France has introduced more relaxed EU Blue Card rules to attract more highly qualified foreign workers and help various sectors of the economy address the labour shortages.
The news rules became effective on May 2, 2025, and the key changes, among others, include expanded professional experience eligibility and reduced work contract durations, Schengen.News reports.
Under the new criteria, applicants in certain roles who have at least three years of relevant professional experience will now be eligible for the French EU Blue. Previously, only applicants with a three-year higher education degree or five years of professional experience were able to apply for the EU Blue Card.
France has also reduced the requirement for the duration of the work contract. EU Blue Card applicants now need to hold an employment contract with a six-month duration instead of the previous 12-month minimum.
The impact of this change is not expected to be very significant, as highly skilled workers in France tend to be hired under permanent contracts, Fragomen explains.
Changes Also Include Relaxed Intra-EU Mobility Rules & Longer Visa Duration for Short-Term Contract Workers
The new changes also benefit holders of a non-French EU Blue Card. This group of foreign nationals who have resided in another member state for at least 12 months is now eligible to enter France without a separate visa, instead of the previous requirement of 18 months of residence in the other member state.
This change means that EU Blue Card holders will be able to move from another member state to France more easily.
In addition to the above-mentioned, France now offers increased visa duration for those with short-term contracts.
In cases when the employment contract has less than two years in duration, the EU Blue Card will now have a three-month validity period longer than the contract. This will allow foreign workers to maintain their right to reside and work in France while renewing their contract or looking for a new job.
Lastly, it is now easier for the holders of the French EU Blue Card to accumulate the required five years of legal residence needed to be eligible for the ten-year EU Long-Term Residence Permit.
Under the previous rules, the time spent in the other member state on a document other than an EU Blue Card did not count towards the five-year total. In line with the new rules, the time spent on other types of residence permits also accrues.
France is one of the top three EU countries that granted the highest number of EU Blue Cards in 2023. The country granted four per cent of the total EU Blue Cards in 2023, more specifically around 4,000.