French Talent Passport for Entrepreneurs: Which Countries Are Eligible? The Full List

You are a foreign entrepreneur and you want to set up your company in France? The multi-year « talent – business creator » residence permit (carte de séjour « talent-porteur de projet ») gives you a 4-year permit from your very first application, plus a permit for your spouse and children. But before discussing the business plan and funding, one question comes up in every consultation: does my nationality qualify? Here is the answer, country by country.

The principle: open to every non-EU national

The permit is governed by Article L. 421-16, 1° of the French Immigration Code (CESEDA). It is open to any national of a country outside the European Union, with no country list and no quota. Citizens of the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland do not need it: they settle in France without a residence permit.

For everyone else, the conditions are the same whatever the nationality: a master’s-level degree or 5 years of professional experience, a project recognised as « real and serious » by the regional economic authority (DRIEETS), funding of at least €30,000 and personal resources of at least the French annual minimum wage.

The exception: Algerian nationals

This is the point most people miss. Algerians fall under the Franco-Algerian Agreement of 27 December 1968, which the Conseil d’État holds governs their stay in France « in a complete manner » (Conseil d’État, 25 May 2022, no. 451247). As a result, the « talent » permit is not available to Algerian nationals. An Algerian entrepreneur must instead apply for the « commerçant » residence certificate under the 1968 Agreement: no €30,000 threshold and no master’s requirement, but a one-year renewable permit.

Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Ivory Coast…: eligible

France’s bilateral agreements with Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Gabon, Congo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Togo do not cover business creation by a qualified entrepreneur: they refer back to ordinary French law. Nationals of these countries are therefore fully eligible for the talent passport.

United Kingdom, Monaco, Palestine, Taiwan: special cases

Since Brexit, British citizens are eligible like any other third-country national. Monegasque citizens enjoy freedom of establishment in France under the 1963 Franco-Monegasque convention, which makes the application unnecessary. Holders of a Palestinian, Taiwanese or Kosovar passport may apply: diplomatic recognition of the State is not a condition.

List of the 163 countries eligible for the talent passport (business creator)

Africa (53): Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Congo (Brazzaville), Congo (DRC), Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Americas (35): Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela.

Asia and Middle East (46): Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Georgia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Malaysia, Maldives, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, North Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen.

Europe outside the EU (15): Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican City.

Oceania (14): Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu.

Also eligible: Palestine, Taiwan. Not eligible: Algeria (1968 Agreement), EU member states, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland.

What really matters: the project, not the passport

For 163 nationalities, the issue is not eligibility but the quality of the file. The DRIEETS opinion turns on the business plan, the consistency between your background and the project, and proof of the €30,000 funding. On that last point, depositing the funds in the lawyer’s CARPA escrow account counts as proof of funding: you do not need to open a French bank account before obtaining your visa, which is often impossible from abroad.

Two practical caveats: the consulate keeps its own public-order review, independent of the DRIEETS opinion, and fund transfers from certain sanctioned countries can complicate proof of funding. These files need to be prepared well in advance.

Frequently asked questions

Can an Algerian citizen obtain the French talent passport as a business creator? No. Algerians fall exclusively under the 1968 Franco-Algerian Agreement and must apply for the « commerçant » residence certificate. A dual national may, however, apply under their other nationality.

Are Moroccan or Tunisian citizens eligible? Yes. The Franco-Moroccan and Franco-Tunisian agreements do not deal with business creation by qualified entrepreneurs and refer back to ordinary French law.

Can British citizens apply since Brexit? Yes, under the same conditions as any third-country national, through the French consulate in the United Kingdom.

Do I need a French bank account to prove the €30,000? No. Depositing the funds in the lawyer’s CARPA escrow account, certified by the lawyer, counts as proof of funding.

General information only; this article is not legal advice. Legal basis: CESEDA Art. L. 110-1, L. 233-1, L. 421-16, R. 421-33 to R. 421-34; Law no. 2024-42 of 26 January 2024; Decree no. 2025-539 of 13 June 2025; Franco-Algerian Agreement of 27 December 1968.