At the World Travel Market conference in London on 9 November, officials and industry delegates revealed that France is working alongside the United Arab Emirates and Canada to align standards for so-called freelancer or digital-nomad visas. Details remain scarce, but insiders told Travel & Tour World that the three countries have agreed on common baselines for minimum monthly income, mandatory health insurance and audit mechanisms designed to prevent misuse of remote-work permits.
France’s existing ‘entrepreneur/liberal-profession’ visa and the multi-year “passeport-talent – business creator” permit already attract location-independent professionals, but the interior ministry has grown concerned about tax leakage and undeclared local activity. Under the planned changes, applicants would have to prove a stable income equivalent to at least 2.5 times the French minimum wage (about €55,000 yearly), maintain private health cover and consent to random income audits.
![France teams up with UAE and Canada to tighten freelancer-visa frameworks, signalling tougher compliance for digital nomads]()
For the UAE, where the one-year remote-work visa has boomed since Covid-19, stricter alignment means cross-checking bank-statement evidence and cracking down on agents who advertise residency pathways without clarifying tax obligations in destination countries. Canada, which relaunched its own digital-nomad stream in 2024, will pilot a shared verification database in 2026.
Global-mobility managers should expect longer processing times as visa centres introduce extra document checks. Start-ups that sponsor contractors in France may need to convert freelancers to standard work permits or ensure they meet the higher thresholds. Remote workers enjoying double-tax-treaty relief could face French tax residency tests if presence exceeds 183 days, so HR departments must track stay durations more closely.
A formal trilateral communiqué is expected in the first quarter of 2026, after which France’s consulates will publish revised application lists. Digital-nomad insurers and relocation platforms see an opportunity to bundle compliant health cover and income-verification tools for clients navigating the new regime.
France’s existing ‘entrepreneur/liberal-profession’ visa and the multi-year “passeport-talent – business creator” permit already attract location-independent professionals, but the interior ministry has grown concerned about tax leakage and undeclared local activity. Under the planned changes, applicants would have to prove a stable income equivalent to at least 2.5 times the French minimum wage (about €55,000 yearly), maintain private health cover and consent to random income audits.
For the UAE, where the one-year remote-work visa has boomed since Covid-19, stricter alignment means cross-checking bank-statement evidence and cracking down on agents who advertise residency pathways without clarifying tax obligations in destination countries. Canada, which relaunched its own digital-nomad stream in 2024, will pilot a shared verification database in 2026.
Global-mobility managers should expect longer processing times as visa centres introduce extra document checks. Start-ups that sponsor contractors in France may need to convert freelancers to standard work permits or ensure they meet the higher thresholds. Remote workers enjoying double-tax-treaty relief could face French tax residency tests if presence exceeds 183 days, so HR departments must track stay durations more closely.
A formal trilateral communiqué is expected in the first quarter of 2026, after which France’s consulates will publish revised application lists. Digital-nomad insurers and relocation platforms see an opportunity to bundle compliant health cover and income-verification tools for clients navigating the new regime.
