# France Work Visa for Indians: 2026 Routes and Requirements > The French work routes Indians can use in 2026, from the EU Blue Card to salaried employment, with salary floors, the work authorisation step, fees and timelines. _Published: 2026-10-17 · Reading time: 5 min · Words: 1169_ ## TL;DR Indians can work in France through the 'Talent - EU Blue Card' (gross pay of at least EUR 59,373), other Talent routes at EUR 39,582, or the salaried route, where the employer must first get a work authorisation. All apply on France-Visas and at VFS Global; the long-stay visa costs 99 euros and salaried employees pay a further 300-euro tax after arrival. ## Key takeaways - EU Blue Card: 3 years of higher education or 5 years' relevant experience, a contract of at least 6 months and gross pay of at least EUR 59,373 a year. - Talent routes (intra-group mission, innovative company) need gross annual pay of at least EUR 39,582 and no work authorisation. - Salaried route: the employer applies for a work authorisation first; no prefecture answer within 2 months counts as a refusal. - Long-stay visa fee is 99 euros; salaried employees also pay a 300-euro tax when validating the VLS-TS in France. - France-Visas says visa decisions usually take 15 days, extendable to 45 days. **According to France-Visas and Service-Public.fr, Indians can work in France through the 'Talent - EU Blue Card' (3-year degree or 5 years' experience, and gross pay of at least EUR 59,373), other Talent routes from EUR 39,582, or salaried employment, where the employer first gets a work authorisation. The long-stay visa costs 99 euros.** ## Article The route decides almost everything: who does the paperwork, how long it takes and what you pay after landing. Every route ends the same way in India, with an online form on France-Visas and an in-person appointment at a VFS Global centre. The rules below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026. For short-stay Schengen visas, see our France visa guide for Indian travellers. ### Which French work routes can Indians use? RouteWho it suitsPay floor (gross)Employer work authorisation?Talent - EU Blue CardHighly qualified hires with a contract of 6 months or moreEUR 59,373 a yearNoTalent - intra-group missionStaff sent to France within the same company or group, with 3 months' seniorityEUR 39,582 a yearNoTalent - innovative companyHires of a recognised innovative company, in a role linked to its R&D projectEUR 39,582 a yearNoSalaried employment (VLS-TS 'salarie')Any other job offer from a French employerNot set in our sourcesYes, before you enter FranceTwo youth routes are not practical options today. The working holiday visa is limited to 16 agreement countries, and India is not one of them. India and France welcomed a Young Professional Scheme in January 2024, but its age limit and quota are not published on the official pages we checked. ### What does the EU Blue Card require? - Qualification: a degree certifying at least 3 years of higher education, or 5 years of comparable professional experience relevant to the job. For professions listed by ministerial order, 3 years within the previous 7 is enough. - Contract: an employment contract of at least 6 months. - Salary: gross annual pay of at least EUR 59,373, which is 1.5 times the reference average gross annual salary. - Card length: issued for the contract length up to 4 years. A contract under 2 years gives the contract length plus 3 months. Because the employer needs no work authorisation for Talent routes, you apply for the long-stay 'talent' visa directly through France-Visas and VFS. Check the gross figure on your offer letter carefully; the threshold is gross annual pay, not take-home pay. Service-Public.fr publishes the conditions on its talent card page. ### How does the salaried route work? This is the slower path, because your employer acts first. The French employer requests a work authorisation online. Unless the job is exempt, it must first be advertised for 3 consecutive weeks with the public employment service. If the prefecture gives no answer within 2 months, that silence counts as an implicit refusal (Service-Public.fr). Once the authorisation is approved, you apply for a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS) on France-Visas, then submit it at VFS with biometrics. After arrival you validate the VLS-TS online within 3 months and pay a 300-euro tax on top of the 99-euro visa fee. ### What will a French work visa cost you? ItemAmountWhenLong-stay visa fee99 eurosAt the VFS centre, in INR at the rate set by French authoritiesVFS service fee22 EUR per applicantOnline, in INR at the official conversion rateVLS-TS validation tax, salaried employee300 eurosOnline in France, within 3 months of arrival'Talent' multi-year residence card350 euros (50 euros stamp duty + 300 euros tax)In France, when the card is issuedFrance publishes no official INR visa fee; euros are converted at the chancery rate. Optional VFS extras include a Premium Lounge at 40 EUR and courier at 550 INR. ### Where do you apply in India, and how long does it take? Fill the long-stay application on France-Visas, book a VFS appointment with your France-Visas reference number and the right category, and attend in person. VFS runs 14 centres