BRANDZ is a Sino-French family office based in France. We work with Chinese-speaking high-net-worth families who wish to settle, start a business or invest in France. The French Talent Passport (Passeport Talent) is handled as a family package. A French bank account and a driving-licence exchange are included, at no extra charge. Whether a permit is granted is decided by the competent French authorities, in accordance with the law.
What the Talent Passport is, and which families it may suit
France issues a multi-year residence permit (titre de séjour) marked “talent” to non-EU nationals — commonly known as the French Talent Passport (Passeport Talent). It is intended for salaried professionals, project sponsors, investors, legal representatives of companies and others who can contribute to the French economy and to innovation. It is not a route to “buy a passport”, and it is not a shortcut with a guaranteed approval.
The permit is generally issued for a maximum of four years; the term actually granted is the one printed on the document. For salaried routes, the term usually also follows the employment contract, still subject to the four-year cap. Where the intended stay is one year or more, applicants generally first obtain a long-stay visa marked “talent”, then apply for the multi-year titre de séjour after arriving in France. Where the stay is under one year, entry is typically on a VLS-TS (a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit), which must be validated online within the required time limit.
For many Chinese-speaking families, two questions carry real weight: whether the route matches their education, project or investment; and whether a spouse and minor children can be arranged at the same time, without going through the ordinary family-reunification procedure (regroupement familial).
BRANDZ’s work is to clarify the route first, then organise the file, company formation and practical set-up around one family — not merely to submit a set of forms.
Match the route first, then discuss the file
The points below are drawn from the current guidance on the French public-service website Service-Public (the Talent Passport topic page was marked as verified on 1 June 2026). Amounts and conditions may change when the rules are amended; the official pages prevail. In a consultation we will check each item against your situation. We do not take the place of an official examination.
The routes we have long presented on this site, and that are most relevant to many families coming to France to start a business or invest, sit under “project sponsor” (talent — porteur de projet), in three paths:
Company creation (création d’entreprise)
You must meet all of the following: hold a diploma at least equivalent to a master’s degree, or have five years’ comparable professional experience; have a genuine, serious project to form a company in France; be able to show that you and your family members have means of subsistence of at least full-time annual SMIC (currently published at €22,404.20 gross); and have project financing of at least €30,000 (own funds or borrowed — this is a condition of the project, not a fee payable to BRANDZ). Business-creation or innovation projects usually also require a prior opinion from the economic authorities on whether the project is genuine and serious.
Innovative economic project (projet économique innovant)
You must have an innovative economic project recognised by the economic authorities, and likewise show family means of subsistence of at least the annual SMIC figure above.
Direct economic investment (investissement économique direct)
You must invest directly, or through a company of which you are the officer, or in which you hold at least 30% of the capital; invest at least €300,000 in tangible or intangible assets in France; and create or preserve jobs, or give a corresponding undertaking.
Other common routes (assessed case by case)
The official framework also includes: qualified employees; employees of innovative companies; intra-group transfers (the currently published gross annual salary threshold is €39,582; the qualified-employee route has additional requirements, including as to diplomas obtained in France); legal representatives of companies (you must be the legal representative of a French establishment, have at least three months’ seniority in the same group, and a currently published gross annual salary of €67,212.60, equal to three times SMIC); the EU Blue Card; researchers; medical and pharmaceutical professions; the arts and culture; and persons of national or international reputation. Suitability has to be checked against the contract, qualifications, remuneration and project. A job title alone is not enough to place yourself on a route.
Spouse and minor children: accompanying, not a later reunification
According to official guidance, the accompanying family of a Talent Passport holder is, in the main, the spouse and minor children. They may use a simplified accompanying procedure and apply for a “talent-famille” titre de séjour, rather than the longer family-reunification process (regroupement familial). The accompanying permit is valid for the same remaining period as the principal applicant’s permit.
A “talent-famille” permit allows the holder to take up salaried or non-salaried work. For salaried employment, the employer generally does not need to apply for a separate work authorisation. Official rules also cover children aged 16 to 18 who wish to work, and children who enter as minors and later come of age; these situations must be checked individually.
