Entrepreneur/Profession Liberale Residence Permit

The Carte de sejour temporaire "entrepreneur/profession liberale" is a French national residence permit allowing non-EU/EEA nationals to reside in Mayotte and operate a self-employed commercial, artisanal, industrial, or liberal professional activity. Established under Article L421-5 of the CESEDA (Code de l'entree et du sejour des etrangers et du droit d'asile), as recodified in 2020 and in force since May 2021, the permit is administered by the Prefecture de Mayotte (Direction de l'immigration, de l'integration et de la nationalite). The program targets foreign entrepreneurs, self-employed professionals, freelancers, artisans, and tradespeople who wish to create or continue operating an independent business in Mayotte. As Mayotte is a French overseas department (DROM), French immigration law applies with territory-specific adaptations. A critical Mayotte-specific restriction is that residence permits issued by the Prefet de Mayotte authorize residence only within Mayotte — holders cannot freely travel to mainland France or other French departments without obtaining a separate special authorization visa. This territorial limitation is set to be eliminated by 1 January 2030 under the Loi de programmation pour la refondation de Mayotte of August 2025. The permit is distinct from the multi-year "passeport talent — creation d'entreprise" which targets innovative projects with a minimum EUR 30,000 investment.

• Non-EU/EEA/Swiss national planning to create or continue a self-employed business or liberal profession in Mayotte (EU/EEA/Swiss nationals are exempt from residence permit requirements)
• Economically viable activity generating at least the Mayotte SMIC (EUR 1,415.05/month gross as of January 2026, set at 87.5% of the mainland SMIC under the convergence trajectory)
• Detailed business plan with multi-year provisional budget
• Proof of personal funds or bank attestation demonstrating financial capacity
• Professional qualifications or diplomas if the planned activity is subject to specific regulations (certain crafts, regulated professions)
• For commercial, artisanal, or industrial activities: favorable advisory opinion from the foreign labor platform (plateforme de main-d'oeuvre etrangere) under Article R421-9 CESEDA; liberal professions such as consulting may be exempt from this requirement
• Valid health insurance coverage (note: the Aide Medicale d'Etat does not exist in Mayotte; applicants should secure coverage through the Caisse de Securite Sociale de Mayotte or private insurance)
• Signed contrat d'engagement au respect des principes de la Republique covering personal freedom, freedom of expression, gender equality, human dignity, symbols of the Republic, territorial integrity, and secularism (mandatory since July 2024; failure to sign or breach can result in permit refusal or withdrawal)
• Holder may only exercise the specific self-employed activity authorized and cannot engage in salaried employment under this permit

• Valid passport with at least 6 months remaining validity
• Completed CERFA visa application form
• 3 recent passport photographs
• Proof of accommodation in Mayotte (rental contract, property title, or attestation d'hebergement)
• Criminal record extract from country of residence and/or nationality (not required for refugees or persons who entered France as minors)
• Business plan with multi-year provisional budget
• Proof of economic viability (personal funds, bank attestation, commercial lease if applicable)
• Proof of professional qualifications if applicable
• K-bis extract or registration with RCS, Repertoire des Metiers, or URSSAF (for renewals)
• For renewals: evidence of the company's actual existence including order books, invoices, accountant's attestation, bank statements, and tax situation statement (bordereau de situation fiscale)
• Signed contrat d'engagement au respect des principes de la Republique
• All documents must be submitted to the Prefecture de Mayotte by appointment ([email protected])

The initial long-stay visa (VLS-TS) is valid for up to 1 year and must be validated online within 15 days of arrival via the administration-etrangers-en-france portal. The first temporary residence card is issued for up to 1 year. Upon renewal, a multi-year card (carte de sejour pluriannuelle) of up to 4 years may be granted under Article L421-6 if conditions continue to be met. Renewal applications must be filed at the Prefecture de Mayotte between 4 and 2 months before expiration. Applicants must demonstrate the activity remains active with revenues over the preceding 12 months at least equivalent to the SMIC. Supporting renewal documents include K-bis, order books, invoices, accountant attestation, bank statements, and a tax situation statement. Since January 2024, no more than 3 consecutive renewals of a temporary residence card with the same mention are permitted — thereafter the holder must obtain a multi-year card or a different permit. Obtaining a multi-year card requires demonstrating French language proficiency at level A2 and passing a civic exam (effective since January 2026). After 5 years of continuous legal residence, holders may apply for a 10-year resident card (carte de resident), which is not subject to Mayotte's territorial limitation.