plus four temporary service points, but decisions are taken only by the Embassy in New Delhi and the consulates covering your state: - Embassy, New Delhi: Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh. - Mumbai: Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu. - Bengaluru: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana. - Puducherry: Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep. - Kolkata: West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Sikkim and the north-eastern states. France-Visas says decisions usually take 15 days and can be extended to 45 days in special cases. Apply at least 1 month before departure and no more than 3 months before arrival. On the salaried route, add the work authorisation stage before any of this. ### Is there a route for Indians who studied in France? Yes. Graduates with a French diploma at least equivalent to a Master's can apply from India for a VLS-TS marked 'Job search / Business creation' within 4 years of obtaining it. It allows a 1-year stay, and during it you can work without a work authorisation in a job linked to your studies paying more than EUR 2,800.53 gross a month. Campus France India adds that, under a 2015 bilateral agreement, Indian students can extend their stay for 24 months after their studies (a 12-month visa renewable once). ### Before you sign the offer - Confirm the gross annual salary against the route's threshold. - Check the contract is at least 6 months for the Blue Card. - On the salaried route, ask whether the job had to be advertised and when the employer filed. - Diary the 3-month VLS-TS validation deadline. - If refused, an appeal must reach the Commission for Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions within 30 days, in French. Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares cover letters, flight reservations, hotel bookings and itineraries for visa files, for example when family members later visit you on a Schengen visa. Packages run from INR 1,000 for a flight reservation to INR 3,000 for the complete set. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or contact us through our contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can Indians get a French working holiday visa? No. France-Visas limits the working holiday ('vacances-travail') visa to nationals of 16 agreement countries, and India is not on the list. #### Is there a France job seeker visa for Indians without a French degree? Not in the official sources we checked. The job search / business creation visa is for holders of a French diploma at least equivalent to a Master's, and the India-France Young Professional Scheme's age limit and quota have not been published. #### What happens if my French work visa is refused? A long-stay refusal can be appealed within 30 days, by post, written in French and signed, to the Commission for Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions (CRRV), BP 83609, 44036 Nantes Cedex 1. This appeal is mandatory before going to the administrative court. #### Can my spouse and children join me in France later? Under the family reunification route for foreign residents, the family member in France must have lived there regularly for at least 18 months and prove sufficient resources and adequate housing. The request is filed with OFII, and the consulate then issues a long-stay visa. ## FAQ ### Can Indians get a French working holiday visa? No. France-Visas limits the working holiday ('vacances-travail') visa to nationals of 16 agreement countries, and India is not on the list. ### Is there a France job seeker visa for Indians without a French degree? Not in the official sources we checked. The job search / business creation visa is for holders of a French diploma at least equivalent to a Master's, and the India-France Young Professional Scheme's age limit and quota have not been published. ### What happens if my French work visa is refused? A long-stay refusal can be appealed within 30 days, by post, written in French and signed, to the Commission for Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions (CRRV), BP 83609, 44036 Nantes Cedex 1. This appeal is mandatory before going to the administrative court. ### Can my spouse and children join me in France later? Under the family reunification route for foreign residents, the family member in France must have lived there regularly for at least 18 months and prove sufficient resources and adequate housing. The request is filed with OFII, and the consulate then issues a long-stay visa. ## Sources 1. [Service-Public.fr - Carte talent (verified 1 June 2026)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16922) — Service-Public.fr, French Government 2. [Service-Public.fr - Work authorisation for a foreign employee (verified 18 June 2026)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2728) — Service-Public.fr, French Government 3. [Service-Public.fr - Work permit/residence card salarie (verified 1 May 2026)](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F15898) — Service-Public.fr, French Government 4. [France-Visas - Long-stay visa (VLS-TS, VLS-T)](https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/visa-de-long-sejour) — France-Visas, Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs