“If you are coming to France as a teleworker, you can have a high quality of life at a low price point,” says Daniel Tostado, a French-American Immigration Attorney based in Paris. “Theoretically, you can maintain your high U.S. salary and then come to France and spend it on a baguette for 1,20 € and a bottle of wine for 5 € and then go sit by the Seine because drinking in public is allowed here.”
Can You Work as a Digital Nomad in France?
According to Attorney Tostado, although France does not have an explicit digital nomad visa, France de facto allows foreign nationals to telework if the work is not done for French clients or a French employer.
That being said, Tostado admits that telework for foreigners in France is a “legal gray area” given the lack of national legislation on the matter. “We’re standing on beach sand here,” he explains, “it’s not a firm basis by which I can say declaratively that an American has the right to telework in France. It’s just a norm that we’re seeing the French government apply.”
How to Get Your France Digital Nomad Visa
Americans with valid passports may stay in France for 90 days or fewer within a 180 day period without a special visa. This means that an American dreaming of teleworking from an Airbnb on the French Riviera for a couple of months over the summer can do so without applying for a visa. If they wanted, they could even effectively split their time between the U.S. and France, alternating every 90 days.
However, for Americans seeking to stay in France for longer, there are two main avenues to teleworking in France. These options assume that these employees are not married to a French national nor engaged in commercial activity in the French market.
Remote Working with a French Long Stay Visa
One avenue is via a long-stay visa, or visa de long séjour, which allows individuals to spend more than 90 days out of an 180 day period in France. As part of the application on the France-Visas website, individuals must demonstrate proof that they have secured a rental property such as a lease. Several websites can assist with finding long-term rentals, such as Airbnb, Vrbo, PAP, Gens de Confiance, SeLoger and Bio Rentals. Applicants also need to show proof of enough resources to cover all expenses during the trip by submitting their previous three bank statements, which demonstrate the ability to cover 120 €/day for the duration of their visa. Individuals must also show proof of health insurance for the duration of their visit for a minimum coverage of 30,000 €. Depending on age and medical history, these private health insurance policies can cost approximately 1,000 € per year, with out-of-pocket expenses for routine exams such as dermatology appointments costing approximately 30 € per visit.
“The idea of the long-stay visa is that you’re shopping at Monoprix (a French supermarket chain), but you’re not taking a job at Monoprix,” explains Tostado. Whereas the advantage of this visa is that the American employee can maintain his or her higher U.S. salary, the disadvantage is that the long-stay visa does not put the employee on track for French naturalization.
Employer of Record & French Talent Visa
Another option is to secure an employer of record or portage salarial in combination with a talent visa or passeport talent (also called the carte bleue européenne). With this option, an American employer pays the American employee’s salary to a French hirer (the employer of record). In exchange for a cut of the employee’s salary, this employer of record hires the employee on a French work contract and contributes 40% of the employee’s earnings to social security while the employee continues performing tasks for the American employer. The employee then maintains approximately half of his or her salary, before taxes. To be eligible for the passeport talent (carte bleue européenne), the employee must earn a minimum base salary of 53,835.50 € per year, as reflected in their French work contract. The requirements for a talent visa/European blue card include having obtained at least 3 years of higher education beyond a Bachelor’s degree (i.e. a Master’s degree) or 5 years of professional experience of a comparable level.
Companies offering employer of record services may be found online, such as in this guide.
According to Attorney Tostado, whereas the American employee sacrifices half of his or her U.S. salary to work in France via this option, the employee gains a strong social safety net in return. This option also puts the employee on track for naturalization and allows the employee to sponsor his or her spouse and children in France.
Profession Libérale Visa
A third option is suited for digital nomads seeking to engage in freelance activities in the French market: the Entrepreneur Professional or Entrepreneur/Profession Libérale Visa. This visa type is relevant for self-employed individuals such as translators, website designers, and computer programmers with clients in France. While initially valid for one year, this visa may be renewed for another three years. After four years, individuals on this visa type may apply for a residence permit or citizenship. This visa type also allows individuals to relocate their family to France. Despite its advantages, the requirements to obtain this visa type are more stringent. In order to be eligible for this visa, individuals must first have obtained a prior visa (i.e. long-stay visa), registered their company in France, and obtained a monthly revenue of at least 1,801.80 €, among other requirements.
