France - Work Permit

In France the visa is part of the work permit application. A work permit is the permission for a company to employ a foreign worker, whereas a visa is the permission for the candidate to stay in the country.

If you are a European Union Resident you just need a residence card, which is free of charge. You obtain the residence card at the 'Préfecture', after which you need to be registered at the D.R.T.E (Direction Régionale du Travail et de l'Emploi).

If you are a non-European Union Resident, you need to obtain a visa and to be registered at the D.R.T.E.

The whole process from presenting the application to the applicant starting work, takes between 30 and 60 days. Documentation has to be submitted in French. The compulsory documents are a work contract, a valid national identity card or passport, a visa for non E.U. citizens and a residence card.