France Updates EU Blue Card Rules

On May 2, 2025, France passed Law No. 2025-391, updating the EU Blue Card rules in line with EU Directive 2021/1883.

Key Changes

• Applicants with at least three years of relevant professional experience in the previous seven years in certain occupations may now qualify for an EU Blue Card. The applicable qualifications have yet to be defined by a future government decree. In other occupations, five years of professional experience is required, or a three-year higher education degree.
• The minimum duration for the employment contract has been reduced from one year to six months.
• A holder of an EU Blue Card issued by another EU member state can now enter France visa-free after staying for 12 months (previously 18 months) in the issuing member state. This also applies to a holder of an EU Blue Card issued by another EU member state who has spent at least six months in a second EU member state after an initial 12 months in the issuing member state. In either case, the EU blue card holder must apply for a French EU Blue Card within one month of arrival in France.
• If the employment contract is for a period of less than two years, the EU Blue Card will now be issued for the contract duration plus up to three months, to a maximum of two years.
• Periods of time spent on certain other residence permits now count towards the five years of residence required for an EU Blue Card holder to qualify for a ten-year long-term residence permit. An applicant who has held a French EU Blue Card for at least two years may be eligible for the ten-year long-term residence permit if, for the remainder of the five required years, they held an EU Blue Card or a residence permit for highly-skilled workers, researchers or international protection issued by France or another EU member state.
• There is no change to the salary threshold, which remains 1.5 times the average gross annual salary.

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