French Income Tax and Social Security for Remote Workers
Regardless of their pathway to France, American teleworkers — including those on a long-stay visa — who spend more than half of the calendar year in France should file income tax in France, and inform the U.S. Internal Revenue Service accordingly. “If you use French sidewalks, firefighters, and national security more than American ones, you should pay income tax in France,” says Tostado. For reference, income tax in France amounts to 30% for those earning between 28,798 € and 82, 341 €, and 41% for those earning between 82,342 € and 177,106 €.
Social security charges, on the other hand, depend on the location of the employer. If American teleworkers have a passeport talent, then they pay French social security charges, which are between 20% and 23% of one’s salary. If they have a long-stay visa and work for a company based in the U.S., then they pay American social security charges.
Benefitting from the French Healthcare System
Regardless of the visa types mentioned, all teleworkers are eligible to apply for a carte vitale to be registered within the French healthcare system, known as Protection Universelle Maladie (PUMa), after three months of French residency. Whereas the healthcare costs are deducted from the monthly salaries of those on a passeport talent, those on a visa de long séjour pay an annual fee. Healthcare costs, or cotisation subsidiaire maladie, are calculated according to income. Those earning more than 21,996 € will pay a fee of 6.5% of their income. Therefore, single individuals who earn 53,000 € per year would pay a fee of 3,445 €.
Where to Work Remotely in France
In addition to French healthcare, digital nomads can look forward to a variety of spaces from which to telework in France. Besides one’s Airbnb or rental property, there are three major categories of telework-friendly locales: coworking spaces, libraries, and cafes. Affordable coworking spaces in Paris are plenty, including WeWork (199 €/month for a basic plan), Le 10h10 Coworking Café (300 €/month), and Nuage Café (pictured) (500 €/month). For a free option, teleworkers can go to the library. To obtain a library card, it is only necessary to bring a valid form of identification such as a passport.
Lastly, it is possible to telework in cafes. According to Tostado, as a rule of thumb, cafes with two floors tend to be telework-friendly. La Caféothèque is one example of a cafe that has become a popular teleworking hub in Paris. Other cafes permit teleworkers too. However, Tostado recommends avoiding peak meal times (i.e. around 10 am or 4 pm) in order to not interfere with the cafe’s business and overstay one’s welcome.
The Future of Telework in France
If teleworkers choose to “work from home” instead of in public, they should ensure their Airbnb or rental property has a strong wi-fi connection, as some older buildings may not be well-equipped in this regard. Optical fiber, referred to in French as la fibre, is currently prevalent and expected to become more widespread in France throughout 2025.
It is also wise for teleworkers to choose their legal pathway to telework in France according to their long-term goals. According to Immigration Specialist Fiona Mougenot in The Local, individuals who telework in France via the long-stay visa may encounter difficulties eventually putting down roots in France. “If you want to apply for a 10-year residency card or citizenship one day then you need to show that your main economic base is France, if you have been declaring that your work was done elsewhere [as required for a long-stay visa] then you may find that these years don’t ‘count’ towards the five-year mandatory residence period for citizenship,” Mougenot writes.
Despite President Macron’s appointment of a new, relatively moderate Prime Minister, François Bayrou, Attorney Tostado does not anticipate the French government cracking down on teleworkers anytime soon. “It’s been smooth sailing for teleworkers because the French aren’t thinking about these teleworkers as threats to their jobs.” Instead, he jokes, “They may be threats to getting that Airbnb in the Marais that French people couldn’t afford anyway.”
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should not act or refrain from acting based on the content of this article without seeking legal counsel from a qualified attorney. For any specific legal questions or concerns, please consult a licensed lawyer, such as Attorney Tostado and his team.
