France

Western Europe

EuropeEUSchengen

A top EU passport with excellent healthcare, near-free public universities and the well-run French Tech Visa, balanced by high taxes, social charges and a French-language requirement.

74
Overall score
Good · 100% data coverage
Language
French
Currency
EUR
Citizenship
5 years (2 with French degree)
Personal tax
0–45% + social charges
Cost of living
€2,000 / mo (single)

Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.

Score breakdown
69
Access
17%
66Residence12%
75Citizenship and passport5%
71
Earning power
25%
65Salary and work12%
76Buying power13%
61
Business and wealth
20%
38Taxes7%
72Business8%
74Investment5%
83
Daily life
25%
83Quality of life18%
83Education7%
86
Rights and institutions
13%
84Freedom6%
88Rule of law7%

Pros

  • French Tech Visa for founders/talent
  • Near-free public universities
  • Top healthcare & lifestyle

Cons

  • High taxes + social charges
  • French required for citizenship
  • Bureaucracy (préfecture queues)

Best for

Founders (French Tech)StudentsSkilled professionals

Score profile

Access
Residence
66
Citizenship
67
Passport
96
Earning power
Salary & work
65
Buying power
76
Cost of living
45
Economy
78
Business and wealth
Taxes
38
Personal tax
18
Corporate tax
29
Business
72
Investment
74
Wealth building
60
Daily life
Safety
75
Healthcare
91
Environment
96
Infrastructure
83
Education
83
HDI
92
Rights and institutions
Freedom
84
Rule of law
88
How the scores are calculated

Access

Residence
Openness to residents
Good
66
Migrant stock13.8% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality1.15 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main pathways
Talent Passport (French Tech)Salarié work visaEntrepreneur/Profession LibéraleStudent
StudentStudent residence; up to 964 hrs/year work (~60%).
WorkTalent Passport for qualified hires & founders; salaried work permits.
Self-employedEntrepreneur/Profession Libérale visa; micro-entrepreneur regime for freelancers.
PermanentCarte de résident (10-yr) after ~5 years.
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
Good
67
Years required5 years (2 with a French higher-education degree)
Dual allowedYes
LanguageB1 French (rising to B2) + civic knowledge
Residence5 years legal residence with stable income & integration
NotesThe Talent Passport and French Tech Visa streamline residence for founders, employees and investors.
Passport
Passport power
Excellent
96
191 / 198
Mobility
#4
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
  • Visa-free144
  • On arrival38
  • eTA9
  • Visa required7

Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.

Earning power

Salary & work
Labour-market strength
Good
65
Output per worker$127,332 PPP (2024)
Unemployment7.5% (2025)
Participation55.3% of 15+ (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Mean monthly earnings of employees
Overall$2,097 · $2,702 PPP (2024)
Tech (IT & comms)$3,031 · $3,906 PPP (2024)

Source: ILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)

FreelanceSolid contracting; Station F & Paris startup ecosystem
Job marketParis is a major EU tech hub; some English-only startup roles.
Buying power
Purchasing power score
Good
76
GNI / person$65,110 PPP (2025)
Consumption / person$30,460 PPP (2023)
Price level83 (US = 100) (2025)
Income inequality31.8 Gini (2023)
Inflation0.9% / yr (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Cost of living
Affordability
Moderate
45
Price level83 (US = 100) (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Rent€1,000–1,800 (1BR Paris)
Monthly€2,000
CitiesParis, Lyon, Bordeaux, Toulouse
Economy
Economic strength
Good
78
Output & income
GDP$3.4T (2025)
GDP / person$48,986 (2025)
GNI / person$65,110 PPP (2025)
GDP growth1.2% / yr (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Stability & labour
Inflation0.9% / yr (2025)
Unemployment7.5% (2025)
Output per worker$127,332 PPP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Sector composition
Agriculture1.4% of GDP (2025)
Industry16.8% of GDP (2025)
Services70.9% of GDP (2025)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Main industries
AerospaceLuxury goodsTourismAgriculture & wineAutomotiveNuclear energy
Top exports
AircraftLuxury goodsPharmaceuticalsWine & spiritsMachinery
TypeHigh-income, diversified services- and industry-led
Key sectorsAerospace (Airbus), Luxury & fashion, Tourism (world's most-visited)
SummaryA diversified high-income economy strong in aerospace, luxury, agri-food and the world's largest tourism sector.
CurrencyEuro (eurozone member)

