VISA ATLASWork visas & talent mobility

France

Destination country · migration, permits and visas

Inflow of foreign nationals, 2023 (OECD)
259,413
Largest group, 2023
Algeria
First residence permits, 2025 (Eurostat)
376,748
Schengen visa refusal rate, 2024
15.7%
DestinationFR2023–2025
Year by year
Data as at 2025
DS<FRFRANCE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
FR6<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<2

Who moves to France

Inflows of foreign nationals recorded by France, by nationality (OECD).

Inflows by nationality, 2023
  1. Algeria20,762
  2. Morocco17,703
  3. Tunisia14,656
  4. Afghanistan10,974
  5. Italy10,113
  6. Spain9,628
  7. Côte d’Ivoire7,945
  8. Belgium7,813
  9. Portugal7,426
  10. Germany7,105
  11. Türkiye6,780
  12. Romania6,667
  13. Guinea6,223
  14. China5,830
  15. Russia5,035
  16. Comoros4,978
  17. Senegal4,650
  18. Mali4,510
  19. United States4,170
  20. DR Congo4,164

All inflows by year

142k284k200020032006200920122015201820212023
142k284k2000200420082012201620202023
Data table
200089,799
2001104,817
2002122,101
2003134,074
2004138,859
2005133,654
2006156,922
2007143,566
2008146,075
2009148,250
2010144,498
2011140,235
2012149,330
2013249,176
2014236,914
2015240,497
2016243,597
2017246,227
2018259,933
2019268,462
2020208,491
2021253,431
2022284,458
2023259,413

Foreign nationals living in France

Stock of foreign nationals by nationality (latest year reported) and acquisitions of France's nationality (OECD).

Foreign nationals, 2021
  1. Algeria567,193
  2. Portugal537,308
  3. Morocco510,936
  4. Italy255,762
  5. Tunisia218,978
  6. Spain213,399
  7. Türkiye210,351
  8. Comoros175,272
  9. Romania160,720
  10. United Kingdom138,024
  11. Belgium118,889
  12. China101,760
  13. Côte d’Ivoire92,036
  14. Germany91,100
  15. Mali89,870
Acquisitions of nationality by former nationality, 2023
  1. Morocco13,302
  2. Algeria11,411
  3. Tunisia6,364
  4. Türkiye4,715
  5. Comoros2,770
  6. Republic of the Congo2,678
  7. Mali2,592
  8. Côte d’Ivoire2,556
  9. Russia2,434
  10. Senegal2,407
  11. Cameroon2,081
  12. Haiti2,001
  13. United Kingdom1,884
  14. Romania1,788
  15. Guinea1,752

Acquisitions of nationality by year

74k148k200020032007201020132016201920222023
74k148k2000200520092013201720212023
Data table
2000138,695
2001119,516
2002120,275
2003137,030
2005148,393
2006121,321
200780,241
2008129,106
2009129,682
2010136,996
2011109,912
201292,292
201394,892
2014103,243
2015111,328
2016116,805
2017111,843
2018107,361
2019107,336
202084,151
2021127,261
2022109,460
202390,969

International migrants

People living in France who were born in another country, or who hold foreign citizenship where country of birth is not recorded: mid-year estimates (UN DESA).

Largest countries of birth, 2024
  1. Algeria1,405,235
  2. Morocco1,066,129
  3. Portugal585,896
  4. Tunisia444,223
  5. Italy303,685
  6. Türkiye260,167
  7. Spain254,830
  8. Comoros231,788
  9. Germany189,761
  10. Senegal176,632
  11. Côte d’Ivoire169,206
  12. Belgium169,102

International migrants by year

4.59M9.19M19901995200020052010201520202024
4.59M9.19M19902000201020202024
Data table
19905,890,023
19955,936,326
20006,141,350
20056,839,877
20107,322,210
20157,978,076
20208,610,719
20249,186,757
International migrants, 2024
9,186,757
Share of the population, 2024
13.8%
Counted by
country of birth, refugees added

Migrants in the labour market

Labour force survey results for France: residents aged 15 and over who were born abroad, compared with those born in the country (ILOSTAT).

IndicatorBorn in the countryBorn abroad
Employment-to-population ratio, 202553.5%47.0%
Unemployment rate, 20257.0%12.0%
Born abroad: share of all workers, 2025
12.9%
Born abroad: share of high-skill jobs, 2025
10.5%
Born abroad: share of medium-skill jobs, 2025
13.8%
Born abroad: share of elementary jobs, 2025
24.5%

Earnings by occupation

Mean gross annual earnings of employees in France by major occupation group, in enterprises with 10 or more employees (Eurostat, Structure of Earnings Survey 2022).

