Carte de Séjour Temporaire Entrepreneur/Profession Libérale

The Carte de Séjour Temporaire Entrepreneur/Profession Libérale (Temporary Residence Card — Entrepreneur/Independent Professional) allows foreign nationals to reside in New Caledonia to create or operate a business, exercise a commercial, industrial, or artisanal activity, or practise an independent profession. Issued by the Haut-Commissariat de la République en Nouvelle-Calédonie, it is valid for one year initially and targets entrepreneurs, business founders, artisans, and independent professionals whose activity is economically viable. Residence permits issued in New Caledonia are valid only within the territory and do not confer the right to reside in metropolitan France.

• Non-EU national intending to exercise a non-salaried economic activity in New Caledonia
• The proposed activity must be economically viable and generate income equivalent to at least the gross annual SMIC (€21,876.40 as of January 2026, approximately €1,823/month)
• For commercial, industrial, or artisanal activities: a business plan with multi-year budget projections and a favourable opinion from the foreign workforce platform (plateforme de la main-d'œuvre étrangère)
• For liberal professions: proof of appropriate qualifications and, where applicable, registration with the relevant professional order
• Valid health insurance covering the entire residence period
• Clean criminal record

• Valid passport (minimum 3 months validity beyond planned departure, issued within last 10 years, 2+ blank pages)
• Long-stay visa explicitly mentioning validity in New Caledonia
• Proof of accommodation in New Caledonia
• 3 identity photos (e-photo format)
• Valid health insurance certificate
• Signed commitment to respect the principles of the Republic
• Criminal record extract
• Business plan with multi-year budget projections
• Proof of financial capacity (bank statements, account balances)
• Lease or domiciliation contract for business premises
• Proof of business registration (K-bis extract, RIDET number, or self-employed social security affiliation)
• For commercial activities: favourable opinion from the foreign workforce platform
• For liberal professions: proof of qualifications and professional order registration where applicable

The initial card is valid for 1 year. It may be renewed up to twice under the same mention (3 consecutive temporary cards total). After the first year, holders may apply for a 4-year multi-year residence card (carte de séjour pluriannuelle). Renewal requires demonstrating continued economic viability and income meeting the SMIC threshold. Applications must be submitted 4 to 2 months before the card's expiration. After 5 years of continuous legal residence, holders may apply for a 10-year carte de résident, subject to French language ability (A2 level) and republican integration assessment.

To establish a business in New Caledonia, entrepreneurs must register with the relevant Centre de Formalités des Entreprises (CFE): the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie (CCI) for commercial activities, the Chambre des Métiers et de l'Artisanat (CMA) for artisanal activities, or the Chambre d'Agriculture et de la Pêche (CAP-NC) for agricultural or fishing businesses. All businesses must obtain a RIDET number from the Institut de la Statistique et des Études Économiques (ISEE), which typically takes approximately three weeks. Individual enterprises can be registered online at guichet-entreprises.nc.

Family members must use the standard family reunification (regroupement familial) procedure, which requires proof of sufficient income and adequate housing. This differs from the talent card, which offers a simplified family card. Dependants are processed on separate timelines through the same Haut-Commissariat.

New Caledonia has its own tax system independent from metropolitan France. Residents are subject to local progressive income tax administered by the Direction des Services Fiscaux de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Business operators must also pay the patente (annual business tax applicable to all commercial, industrial, and professional activities in New Caledonia) and self-employed individuals must affiliate with the RUAMM (Régime Unifié d'Assurance Maladie-Maternité) social security scheme.

The application involves two stages:

1. Long-stay visa: Apply through the France-Visas portal (france-visas.gouv.fr) at the French consulate in your country of residence. The visa must explicitly mention New Caledonia — a standard French long-stay visa is not valid. Apply at least 3 months before the planned arrival date. The consular visa fee is €99.
2. Residence card: Within 2 months of arriving in New Caledonia, present yourself in person to the Bureau des Étrangers et de la Nationalité at the Haut-Commissariat (9 bis rue de la République, Nouméa) to request the residence card.

The card authorises only the non-salaried activity for which it was granted. Holders may not engage in salaried employment. The application fee is €225 (€25 stamp duty + €200 tax), payable via fiscal stamps.