LumenDoes France have a digital nomad visa, and can you telework for a foreign employer on a visitor card?
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No dedicated digital nomad visa: the Interior Ministry said in June 2026 that no text governs foreigners teleworking in France for a foreign economy. Its answer says someone paid and taxed abroad, teleworking for a foreign employer, counts as non-active and should apply for the "visiteur" residence card.
Key facts
| What | The official source says | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A digital nomad status | No text governs the residence of foreigners teleworking in France for the economy of another country | Interior Ministry answer to question no. 11730 (JO 23 June 2026) |
| Work residence permits | A permit for employed or self-employed work implies an activity in France integrated into the French economy (the French “market”) | Same answer |
| Who should take the visitor card | A foreigner living in France who stays paid and taxed in their home country | Same answer |
| Teleworking for a foreign employer | Leads to treating the person as non-active under French law | Same answer |
| Limit on visitor card holders | No professional activity in France that needs authorisation | Same answer |
| Visitor card resources | 1,477.93 € net a month for a single person, over one year (2026 guidance) | Service-public.fr F302, step 1 |
| Visitor card length | Up to 1 year, renewable | Service-public.fr F302 |
No dedicated status
In December 2025 a member of the National Assembly asked the Minister of the Interior whether the “visiteur” status allows teleworking from France for an employer established abroad. The ministry’s answer, published in the Journal officiel on 23 June 2026, starts by saying that there is no text on the residence of foreign nationals teleworking in France for the economy of another country, and that the administration has no way of knowing about such work.
What the ministry says to apply for
The answer says a residence permit for work, employed or self-employed, implies an activity in France that is part of the French economy. A foreigner living in France who does not meet that, and who stays paid and pays the related tax in their country of origin, must apply for the temporary “visiteur” residence card. If the person is not employed in France and does not work for a company located in France, teleworking for an employer under foreign law means they are treated as non-active under French law. The answer adds that a visitor card holder may not carry out in France a professional activity that needs authorisation.
A ministerial answer is the ministry’s reading, not a law.
The visitor card’s own conditions
Service-public.fr (checked by the source on 1 June 2026) lists three conditions: enough resources for the whole stay, health insurance for the whole stay, and not working in France as an employee, trader, auto-entrepreneur, craftsperson, liberal professional or otherwise. The minimum for a single person is 1,477.93 € net a month over one year. The document list includes a handwritten statement that you won’t work in France. The card is valid for up to 1 year and is renewable.
Related questions
- How much income the visitor card needs: see “How much income do you need for a French visitor residence permit”.
- Working for French clients or running a business in France needs a work-based card, such as the “entrepreneur/profession libérale” card: see “France freelancer residence card”.
Sources
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This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.