Countries/France
France: visas and tax residency
Everything that decides whether you can stay in France and where you end up paying tax: the Schengen 90/180 rule to enter and the French criteria — séjour principal, foyer and activity. No digital nomad visa, but there are alternatives.
Updated: JUL 2026 · quarterly review
183 days
Séjour principal · calendar year
Yes · 90/180
Schengen area
No
Digital nomad visa
120+
Double taxation treaties
Visas
Do you need a visa, by passport?
| Your passport | You can stay | Note |
|---|---|---|
| EU / EEA / Switzerland | No limit | Free movement, with no mandatory registration. |
| US, UK, exempt LatAm | 90 / 180 Schengen | No visa needed, but the counter covers the whole Schengen area. |
| All other nationalities | Schengen C visa | Apply in advance; same 90/180 rule once inside. |
Before booking, check how many of your 90 days you have left with the Schengen calculator.
Tax residency
When you become a tax resident in France
Criterion 1 · The one Daywhere counts
Séjour principal: more than 183 days
If you spend most of the year in France, your "séjour principal" is there. It's the most objective criterion — the one decided by counting days.
Criterion 2
Foyer in France
A family home — spouse and children — in France makes you a resident even if you spend most of the year abroad.
Criterion 3
Activity or economic interests
Practicing your main professional activity in France, or having the center of your investments and business there.
How many days do you have this year? Check it in a minute.
183-day calculator ›Digital nomad
A digital nomad visa in France?
No specific visa exists
France doesn't offer a route designed for working remotely from the country.
Alternative: the "visitor" visa (VLS-TS)
A renewable 1-year long stay, proving sufficient means and committing not to work for French companies.
Alternative: passeport talent
For qualified profiles, entrepreneurs and investors; allows working and opens multi-year permits.
Careful: working remotely from France on a stable basis can be seen as an activity practiced in France by the tax authority. If you go often, count the days with the residency calculator.
Living between countries? Daywhere keeps the count
Days in France, your Schengen counter and proof of where you were — automatic, with GPS, and with a warning before you cross any threshold.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about France
Does France apply the 183-day rule?
Yes, as one of its criteria: the "séjour principal". But the foyer (family home), professional activity and economic interests weigh just as much — you can be a French resident with fewer than 183 days if your family or your business is there.
Can I work remotely from France on the 90/180?
Short stays as a Schengen visitor are common practice, but they grant no right to settle: if the pattern becomes stable — housing, family, consecutive months — both immigration and the tax authority may consider that you live there.
What if both Spain and France claim me?
The bilateral treaty's tie-break applies: permanent home, center of vital interests, habitual abode and nationality, in that order. Your log of days and proof is what sustains your position in that contest.
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