Accompanying family members must still apply for a visa at a French consulate abroad, and complete residence formalities after arrival within the time limits that apply to their visa type. Approval, here too, is decided by the competent authorities.
A family package that brings residence and the essentials of settling together
At BRANDZ, the French Talent Passport is quoted per family (the same household), not as a set of separate fees for each person. The service is all-inclusive. The following two items are included in the package, at no extra charge:
- assistance with opening a French bank account;
- assistance with exchanging a driving licence.
Where the route requires a company to be formed in France (for example a business-creation or innovation project, or an investment made through a company), we move company formation and the Talent Passport path on the same timetable, and, where appropriate, coordinate lawyers for the articles of association, legal notices and other legal documents. Banking, legal and tax work is carried out by the professional firms we work with; BRANDZ organises and coordinates.
Price: quotes are prepared per family (household); the proposal is provided in consultation.
We will not promise “certain approval” on a call or on this page, and we will not present our professional fees as an investment threshold. In a consultation we first explain which routes are worth assessing, then put forward a proposal that matches the family’s situation.
How we accompany you through this stage
The sequence below is the one most families travelling from China to France will follow. The precise documents and counters depend on the official list then in force, and on the requirements of the consular district and the préfecture concerned.
1. Assessment of the family situation and the route
We review educational background, professional experience, the project or investment idea, and the composition of the family, compare them with the routes then in force, and explain which conditions are already met and which still need to be strengthened.
2. Project and company arrangements (where they apply)
Business-creation or innovation routes usually require a prior opinion on the project from the economic authorities, together with preparation of the company form, articles and evidence of funds. Direct-investment routes are organised around the investment structure, employment undertakings and evidence of funds.
3. Preparing the file
This includes identity and residence evidence, qualifications or professional experience, the project or contract, funds and means of subsistence, and the official “undertaking to respect the principles of the Republic” (engagement à respecter les principes de la République). We help you gather, translate and check the file. We do not sign inaccurate declarations on an applicant’s behalf.
4. Visa application at a French consulate abroad
The application is filed at the embassy or consulate in the country of residence. Processing times vary by consular district and by season. There is no single official time limit for a decision; the consulate’s own notice prevails.
5. Residence formalities after arrival
Where the intended stay is a full year or more, the usual pattern is a three-month long-stay visa marked “talent”, after which the multi-year titre de séjour must be applied for online. Where the stay is under twelve months, the usual document is a VLS-TS, which must be validated online within three months of arrival. Official rules also set a filing window for people already in France on a long-stay visa (for example, within two months of arrival). Family members complete their accompanying residence formalities on the same rhythm.
6. Collecting the permit and what follows
Once the application has been accepted, you first receive a filing receipt; that receipt is not itself a temporary residence permit. After approval, the préfecture notifies you to collect the permit and to pay the taxes then published (currently €350 in fiscal stamps: €50 stamp duty + €300 tax). Bank-account opening, driving-licence exchange, housing, schooling and other set-up matters follow.
A Sino-French team, on the ground in France
BRANDZ was co-founded by Victor ZHANG, who serves as Chief Executive Officer. Victor holds a Master’s degree in business management from Université Paris Dauphine, and travels regularly between China and France, accompanying Chinese-speaking families with residence and professional arrangements in France.
Li Ying (Fiona) is a Partner, in charge of client relations. She is at home in the rhythm of communication between China and France, and helps families set out their questions and documents clearly, in one pass.
Matthieu is an Advisor, with long-standing practical experience in supply-chain and innovation management in North America and Europe. He can work with partner institutions in French, English and Mandarin.
We have offices in Paris (229 rue Saint-Honoré, 75001) and Lyon (70 quai Perrache, 69002). The registered office is in Versailles (11 rue du Général Pershing, 78000 Versailles). When a meeting in person is useful, it can be arranged in Paris or in Lyon.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Talent Passport a form of investment migration? If I pay, am I certain to obtain it?
