France relaxes EU Blue Card rules

Introduction

On the 2^nd May 2025 France published Law # 2025-391 containing provisions relating to the EU Directive 2021/1883 regarding the EU Blue Card. These provisions introduce more relaxed rules for the French Talent – European Blue Card including eligibility criteria, professional experience requirements, intra-EU Mobility and automatic renewal of the “Talent Family” status.

Impact

Medium

What has changed?

The EU Blue Card is an immigration route for highly skilled professionals created to be available across the EU. The EU directive provides guidance for the EU Blue card to be established in each member state. France’s recent changes will offer more relaxed rules regarding the “European Blue Card Talent” and “Family Talent” statuses and facilitating the issuance of the “EU long-term resident card” for holders of a “European Blue Card” who have undergone intra-European mobility.

What to expect /impact?

Changes published include:

Longer validity of the “Talent – European Blue Card” residence permit for fixed contract holders. Applicants with a fixed term contract of less than 24 months can now obtain a residence permit with a duration equal to the contract duration plus 3 months (up to a maximum 24 months).
The “Talent – European Blue Card” is also now available to applicants with a fixed-term contract of a minimum of 6 months as opposed to 12 months.
For applicants without a diploma, the professional experience requirement for certain professions will be reduced from 5 years to 3 years of experience within the 7 years preceding the application. The list of professionals will be determined by the decree of the Council of State.
Relaxation in relation to Intra-European mobility. For those applicants who are holders of an EU Blue Card status in another EU country and wish to apply for a French Talent- European Blue Card, the minimum period they must have held the original status has been reduced to 12 months from 18 months, and 6 months for those on a second move from within an EU member state.
With regards to the EU Long Term Residence Card, this may now be issued to holders of the Talent- European Blue Card who have resided in France for only 2 years, or if they have spent at least 3 years in France or another EU state under an EU Blue Card or Skilled Employee Talent status, Research or Refugee/ subsidiary protected Status permit.
Currently the renewal of the “Talent-Family” residence permit is automatic after five years of residence in France under this status. In future, the “Talent-Famille” residence permit will be automatically renewed, provided that there have been 5 years of legal and uninterrupted residence in the EU as a family member of a foreigner holding a “European Blue Card” permit, the last 2 years of which were spent in France

In addition to the above changes, the law provides that the issuance of the Talent – European Blue Card in France may be refused if the employing firm was set up uniquely for the purpose of facilitating entry into France of third country nationals and if the employer has failed to meet any legal requirements regarding social security, tax, workers rights and / or conditions, or if it has been convicted of illegal employment.