Occupation groupMean annual earnings, EURIndex, all occupations = 100
All occupations40,679100
Managers75,695186
Professionals52,408129
Technicians and associate professionals39,27297
Clerical support workers29,33972
Service and sales workers29,21772
Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers26,34165
Craft and related trades workers30,29274
Plant and machine operators and assemblers31,22477
Elementary occupations25,12662
Mean gross annual earnings, all employees, 2022
40,679 EUR
Women's mean earnings as a share of men's, 2022
85.4%

Residence permits

First residence permits issued by France to non-EU citizens (Eurostat).

First permits by year

188k377k2008201020122014201620182020202220242025
188k377k2008201120142017202020232025
Data table
2008188,433
2009200,354
2010204,043
2011199,223
2012198,929
2013213,741
2014219,972
2015228,135
2016236,707
2017254,219
2018267,085
2019286,663
2020236,607
2021286,563
2022326,210
2023338,134
2024344,813
2025376,748
By reason, 2025
  1. Education118,165
  2. Other reasons116,866
  3. Family90,891
  4. Work50,826
By citizenship, 2025
  1. Morocco35,585
  2. Algeria28,531
  3. Tunisia20,598
  4. Afghanistan17,531
  5. China15,899
  6. United States15,388
  7. Côte d’Ivoire14,698
  8. Ukraine12,330
  9. Guinea10,921
  10. Cameroon10,784
  11. India9,888
  12. Haiti9,861
  13. Türkiye9,559
  14. Senegal9,149
  15. United Kingdom8,235
EU Blue Cards granted by citizenship, 2024
  1. Tunisia442
  2. Morocco285
  3. United Kingdom221
  4. India216
  5. United States191
  6. Brazil167
  7. China143
  8. Russia116
  9. Canada95
  10. Ukraine76
  11. Türkiye69
  12. Lebanon67
Work permits by type, 2025
  1. Other paid activities41,227
  2. Researchers6,756
  3. EU Blue Card2,148
  4. Highly skilled workers (national schemes)695
Valid residence permits, 31 Dec 2025
4,410,864
Long-term residence permits issued, 2025
68,998
Changed status into work, 2025
47,297
Intra-corporate transferee permits, 2025
1,384
Seasonal work authorisations, 2024
41,700

Schengen visas issued by France

Short-stay visa applications at France's consulates worldwide.

Applications by year

2.01M4.01M2009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024
2.01M4.01M200920122015201820212024
Data table
20091,592,715
20101,965,777
20112,130,471
20122,321,534
20132,551,196
20142,894,996
20153,356,165
20163,265,865
20173,684,404
20184,010,604
20193,980,989
2020658,247
2021652,331
20221,918,515
20232,625,846
20243,072,728
Country of the consulateApplications 2024Refusal rate
China458,0185.3%
Algeria352,29533.7%
Morocco282,15311.1%
India197,95915.8%
Saudi Arabia191,3885.3%
Türkiye151,64014.1%
Russia134,8857.0%
United Kingdom132,4696.0%
Tunisia106,61718.4%
Côte d’Ivoire62,78632.6%
United States61,1523.3%
Nigeria55,83343.5%
Lebanon49,09611.3%
Indonesia47,0423.1%
Vietnam43,99910.5%

France's embassies and consulates abroad

Countries in which France has an embassy or consulate, as recorded in Wikidata.

