
- Rent share
- 45%
January 7.6°C, July 25.7°C; 637 mm rain; about 1,690 sunshine hours a year
See jobs in ParisFrance
Lyon
- Rent
- €865
- Pay
- €3,014
- Rent share
- 29%
January 7.1°C, July 28.2°C; 821 mm rain; about 2,050 sunshine hours a year
See jobs in LyonFrance
Toulouse
- Rent
- €727
- Pay
- €2,909
- Rent share
- 25%
January 9.7°C, July 28.2°C; 627 mm rain; about 2,080 sunshine hours a year
Tools
Step 1 of 2
Visa route finder
A route to read about, not a decision on your application. Figures are the ones in this guide.
Rent and pay
The pay and rent figures already in this guide. This is not a tax calculation.
Rent a month in Paris
€1,721
- Pay
- €3,836
- Rent share of pay
- 45%
Take-home pay
The French tax office estimates income tax for people living in France. It is a guide, not a tax assessment.
Open the income tax simulatorVisa routes to read about
These describe the route. They do not say whether you qualify.
- Source
Talent card, qualified employee
Holders of a French master's degree (or equivalent) with a contract over 3 months. €39,582.
Talent card, innovative company employee
People hired by a recognised innovative young company, working on its R&D project. €39,582.
Talent card, employee on mission
Employees of a group company abroad coming to a French group company (3 months' group seniority). €39,582.
Talent card, EU Blue Card
Graduates (3 years of higher education) or people with 5 years' comparable experience; contract of at least 6 months. €59,373 (1.5 x reference salary).
Talent card, medical and pharmacy professions
Doctors, pharmacists and similar with an authorisation to practise. €41,386.48.
Talent card, company officer
Company officers with 3 months in the group. €67,212.60 (3 x SMIC).
Little-known facts
Daily life
- Time offthe long lunch break, paperwork and appointments at the préfecture, shops closed on Sundays in many places, August holidays, the 35-hour week and RTT days (Service-Public.fr F34151), regional languages such as Breton, Basque and Occitan.
Family, school and pets
- Schoolécole maternelle, élémentaire, collège, lycée; school is compulsory from age 3 (Service-Public.fr F1898).
- SchoolQual, sourced to education.gouv.fr.
- Family"talent-famille" card for the spouse and minor children of talent card holders (Service-Public.fr F16922).
From job offer to settled in
1
contract, visa application
, arrival, VLS-TS validation within 3 months (ANEF), social security number and health insurance registration (ameli.fr), bank account, carte Vitale, tax account on impots.gouv.fr, housing (deposit and guarantor), driving licence exchange, schools
2
passport, visa, birth certificate
Source3
bank account
Withholding of income tax at source, first tax return the year after arrival (impots.gouv.fr, : declare the next spring all income from arrival to 31 December. First return on paper form 2042)
Source
Questions
Is the "passeport talent" still available?
It has been replaced by the "talent" residence card, reformed by a decree of 13 June 2025. The routes are similar, with salary thresholds such as €39,582 and €59,373 a year.
Does my employer need a work authorisation for me?
Not for the talent card: the employer needs no work authorisation and is exempt from the tax on employing a foreign national. For most other salaried jobs, the employer applies for a work authorisation.
Can my family come with me?
Yes, holders of a talent card can bring their spouse and minor children through a simplified procedure, and they get a "talent-famille" card. A specialist can look at your family's situation; find one in /specialists.
How long is the card and what does it cost?
Up to 4 years, and €350 in tax stamps when the card is issued. The EU Blue Card follows the length of your contract, up to 4 years.
How much tax will I pay?
Income tax uses a progressive scale per household share: 0% up to €11,600, then 11%, 30%, 41% and 45% (2026 scale). Social contributions are taken from gross pay first, and tax is withheld at source each month.
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