On April 30th, 2025, French authorities issued law No.2025-391. This law transposes EU Directive 2021/1883 on the conditions of entry and residence in the EU for third-country nationals.
Main updates
The law provides several updates on the blue card requirements and procedure.
First, it reduces the required employment contract duration from 12 to 6 months.
Secondly, the law updates the residence permit duration. For work contract shorter than 2 years, the permit validity will be equal to the contract duration plus 3 months. For work contracts longer than 2 years, instead, the residence permit will be valid for 4 years.
Moreover, it introduced a new option to confirm the candidate’s skills. Alternatively to the university degree, candidates can now proof work experience. In details, they should proof to have minimum 3 years of work experience gained in the previous 7 years.
Finally, the law outlines also the cases for permit withdrawal or refusal, in case of employer misconduct.
Family status and intra-EU mobility
When it comes to family members of EU blue card holders, they can now benefit from additional rights.
Firstly, dependants can automatically renew their family residence permit, if certain conditions apply. Specifically, they must have resided for 5 years in the EU, including the last 2 years in France, as blue card holder dependents
Secondly, spouses can now renew their residence permit even after separation, if they resided for 5 years in the EU, including 2 years in France.
Moreover, the new law simplifies the procedure for highly skilled workers within the EU. It reduces the period of residence required to convert an EU blue card from another member state to a French permit. The period is reduced from 18 to 12 months (with exceptions in some cases). Applicants must submit the conversion request within one month after arriving in France.
Finally, workers who have been holding an EU blue card for 2 years can now request a 10-year EU long-term resident permit, if they justify 3 years of continuous residence in the EU. Temporary absences do not after eligibility if they do not exceed 12 consecutive months or 18 months in total.