CountryEmbassiesConsulates-generalConsulates
Afghanistan1——
Albania1——
Algeria13—
Andorra1——
Angola1——
Argentina11—
Armenia1——
Australia111
Austria1——
Azerbaijan1——
Bahrain1——
Bangladesh1——
Belarus1——
Belgium12—
Benin1——
Bolivia1——
Bosnia and Herzegovina1——
Botswana1——
Brazil13—
Brunei1——
Bulgaria1——
Burkina Faso11—
Burundi1——
Cambodia1——
Cameroon12—
Canada15—
Cape Verde1——
Central African Republic1——
Chad1——
Chile1——
China16—
Colombia1——
Comoros1——
Costa Rica1——
Croatia1——
Cuba1——
Cyprus1——
Czechia1——
Côte d’Ivoire11—
DR Congo1——
Djibouti1——
Dominican Republic1——
Ecuador1——
Egypt12—
El Salvador1——
Equatorial Guinea1——
Eritrea1——
Estonia1——
Ethiopia1——
Fiji1——
Finland1——
Gabon11—
Georgia1——
Germany16—
Ghana1——
Greece11—
Greenland—1—
Guatemala1——
Guinea1——
Guinea-Bissau1——
Haiti1——
Honduras1——
Hungary1——
Iceland1——
India13—
Indonesia1——
Iran1——
Iraq11—
Ireland1——
Israel121
Italy23—
Jamaica1——
Japan11—
Jordan1——
Kazakhstan11—
Kenya1——
Kosovo1——
Kuwait1——
Kyrgyzstan1——
Laos1——
Latvia1——
Lebanon11—
Liberia1——
Libya1——
Lithuania1——
Luxembourg1——
Madagascar11—
Malaysia1——
Mali11—
Malta1——
Mauritania1——
Mauritius1——
Mexico11—
Moldova1——
Monaco1——
Mongolia1——
Montenegro1——
Morocco161
Mozambique1——
Myanmar1——
Namibia1——
Nepal1——
New Zealand1——
Nicaragua1——
Niger1——
Nigeria11—
North Macedonia1—1
Norway1——
Oman1——
Pakistan11—
Panama1——
Papua New Guinea1——
Paraguay1——
Peru1——
Philippines1——
Poland11—
Portugal1——
Qatar1——
Republic of the Congo11—
Romania1——
Russia13—
Rwanda1——
Saint Lucia1——
Saudi Arabia11—
Senegal11—
Serbia1——
Seychelles1——
Sierra Leone1——
Singapore1——
Slovakia1——
Slovenia1——
South Africa12—
South Korea1——
South Sudan1——
Spain14—
Sri Lanka1——
Sudan1——
Suriname1——
Sweden1——
Switzerland12—
São Tomé and Príncipe1——
Tajikistan1——
Tanzania1——
Thailand1——
Togo1——
Trinidad and Tobago1——
Tunisia11—
Turkmenistan1——
Türkiye11—
Uganda1——
Ukraine1——
United Arab Emirates11—
United Kingdom12—
United States110—
Uruguay1——
Uzbekistan1——
Vanuatu1——
Venezuela1——
Vietnam11—
Zambia1——
Zimbabwe1——
Countries
161
Missions
255
Source: Wikidata (CC0)Data as at Oct 2026

Remittances sent abroad

Personal remittances paid from France to other countries, in current US dollars (World Bank).

Remittances paid by year, US$ million

11k23k2000200320062009201220152018202120242025
11k23k200020052010201520202025
Data table
20005,121
20015,385
20026,134
20037,722
20049,095
20059,470
200610,285
200711,945
200813,269
200911,767
201012,026
201112,858
201212,561
201314,223
201416,866
201514,600
201614,431
201713,656
201815,955
201915,316
202014,526
202118,953
202218,406
202319,781
202421,429
202522,723
Remittances paid, 2025
US$22,723 million
Average cost of sending US$200 from France, 2023
2.9%

Corridors into France

Nationalities with a dedicated corridor page.

  • China → France
  • Morocco → France
  • Algeria → France
  • Tunisia → France
  • India → France
  • Saudi Arabia → France
  • Afghanistan → France
  • United States → France
  • Türkiye → France
  • Côte d’Ivoire → France
  • Russia → France
  • United Kingdom → France
  • Ukraine → France
  • Guinea → France
  • Cameroon → France
  • Haiti → France
  • Senegal → France
  • Brazil → France
  • DR Congo → France
  • Nigeria → France
  • Mali → France
  • Italy → France
  • Bangladesh → France
  • Lebanon → France
  • Comoros → France
  • Spain → France
  • Benin → France
  • Indonesia → France
  • Madagascar → France
  • Sudan → France
  • Vietnam → France
  • Egypt → France
  • Thailand → France
  • Belgium → France
  • Republic of the Congo → France
  • Iran → France
  • Portugal → France
  • Canada → France
  • Germany → France
  • Kuwait → France
  • Mexico → France
  • Romania → France
  • Philippines → France
  • Colombia → France
  • Pakistan → France
  • South Africa → France
  • Sri Lanka → France
  • Syria → France
  • United Arab Emirates → France
  • South Korea → France
  • Togo → France
  • Japan → France
  • Qatar → France
  • Albania → France
  • Azerbaijan → France
  • Gabon → France
  • Somalia → France
  • Georgia → France
  • Iraq → France
  • Kazakhstan → France
  • Mauritania → France
  • Burkina Faso → France
  • Chad → France
  • Armenia → France
  • Mauritius → France
  • Kosovo → France
  • Taiwan → France
  • Belarus → France
  • Argentina → France
  • Peru → France
  • Australia → France
  • Netherlands → France
  • Central African Republic → France
  • Venezuela → France
  • Eritrea → France
  • Angola → France
  • Cambodia → France
  • Poland → France
  • Moldova → France
  • Singapore → France
  • Chile → France
  • Uzbekistan → France
  • Serbia → France
  • Ethiopia → France
  • Bahrain → France
  • Ghana → France
  • Suriname → France
  • Nepal → France
  • Dominican Republic → France
  • Burundi → France
  • Ireland → France
  • Oman → France
  • Djibouti → France
  • Cape Verde → France
  • Uganda → France
  • Jordan → France
  • Ecuador → France
  • Bulgaria → France
  • Luxembourg → France