France is a tourism heavyweight, attracting over 100 million francophiles in 2024 – but increasingly, the country’s robust public services, excellent public transit, and relative affordability also make it a great place to live. This is particularly true if you’re a location-independent worker, e.g., considering registering an online business in France.
Moving to (and setting up an online business in) France as a non-EU national isn’t necessarily as simple as getting a long-stay visa and hopping on a plane.
Below, we’ll go over everything expats need to consider when planning to move to and starting an online business in France: which visa to apply for, where to live, how taxes work, and more.
Can You Move to France with an Online Business?
While it is possible to move to France with an online business, a successful long-term move to France requires the right visa.
Working from France for an online business — even if the company isn’t based in France — still counts as working in France. So, as an online business owner living in France, holding a visa that explicitly permits work is a non-negotiable for anyone seeking long-term residence in France.
🔍 Zooming in on a common misconception: Earning income while physically present in France, even from foreign clients, can trigger local tax obligations.
Unlike the neighboring countries of Spain and Italy, however, there is no “France digital nomad visa.” Even without a dedicated France remote work visa, though, location-independent workers from the US still have a few different French visa options to choose from.
Visa Options for Foreigners with Online Businesses
If you’re wondering how to move to France permanently, you’ll need to start by securing a long-stay visa. Here are a few of the most common visas selected by American business owners moving to France.
Profession Libérale Visa (Self-Employed Visa)
The profession libérale visa, AKA France’s self-employed visa, is generally the best option for American freelancers who want to move to France while actively running their own business.
To qualify for this visa, you must:
- Submit a signed document containing your business plan and documentation supporting your professional bona fides (e.g., diploma, certificates, resume, etc.)
- Prove that your profession will earn you at least the equivalent of France’s minimum legal wage: €1,426.30 (~$1,645) per month as of 2025
- Have a clean criminal record
The profession libérale visa lasts for one year. If you continue to meet the requirements upon expiration, you can apply for a multi-year residence permit good for four years.
💭Good to know: Some regulated professions (e.g., physicians) require a special authorization called an “ordre professionnel.”
Drafting Your Business Plan
Business plans are often the most intimidating part of the visa application process for US expats, but according to Mary Alice Duff, a US expat living in France under the profession libérale visa, creating a business plan is more straightforward than you might think.
“You’re writing for business and finance people, so you don’t want any fluff. They want your business plan to be direct to the point — maybe three to five pages. The most important thing is that it’s logical. My husband, for example, was a teacher for years. When it came time for him to apply for his own profession libérale visa, he decided to become a curriculum consultant, which made sense given his professional background.
Mary alice duff, fractional Coo based in Montpellier, France
If you’re starting a business that isn’t related to your professional background, on the other hand, you’ll need to prove why you’re qualified to do so. Someone who was previously working in an office but wants to open a boutique in France, for example, may still be approved if they can highlight the success they’ve had selling clothes on a site like Poshmark.
“Make sure that it’s explicit that you have the experience to back your plan up, and that you have enough finances saved to support yourself,” Duff advised. “Otherwise, immigration officials are going to view you as too much of a risk.”
A quick, cultural note
France and Europeans more broadly are generally much more risk-adverse than Americans, and enthusiasm and big-picture thinking hold far less weight than concrete evidence of your ability to do what you say you’re going to or want to do. When in doubt, always provide more tangible evidence of your ability to fulfill the requirements of the visa.
Passeport Talent – Business Creator or Innovative Economic Project
Another French visa option for American business owners is the passeport talent. There are several different ways to qualify for this visa, but the ones we’ll focus on for the purpose of this article are the “créateur d’entreprise” (business creator) and “projet économique innovant” (innovative economic project) pathways.
The business creator pathway is for those who will create a new business in France or take control of an existing French business. To be eligible for it, you must:
- Prove you have a “real and serious” commercial, artisanal, or industrial business project in France
- Invest at least €30,000 (~$34,738) into the business
- Have a master’s degree OR have at least five years of professional experience in a relevant field
To be eligible for the innovative economic project, on the other hand, you’ll need to create an innovative economic project that is recognized by a public body (e.g., acceptance into a French business incubator or accelerator, receiving a grant from an economic development agency).
You’ll also need to prove that you have savings equal to at least the French minimum legal wage (again, €1,426.30 or ~$1,645 per month).
Within two months of arriving, you must apply for a multi-year residence permit. The permit lasts up to four years, and you can renew it upon expiration if you continue to meet the qualifications.
Visitor Visa (VLS-TS Visiteur)
We’ve already discussed that to perform remote work in France, a visa is a must. But what if you’re not actively working? Enter: the visitor visa.
The visitor visa allows holders to stay (but not work) in France beyond 90 days. To support yourself, you’ll need either savings or passive income equivalent to — you guessed it — the French minimum legal wage.
While it’s okay to earn passive income from a US business (e.g., through dividends, royalties, licensing fees, profit distributions, etc.), you cannot be involved in day-to-day operations or management. In fact, as part of the visa application process, you’ll need to sign a document confirming that you won’t conduct any professional activity while in France.
Anyone caught violating this agreement is subject to fines, visa revocation, bans on re-entry into the country, and future visa denials. Historically, it’s been possible to squeak by in a pretty mainstream “gray zone” here, but with France increasingly drawing international attention as a destination for weary Americans and other relatively wealthy foreigners, the country is stepping up its oversight.
As we aren’t immigration advisors, we’ll simply note that if your intent is to immigrate with any degree of permanence, ensuring you’re as square as possible is typically the best route to take.
Moving along, to have your application approved, you’ll need:
- A letter explaining your circumstances (e.g., retired, living off of investments, etc.)
- Proof of accommodation in France, such as a signed lease, the deed to a property, or a document explaining your planned accommodation once in France (e.g., staying with a friend)
- Travel health insurance valid in France that provides coverage of at least €30,000 (~$34,760)
The visitor visa lasts up to one year and can be renewed upon expiration if you continue to meet the requirements.
Note for those currently on the long-stay visitor visa
If you’re currently on a long-stay visitor visa and didn’t realize your visa prohibited you from working remotely from France, it’s important to get in touch with French immigration and tax attorneys right away.
“French tax authorities have three years to audit you, and you may face a penalty of up to 10%, 40%, or even 80% if they determine that you engaged in tax fraud,” said Julien Darras, tax attorney at Yatax. “If you realize you owe back taxes in France, you need to speak with an advisor to assess your risk and come up with a strategy to legitimize your situation.”
The Tax Implications of Running a Business from France
Immigration isn’t the only bureaucratic hurdle you’ll have to navigate as a US expat living in France. Beyond tax obligations in your new country of residence, a move abroad has major implications for your US taxes.
US Taxes
Americans living overseas aren’t beyond the reach of the IRS. The US requires all citizens and green card holders to file federal taxes, even if they live in another country. Depending on which ties you maintain to the US, you may be subject to state taxes as well.
Many American expats find themselves subject to additional reporting requirements, such as the following:
- Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR): Americans with over $10,000 across all of their foreign financial accounts at any point in the year must file FinCEN Form 114
- Statement of Specified Foreign Assets: US expats with over $200,000 in certain foreign assets on the last day of (or over $300,000 at any point during) the tax year must file Form 8938
It’s not all bad news, though. For one, US expats get an automatic two-month extension on their federal tax return to June 15th. By filing Form 4868, which can be done online, you can extend this deadline even further to October 15th.
Note: If you expect to owe taxes, though, you’ll still need to make an estimated payment by April 15th, regardless of when you file.
Expat tax breaks for US taxpayers living abroad
- The Foreign Tax Credit (FTC): The FTC gives Americans US tax credits for any foreign income taxes they’ve paid. In high-tax countries like France, this typically not only erases your US tax liability but also gives you carry-forward credits to use on future tax returns.
- The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion (FEIE): The FEIE lets Americans who either a) spend at least 330 days abroad in a 365-day period overlapping the tax year or b) qualify as bona fide residents of a foreign country to exclude a portion of their income from federal taxes ($130,000 in 2025). Although it’s easier to file than the FTC, for tax planning purposes and long-term financial wellness, it’s typically less beneficial than the FTC in high-tax jurisdictions.
French Taxes
If you meet any of the following criteria, you will likely qualify as a tax resident in France:
- You or your immediate family have a habitual abode in France
- France is the principal country you spend your time in
- You carry out professional activities in France
- France is the center of your economic interests
As a French tax resident, you’ll be subject to taxes on your worldwide income and must file a French tax return. French personal income tax rates range from 0% to 45% depending on your overall income, plus a surtax of 3% on any income exceeding €250,000 (~$289,141).
Other common taxes include:
- Corporate taxes: 25%
- Capital gains taxes: Generally, 36.2% on real estate sales, 30% on the sale of securities
- Note: Primary home sales are generally exempt from taxation. For other properties, tax reductions typically kick in after six years of ownership, with full exemption after 22 years (income tax) and 30 years (social charges)
- PUMA (protection universelle maladie) taxes: 6.5% on passive income surpassing a threshold of €23,550 (~$27,589)
- Note: The threshold changes slightly each tax year
Social Contributions (URSSAF)
Just like French employees, self-employed French tax residents must contribute to the French social security system: the URSSAF (Unions de Recouvrement des Cotisations de Sécurité Sociale et d’Allocations Familiales). Rather than having social security contributions withheld from your paycheck, however, you’ll need to register and pay on the URSSAF website.
Microenterprises — service businesses earning less than €77,700 (~$89,801) or commercial businesses earning less than €188,700 (~$218,067) — are subject to a flat tax based on income type. Rates vary from 6% for renting furnished tourist accommodations to 24.6% for certain service-based professions.
Self-employed individuals whose income falls outside of the microenterprise thresholds are subject to different rates that vary according to their income, industry, and the benefit type.
