France Lowers Salary Floor for ‘Talent – Qualified Employee’ Permit to €39,582
Channel Tunnel Power Failure Cripples Eurostar and LeShuttle on Peak Travel Day
France Deploys 90,000 Police—and 10,000 in Paris—Amid New-Year Security High Alert
Latest News
French Visa Application Centres in Russia Closed on 31 December
All French visa centres in Russia are closed on 31 December, halting both new applications and passport pick-ups until 2 January. The shutdown complicates last-minute business travel plans and will push demand into the already busy first weeks of 2026.
Channel Tunnel power failure halts Eurostar and LeShuttle on busiest travel day
A power-supply failure closed the Channel Tunnel for almost six hours on 30 December, stopping all Eurostar and LeShuttle traffic and stranding thousands of passengers. Limited single-track service resumed by early evening, but severe delays and rolling cancellations are expected to continue into New-Year travel. The disruption exposes the vulnerability of the sole rail link between France and the UK and creates significant challenges for corporate travel planners.
France cuts salary threshold for ‘Talent – Qualified Employee’ permit to €39 582
Legal notices released on 30 December confirm that France has fixed the salary floor for the «Talent – Qualified Employee» residence permit at €39 582 gross per year, around eight percent below the previous SMIC-based level. The change lowers hiring costs for highly-skilled third-country nationals and simplifies payroll compliance for employers.
Paris deploys 10 000 police and offers free night-time transport for New Year’s Eve
Ahead of 31 December celebrations, Paris will deploy 10 000 security personnel, close selected Métro stations and impose bag checks around the Champs-Élysées, while offering free public transport from 17:00 on New-Year’s Eve to noon on 1 January. The measures aim to deter terrorism and manage crowd flows but will complicate last-mile movements for business travellers and residents.