Jobbatical’s 18 February update confirms that the salary benchmarks introduced by Decree 2025-539 remain unchanged for 2026: €39,582 gross as the unified ‘reference salary’ for most Talent Passport qualified-employee cases and €59,373 for EU Blue Card applicants (1.5 × reference). STEM shortage roles may still benefit from a reduced €47,498 floor.(jobbatical.com)
By decoupling thresholds from the inflation-linked SMIC, France offers employers predictability and, compared with pre-2025 rules, roughly 8 % lower costs for many mid-level professional roles. That positions Paris favourably against Berlin or Amsterdam, where 2026 Blue Card floors exceed €60,000.(jobbatical.com)
![Stable 2026 salary thresholds keep France’s Talent Passport competitive for mid-skill hires]()
To translate those cost advantages into an approved residence card, many employers lean on specialist partners: VisaHQ’s France desk (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can assemble the required dossier, arrange prefecture appointments, and track renewal deadlines for both Talent Passport and EU Blue Card applicants—saving HR teams hours of paperwork while ensuring full compliance.
The stability also streamlines budgeting for long-term overseas assignments: HR teams can lock compensation packages without worrying about mid-year SMIC rises triggering non-compliance. Family reunion and four-year residence validity continue to make the Talent Passport an attractive alternative to classic work permits, which still require labour-market testing.(jobbatical.com)
Practical tip: when drafting offer letters, quote annual gross figures that clearly meet the decree thresholds and include buffers for exchange-rate swings if paying in foreign currency. Employers should also check prefecture guidance on reduced thresholds for critical-shortage professions before relying on the 1.2 × reference option.(jobbatical.com)
By decoupling thresholds from the inflation-linked SMIC, France offers employers predictability and, compared with pre-2025 rules, roughly 8 % lower costs for many mid-level professional roles. That positions Paris favourably against Berlin or Amsterdam, where 2026 Blue Card floors exceed €60,000.(jobbatical.com)
To translate those cost advantages into an approved residence card, many employers lean on specialist partners: VisaHQ’s France desk (https://www.visahq.com/france/) can assemble the required dossier, arrange prefecture appointments, and track renewal deadlines for both Talent Passport and EU Blue Card applicants—saving HR teams hours of paperwork while ensuring full compliance.
The stability also streamlines budgeting for long-term overseas assignments: HR teams can lock compensation packages without worrying about mid-year SMIC rises triggering non-compliance. Family reunion and four-year residence validity continue to make the Talent Passport an attractive alternative to classic work permits, which still require labour-market testing.(jobbatical.com)
Practical tip: when drafting offer letters, quote annual gross figures that clearly meet the decree thresholds and include buffers for exchange-rate swings if paying in foreign currency. Employers should also check prefecture guidance on reduced thresholds for critical-shortage professions before relying on the 1.2 × reference option.(jobbatical.com)