Permanent Establishment Risks
Even if your business is registered in the US (via a US LLC, S Corp, or Corporation), France may consider your business to be “effectively managed” from France, and therefore subject to French corporate tax requirements. This may include a corporate tax rate of 25% and additional reporting requirements, such as:
- A French corporate tax return
- Value-added tax (VAT) registration
- Annual financial statements
- Transfer Pricing Documentation
This naturally leads many US expats to wonder whether it’s worth registering their US-based business in France.
Should You Restructure Your Business?
When you move to France with an online business based in the US, you have a few different options when it comes to registration.
Keep Your US Business As-Is
Historically, many Americans living in France have decided to maintain their business’s US registration but not register it in France. While nothing will immediately happen, maintaining your US business leaves you vulnerable to scrutiny by French tax authorities. If, for any reason, your immigration file is examined (for example, during an application to renew your visa), the French government may act as if it’s a French-registered business if they find that you’re effectively managing it from France.
This generally increases your risk of being audited or fined for non-compliance, and may prevent you from claiming any of the tax relief or legal protection France offers business owners.
Shut Down Your US Entity and Register in France
Your second option is closing down your US-based business and registering an online business in France. You can choose between a few different French business structures, such as:
- Sole trader (SE)/Individual Entrepreneur (EI): For individuals who want to run a business without creating a separate legal entity
- Also includes microenterprise status
- Single-member company with limited liability (EURL): For self-employed individuals who want to create a separate legal entity for their business
- Limited Liability Company (LLC): For businesses comprised of between two and 100 partners
This is generally the simplest option, although it may prevent you from claiming US tax relief and legal protection.
💡 Expert advice: If you pursue this option, you may need to file Forms 5471 or 8858 in the US to disclose information about your France-based foreign activities.
Open a French Branch of Your US-Based Company
The final option is to keep your US-based business and open a foreign branch, or succursale, in France. Doing so allows you to do business in France while maintaining your original business structure, which may allow you to claim tax relief for businesses in both countries. Your US company, however, will become fully liable for the French branch.
It’s also considerably more complex to open a succursale than to start a new business. That said, it’s generally easier to liquidate a foreign branch of a US company than a French business while living in France. If your move to France will only be temporary, this is an important consideration to keep in mind.
💡 Expert advice: Darras generally recommends that freelancers earning less than €77,000 (~$90,192) register under the microenterprise program.
“Microentrepreneurs are subject to lower, flat tax rates and reduced reporting burdens. You can typically register for microenterprise status by yourself online within an hour,” Darras said.
If you’re a US business owner evaluating options for moving to France, Rook CPAs offers joint consultations with Yatax, providing a cross-border review of your situation. Submit our contact form if this is a meeting you’d be interested in learning more about.
Best Places to Live in France as an Online Business Owner
There’s no shortage of beautiful, vibrant destinations for US expats who will be starting an online business in France, but some stand out above others. Here are a few of the best places for US business owners to move to in France, taking factors like cost of living, connectivity, and business environment into account.
Paris
France’s iconic capital city is home to the largest concentration of US expats in the country. As the business hub of France, Paris is excellent for networking, but a high cost of living may deter some. When you’re not working, you can enjoy Paris’s world-class culture, from charming cafés to Michelin-starred restaurants, world-famous museums, and trendy boutiques, which include a growing culture of pop-up stores.
Lyon
If you’re seeking an urban vibe in a smaller, more relaxed setting, Lyon may be a great choice for you. Lyon is increasingly becoming a business hub, with strong digital services, green tech, and biotech sectors. Moving there also means you’ll get to enjoy the city’s famous gastronomy, stunning architecture, and film scene, generally at a lower cost than in Paris.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux may be famous for its wine, but it also has a thriving business scene, home to an ever-growing number of startups, digital nomads, creatives, and other professionals. When you’re not working, you can sample some of the world’s best wine, tour the historic old town, and stroll along the river.
✅ Tip: Nice, Strasbourg, and Montpellier are popular destinations for American business owners as well.
France: not the fearsome tax jurisdiction it seems
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, established business owner, or freelancer, your dream of moving to France can become a reality with the right research, preparation, and follow-through.
While taxes are higher than in the US and it can be difficult to determine the best immigration pathway for your situation, you don’t need to look far to find testimonials of fellow Americans who have made it to the other side and declared it to be well worth the effort.
Doing research online and speaking with US taxpayers currently in France can help you gain foundational knowledge, while working with qualified professionals is the best way to set yourself up for success.
Finally, if you have an established business and are considering the long-term implications of moving abroad, we recommend speaking with cross-border financial planners and tax advisors. Schedule a consultation today!
Resources
- List of documents to be submitted with an application for an “Entrepreneur/independent professional” temporary residence permit
- Net monthly minimum wage for 35 hours per week (151.67 hours per month) – After deducting CSG and CRDS
- International talents and economic attractiveness
- Visa Wizard – France Visas
- Tax Summaries – France – PwC
- Micro-entreprises, quel est le montant de vos cotisations sociales ?
- Taux de cotisations – Artisan, commerçant et profession libérale non réglementée
- Company creation: choose the legal form of your company
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