Business and wealth

Taxes
Tax friendliness
Limited
38
Personal0–45% progressive + ~9.7–17.2% social charges
Corporate25%
Capital gains30% flat (prélèvement forfaitaire unique)
Dividends30% flat (PFU)
Exit taxYes: on large unrealised gains when leaving France
Foreign companiesCFC rules (Art. 209 B) apply
Personal tax
Personal tax
Low
18
Personal0–45% progressive + ~9.7–17.2% social charges
FreelanceMicro-entrepreneur (auto-entrepreneur) regime is simple & popular
Capital gains30% flat (prélèvement forfaitaire unique)
Dividends30% flat (PFU)
Exit taxYes: on large unrealised gains when leaving France
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
Low
29
Corporate25%
Capital gains30% flat (prélèvement forfaitaire unique)
Dividends30% flat (PFU)
Foreign companiesCFC rules (Art. 209 B) apply
Business
Business friendliness
Good
72
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality1.15 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness1.20 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Operating rules
Foreign companyYes: full foreign ownership
Local companySAS/SARL; online formation; €1 min capital
FreelanceMicro-entrepreneur (auto-entrepreneur) regime is simple & popular
Investment
Investing environment
Good
74
Market cap85% of GDP (2018)
Private credit108% of GDP (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capital gains30% flat PFU; PEA & assurance-vie offer tax advantages
DividendsData not available yet
ETFs & fundsData not available yet
Wealth taxReal-estate wealth tax (IFI) on property fortunes above €1.3m
BrokersGood: Boursorama, Trade Republic, Interactive Brokers
Foreign accessData not available yet
Tax-advantagedData not available yet
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
Moderate
60
Salary & work
Good
65
Business
Good
72
Investment
Good
74
Tax friendliness
Limited
38
Cost of living
Moderate
45

Daily life

Safety
Safety & stability
Good
75
Personal safety
Homicide rate1.3 per 100,000 (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Institutions & stability
Control of corruption1.22 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability-0.24 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.

Healthcare
Healthcare score
Excellent
91
Outcomes
Life expectancy83.0 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality4.3 per 1,000 births (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Capacity & resourcing
Physicians3.28 per 1,000 (2022)
Hospital beds5.65 per 1,000 (2022)
Health spending$6,868 PPP / person (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

System & costs
SystemUniversal public (Assurance Maladie) + mutuelle top-up
InsuranceResidents covered via PUMA; mutuelle common
Average costMutuelle top-up ~€30–80 / mo
Environment
Environment score
Excellent
96
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure8.2 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress21.4% (2022)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
Excellent
83
Digital infrastructure
Internet use88.7% (2024)
Internet resilience74 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed97 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed77 / 100 download index (2026)

Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index

Utilities
Electricity access100.0% (2023)
Grid losses6.6% of output (2024)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Transport
Transport quality3.80 / 5 (2022)
Rail density51.4 km / 1,000 km² (2021)
Air connectivity7,244 departures / million people (2023)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Education
Education score
Excellent
83
Attainment
Expected schooling16.1 years (2023)
Mean schooling11.8 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment72% gross (2024)
Education spending5.3% of GDP (2022)

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators

Tuition€170–3,770 / yr (public); higher for some non-EU
Public universityHeavily subsidised public universities & grandes écoles
LanguagesFrench, English (many Master's)
Student workUp to 964 hrs/year (~60% full-time)
HDI
Human development score
Excellent
92
HDI0.920 (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Long & healthy life
Life expectancy83.3 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Knowledge
Expected schooling16.1 years (2023)
Mean schooling11.8 years (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Standard of living
GNI / person$55,060 PPP (2023)

Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025

Rights and institutions

Freedom
Freedom score
Excellent
84
Freedom in the World89 / 100 (Free)
Freedom on the Net76 / 100 (Free)
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
Excellent
88
Rule of Law percentile88 / 100
Sources
Resources
Official references
France-Visas (official)france-visas.gouv.frimpots.gouv.fr: Taximpots.gouv.frFrench Tech Visalafrenchtech.gouv.frUNDP Human Development Report 2025hdr.undp.orgInternet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Indexpulse.internetsociety.orgWorld Bank World Development Indicatorsdata.worldbank.orgILOSTAT (International Labour Organization)ilostat.ilo.org
Quick links
France visa & immigrationgoogle.comFrance tax residency rulesgoogle.comFrance citizenship requirementsgoogle.comCost of living in Francegoogle.com

Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.