No. It is a residence permit provided for by French law, and it is assessed against the education, project, investment or employment-contract conditions of the specific route. Paying professional fees to an advisory firm does not mean that an official investment or salary threshold has been met, and it does not mean the application will be approved. The final decision rests with the French visa authorities and the préfecture.
Can a spouse work? How do children accompany the applicant?
They may apply for an accompanying “talent-famille” titre de séjour, without going through family reunification. That permit allows professional activity; for salaried work, the employer generally does not need a separate work authorisation. Minor children may accompany the applicant. Children aged 16 to 18 who wish to work, or children who entered as minors and have since come of age, must be handled under the official rules that apply to their situation. Day-to-day arrangements for school and family life are described on the Setting Up in France (/installation-france) page.
What do you charge, and what is included?
Quotes are prepared per family (household); the proposal is provided in consultation. The service is all-inclusive and comprises assistance with opening a French bank account and with exchanging a driving licence, both at no extra charge. Where the route requires company formation, legal or tax work, the proposal will explain how that work is organised. Government visa fees, residence taxes, certified translations and other third-party costs are borne by the family at the official or provider rates then in force, and will be explained in the consultation.
How long does it take from a first consultation to arrival in France?
There is no single timetable we can commit to publicly. Visa processing times at consulates vary by location and by season. After arrival, official application or validation deadlines must be met (commonly within two or three months, depending on the type of visa). What we can do is prepare the documents and the sequence thoroughly, as early as possible, to reduce delays caused by requests for further papers. No statement that “the whole family will be settled in two months, guaranteed” should be relied upon.
I do not yet have a company. Can I still apply for a Talent Passport?
It depends on the route. Business-creation or innovation projects usually require a genuine, serious project, and often involve forming a company in France and obtaining an opinion from the competent authorities. The direct-investment route has specific investment and employment conditions. We will not invent a project merely in order to file. If you are still at the thinking stage, we can begin with an assessment, and then decide whether and when to start.
Is this the same thing as the “French Tech Visa”?
The “French Tech Visa” often mentioned on this site and in everyday conversation is an arrangement that facilitates access for talent linked to the innovation ecosystem. The legal result remains a multi-year “talent” titre de séjour — not a different passport, and not an accelerated approval. Whether it applies depends on recognition of the project by the competent authorities, and on whether the applicant’s own conditions are met.
After approval, can we stay long term or apply for citizenship?
A Talent Passport may be renewed in accordance with the rules. Whether, and when, a person may apply for a longer-term residence permit or for nationality depends on the statutory conditions then in force — including length of residence, integration and language — and varies widely from case to case. We do not present the Talent Passport as a “shortcut to a passport”.
Let us first understand the family’s situation, then decide whether to proceed
If you are comparing routes, or already have a project, an investment or a prospective role in mind, we welcome you to get in touch. In the consultation we will describe the fit and the risks as they are. We will not use a promise of “guaranteed approval” to bring about an engagement.
- Email: contact@brandz-group.com
- Landline: +33 9 72 88 88 18
- Mobile: +33 6 95 79 78 35
- WhatsApp: +33 6 73 13 74 75
- WeChat: BrandzFrance; client WeChat: Fiona75016
- Xiaohongshu: 博智-法国移民研究所
Paris office: 229 rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris
Lyon office: 70 quai Perrache, 69002 Lyon
The explanations on this page of routes, time limits, accompanying family members, salary and investment thresholds are prepared from the information currently published on the French public-service website Service-Public. They are provided for general information only and do not constitute legal advice or a promise of approval. Conditions and amounts may change. Please refer to service-public.gouv.fr (https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16922) and to notices issued by French consulates abroad. The final decision on visas and residence permits belongs to the competent French authorities.
BRANDZ is a Sino-French family office based in France. We work with Chinese-speaking high-net-worth families who wish to settle, start a business or invest in France. The French Talent Passport (Passeport Talent) is handled as a family package. A French bank account and a driving-licence exchange are included, at no extra charge. Whether a permit is granted is decided by the competent French authorities, in accordance with the law.