Family members are not automatically included in this permit. Spouse and minor children must apply separately through the standard family reunification procedure (regroupement familial) after the permit holder has resided legally in France for at least 18 months with sufficient and stable resources. Family members, once admitted, receive their own residence permits. In Mayotte, these permits are also subject to the territorial limitation — family members likewise cannot travel to mainland France or other French departments without a separate visa authorization from the prefecture.

Holders residing in Mayotte are subject to French income tax with Mayotte-specific provisions. Business operators (BIC, BNC, BA) domiciled in Mayotte benefit from a 40% tax reduction on calculated income tax, capped at EUR 4,050 per year. As business operators, holders are also subject to social security contributions payable to the Caisse de Securite Sociale de Mayotte (CSSM). Annual income tax returns must be filed with the Direction regionale des finances publiques.

Applicants residing outside France begin with a long-stay visa application at the competent French consulate or embassy through the France-Visas portal. For commercial, artisanal, or industrial activities, the prefecture transmits the application to the foreign labor platform for an advisory opinion — this step is not required for liberal professions such as consulting. The application fee is EUR 99 for the long-stay visa plus EUR 225 (EUR 200 OFII tax + EUR 25 stamp duty) for the residence card. The consular authority has 2 months from receipt of a complete application to issue a decision on the visa. Upon arrival, the VLS-TS must be validated online and the business registered with the appropriate body: the Registre du Commerce et des Societes via CCI Mayotte for commercial activities, the Repertoire des Metiers for artisanal activities (artisan card required from the Chambre de Metiers et de l'Artisanat de Mayotte), or URSSAF for auto-entrepreneur and liberal profession registration. For residence card renewals, applications are submitted in person at the Prefecture de Mayotte by appointment.

This permit should not be confused with the "passeport talent — creation d'entreprise" (Articles L421-16 to L421-22 CESEDA), which targets innovative business projects with a minimum investment of EUR 30,000 and qualifications equivalent to a Master's degree (or 5 years of relevant professional experience), and which offers a multi-year permit of up to 4 years from the first issuance. Unlike the entrepreneur card, certain passeport talent categories are explicitly exempted from Mayotte's territorial limitation, meaning those permits allow travel beyond Mayotte. The auto-entrepreneur (micro-entrepreneur) status is also available in Mayotte and can be exercised under this same residence permit, with registration through URSSAF.

Mayotte is not part of the Schengen area. A Schengen visa does not authorize entry into Mayotte, and a Mayotte visa does not permit entry into the Schengen area. The territorial limitation on Mayotte residence permits is a major practical restriction — to visit another French territory, holders must obtain a special authorization visa from the Prefet de Mayotte, issued after consultation with the state representative of the destination territory, valid for a maximum of 3 months. This restriction does not apply to holders of 10-year resident cards. Legislation passed in August 2025 mandates the elimination of these territorialized permits by 1 January 2030, along with convergence of the Mayotte SMIC to the mainland level. The Mayotte SMIC is currently lower than mainland France (EUR 1,415.05/month vs. EUR 1,823.03/month), resulting in a correspondingly lower income threshold for demonstrating economic viability. The Aide Medicale d'Etat (AME) does not exist in Mayotte, which may affect healthcare access for those not yet registered with the CSSM. Any change in the nature of the business activity or personal circumstances must be reported to the prefecture. Since irregular stay in France is an administrative infraction (no longer a criminal offense since 2012), overstayers face fines of up to EUR 3,750 and an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF).