EU Blue Card in France: salary threshold and card length
The calculator checks your salary and contract length, then works out how long the card you would receive lasts.
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
EU Blue Card: annual threshold
€59,373
Short by €7,373 a year, or another condition is missing
| Talent: skilled employee (French master’s) | €39,582 · ✓ |
| Talent: medical professions | €41,386 · ✓ |
| Talent: company officer | €67,213 · ✗ |
| Status change after the RECE card | €33,606 · ✓ |
| Blue Card length | 24 months |
| Talent card stamps | €350 |
Thresholds set by the order of 21 August 2025 (reference salary) and the minimum wage of 1 June 2026. The talent card needs no work authorisation; the family follows with the talent-family card.
Thresholds and sourcesThe EU Blue Card (carte bleue européenne) is a talent card for highly qualified jobs. It has three conditions: a degree after at least three years of higher education, or five years of professional experience at a comparable level; an employment contract of at least 6 months; and gross annual pay of at least €59,373, one and a half times the €39,582 reference salary. Spread over twelve months, that is €4,947.75 gross a month. The card follows the contract: a contract of two years or more gives a card of the same length, up to 4 years; a shorter contract gives its length plus three months, up to two years. A 12-month contract therefore opens a 15-month card, a five-year contract a 48-month card. The card costs €350 in tax stamps, and if the prefecture has not answered within 90 days the application counts as refused, which opens the right to appeal.
What the calculator checks
It compares your gross annual salary with the €59,373 threshold on the official talent card page (in French), checks that the contract runs at least 6 months and works out the card's length. The threshold derives from the reference average gross salary set by the order of 21 August 2025, multiplied by 1.5. With a 5-month contract, the answer is no whatever the salary (contract too short).
| Contract length | Card length | Rule applied |
|---|---|---|
| 12 months | 15 months | contract + 3 months, 2 years max |
| 18 months | 21 months | contract + 3 months, 2 years max |
| 36 months | 36 months | length of the contract |
| 60 months | 48 months | 4-year cap |
Cost and procedure
From abroad, the consulate issues a talent visa: for a stay under twelve months it is a VLS-TS (a long-stay visa that serves as a permit), validated online within three months with a €300 tax; for a year or more, a three-month visa followed by an online card application within two months of arrival. The card costs €350 in tax stamps (timbres fiscaux), under the 1 May 2026 fee schedule. A €57,000 salary on a two-year contract fails on salary alone (not met). The conditions are those of sections L421-7 to L421-25 of the CESEDA immigration code.
After the Blue Card
Your family follows with the talent-family card. After five years of residence, the EU long-term resident card becomes available; its page explains which absences are allowed.