Status change in France: launching a business after your studies

Who can apply for a status change to self-employment?

The "entrepreneur/profession libérale" residence permit is aimed at non-EU nationals. It allows you to run a self-employed activity in France as your main occupation, under a temporary residence card. An international student can request this status change to stay in France after graduating and launch a business.

Three requirements come up in the texts. First, the activity must comply with the rules that apply to it. Second, it must show economic viability. Finally, it must give you sufficient means of support. That framework appears in Article L. 421-5 of the CESEDA, the French immigration code.

A status change therefore does not reward a mere idea. It assumes a real, costed and credible project.

When should you apply?

Plan well ahead of the end of your student residence card. Service Public states that you file during the two months before it expires. You apply to the prefecture or sub-prefecture where you live, following local arrangements. Check them early, since appointment waiting times vary from one area to another.

In practice, start preparing your status change three to four months before the deadline. That gives you time to gather evidence, test your figures and fix weak points.

What the authorities check

Registering a business is not enough. Before approving a status change, the authorities want several elements to be credible.

• A genuine project pursued as your main activity.
• A link between your training, your skills and the activity.
• A market with identifiable customers.
• The activity's capacity to cover its costs and your income.
• Compliance with the rules for regulated professions.

Since 17 May 2026, the request for a prior economic viability opinion relies on a national list of supporting documents. However, the exact documents vary with the activity and your situation. So check the official Service Public page on the day you file.

Commercial or liberal activity: two approaches

The status change covers two broad families of activity. For a commercial, craft or industrial activity, Service Public lists three documents. They are a project presentation, a business plan and a multi-year budget forecast.

For a liberal profession, you must in particular show that the activity can produce sufficient income. If your occupation falls under specific regulation, also add the required diplomas or authorisations. In both cases, the status change rests on figures.

Micro-enterprise or company?

The legal form depends on the project, not on the residence card. A micro-entreprise stays simple to run for a service activity. A company, such as a SASU (single-shareholder simplified company), better protects your personal assets and makes it easier to bring in investors. In France, formation formalities go through the one-stop shop run by INPI, the national intellectual property office.

Depending on your situation, check whether the document list asks for a draft registration or an existing business. That detail changes the timetable of your status change.

The steps of a status change

Follow this order to limit surprises.

Example: a web developer who has just graduated

Take a fictional case as an illustration. Amina is finishing a master's degree in computing and wants to build websites for small firms. She charges €400 a day and aims for 8 billable days a month in year one. That means €3,200 of monthly revenue, or €38,400 over twelve months.

To support her status change, she attaches three letters of intent from local shops. Her forecast then deducts contributions, insurance, software and prospecting costs. It therefore shows the income left each month. Thanks to those figures, viability becomes clear to the authorities.

How Juristelo helps

Juristelo guides you as you structure revenue assumptions and list your costs. It calculates cash flow and produces tables that reconcile with each other. You get a clear basis for presenting your business model.

Juristelo replaces neither your prefecture's checklist nor individual legal advice. For your status change, also read our guide to the business plan behind the file. Then review the seven mistakes that weaken the file. Studying in Belgium instead? The self-employed student scheme follows different rules there.