🇫🇷 France vs 🇩🇪 Germany: Digital Nomad Visa Compared
France has no visa officially called a "digital nomad visa". Germany has no visa officially called a "digital nomad visa". Every figure below comes from each country's own sourced, dated fiche - compare income, duration, tax, family rules, fees and processing time before you decide. Germany's initial visa period runs longer than France's: 24 months versus 12.
- Minimum income
- 1,867 EUR / month
- TBD
- Visa duration
- Tax regime
- Living in France more than 183 days generally makes you a French tax resident, taxed on worldwide income at French rates. Double-taxation treaties apply.
- Living in Germany more than 183 days generally makes you a German tax resident, taxed on worldwide income. Freelancers register with the Finanzamt and receive a Steuernummer.
- Family (spouse / children)
- Application fees
- 99 EUR
- 100 EUR
- Health insurance
France has no digital nomad visa. Since June 2025, France had enforced a ban on remote work under the long-stay VISITOR visa (VLS-TS 'visiteur'); a 2026-06-23 Journal Officiel response from the Ministry of the Interior (answering National Assembly question n°11730) reversed course: remote work from France for a foreign employer, with income paid and taxed abroad and no activity benefiting a France-based business, is 'non-active' and IS compatible with visiteur status - no work permit needed. The visiteur visa has no fixed income figure in law; consulates require proof of 'sufficient and regular resources', commonly benchmarked against the SMIC. The Profession Liberale visa (resources ~SMIC, figure above) or the Talent Passport remain the applicable routes only if the work is integrated into the French economy (French clients, French-paid work, staff supervised in France). SMIC-linked figures rise with each revaluation - confirm the current amount and exact thresholds with your consulate.
source · verified 2026-07-16
Germany has no digital nomad visa and the Freelance permit has NO fixed income minimum - you must show financial viability. IMPORTANT: it requires German/EU clients (economic integration); it is NOT open to people working full-time for a foreign employer. Not a pure remote-employee route.
source · verified 2026-07-08
source · verified 2026-07-08
EUR 99 long-stay visa application fee (paid to the consulate); confirm with the consulate. Separately, the mandatory post-arrival visa validation fee (OFII/interior-ministry portal) rose from EUR 200 to EUR 300 effective 2026-05-01. RE-CHECKED 2026-07-19: this rise now traces to a specific legal source - Article 128 of Loi n. 2026-103 du 19 fevrier 2026 (Loi de finances pour 2026) - corroborated on several prefecture .gouv.fr pages, not just aggregator guides. The figure itself is unchanged; this only upgrades how well-sourced it is. RE-CHECKED 2026-08-11: the separate OFII stamp duty (droit de timbre, applied to issuance/renewal/duplicate of residence permits) also rose under the same 2026 Finance Law, from EUR 25 to EUR 50, effective 2026-05-01 - confirmed directly on multiple prefecture .gouv.fr pages (Oise, Bas-Rhin, Loire, Nord, Gers), correcting the prior 'unaffected, unverified' note.
source · verified 2026-08-11
Residence-permit fee reported around EUR 100; confirm with the local Auslanderbehorde.
source · verified 2026-07-08
Frequently asked questions
Which lasts longer, the France or Germany digital nomad visa?
The Germany visa's initial period is longer: 24 months versus 12 months for France.
Which has the cheaper application fee, France or Germany?
France's application fee is lower: 99 EUR versus 100 EUR for Germany.
How long does it take to process a digital nomad visa for France vs Germany?
France's stated processing time is Typically 2-3 weeks after the consulate appointment; Germany's is Varies by city; reported 8 weeks to 7 months in 2026 sources (Berlin moved fully online from March 2026), per each country's own sourced fiche. Actual processing time varies by consulate and caseload.
Related comparisons
Figures marked TBD are not yet verified and are never shown as facts. Last full review: France 2026-09-05, Germany 2026-09-05.