# Talent passport family: partner work rights and schools (2026)

> If you hold a Talent card, your married spouse and children can get a talent-famille card valid as long as yours. It costs €350 and lets your spouse work as an employee or self-employed with no separate work permit. Children must attend school from age 3 to 16; public schools are free, and some offer international sections.

Source: France Dev Jobs, https://francedevjobs.com/guides/moving-with-family-partner-work-rights-and-schools
Category: Visa. Last updated: 2026-10-16.

If you move to France on a Talent passport, your family can come with you on the **talent-famille** residence card (*passeport talent famille*). Your married spouse and your children qualify, the card lasts as long as yours, and it lets your spouse **work as an employee or be self-employed** without any separate work permit. The card costs **€350**. Children living in France must go to school from **age 3 to 16**. Public schools are free and take children who don't speak French, with French support classes, and some public schools have **international sections**; private international schools charge fees.

This guide covers the talent-famille card, your partner's work rights and health cover, and how schooling works, from enrolling at the town hall to international sections. Facts come from Service-Public and the Ministry of Education, checked in October 2026.

## The talent-famille card (passeport talent famille)

### Who qualifies

According to [Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F35792), you can get a talent-famille card if at least one of these applies:

- you are **over 18 and married** to the holder of a Talent residence card;
- you are a **child of the couple** who came to France as a minor and is now an adult;
- you are a **child of the couple aged 16 to 18** who wants to work;
- you are the spouse or child of an **EU Blue Card** holder and the family lived together in another EU country; you can then apply within a month of arriving in France.

**Unmarried partners:** the Service-Public page refers to spouses (*conjoint*) and doesn't mention PACS or unmarried partners. If you aren't married, check with the consulate before you plan the move, because a different permit may be needed.

### What the card gives your spouse

| | Talent-famille card |
|---|---|
| Length | Same remaining validity as the main holder's Talent card |
| Right to work | Yes, as an employee and/or self-employed |
| Work permit needed by an employer | No; the employer is also exempt from the foreign-worker tax |
| Cost | €350 (€50 stamp duty + €300 tax) |
| Renewal | After 5 years in France on this card, renewal can't be refused and is granted for 4 years |

Source: [Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F35792).

### Spouse work permit in France

This is the key point for most couples: your spouse doesn't need a work permit or a job offer. With a talent-famille card they can take any salaried job, freelance or set up a business. An employer hiring them has no paperwork to do for the right to work beyond checking the card.

That is different from many countries where a dependant visa doesn't allow work. It also means your spouse can job hunt from day one in France. If your partner works in tech, the same [visa sponsorship jobs](https://francedevjobs.com/visa-sponsorship-jobs) and [jobs you can apply for from abroad](https://francedevjobs.com/jobs/apply-from-abroad) lists apply to them, without sponsorship.

### How and when to apply

- **If your family lives abroad:** each family member applies for a long-stay **talent-famille visa** at the French consulate in your country of residence. After arriving, they apply online for the residence card on [ANEF](https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/), the Interior Ministry's platform for foreign nationals.
- **If they are already in France with a long-stay visa:** apply on ANEF **within 2 months** of arrival.
- **If they hold a VLS-TS or a residence permit:** apply on ANEF **between 4 and 2 months** before it expires.

It usually makes sense to prepare the main holder's visa and the family visas at the same time, so everyone can travel together. Ask your employer or its immigration adviser to prepare the files together.

### Documents

The main documents for the residence card are ([Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F35792)):

- the talent-famille long-stay visa or a valid residence permit;
- passport;
- proof of address less than 6 months old;
- proof of payment of the €350;
- the main holder's residence card;
- **for a spouse:** a recent copy of the marriage certificate;
- **for a child:** a full birth certificate showing both parents;
- a digital photo code (e-photo);
- the signed commitment to respect the principles of the French Republic.

Foreign certificates may need an apostille or legalisation and a translation. Start ordering them early; they also come up for social security and school enrolment.

### Which Talent routes allow family

The talent-famille card follows the main holder's **Talent card**. The Talent card has several routes for employees, such as qualified employee (minimum gross salary **€39,582** a year), employee of an innovative company (€39,582) and the EU Blue Card (€59,373) ([Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16922)). Our [French Tech Visa and Talent permit guide](https://francedevjobs.com/guides/french-tech-visa-talent-permit) explains each route.

## Health cover for your family

Your spouse is insured in their own name, not as your dependant. If they **work**, they are covered under PUMa as soon as their application is accepted. If they **don't work**, rights open after **3 months** of stable residence. Children under 18 are attached to a parent ([Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34308)). A new contribution for non-working residents was created in 2026, with the amount still to be set by decree.

Your employer's company *mutuelle* (top-up insurance) must cover you, and employers pay at least half of the premium ([Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F20739)). Whether your family can join, and at what price, depends on the contract, so ask HR. Our [health cover guide](https://francedevjobs.com/guides/health-cover-carte-vitale-puma-mutuelle) explains PUMa, the carte Vitale and the mutuelle step by step.

## Schools in France

### Compulsory schooling

Children living in France **must be enrolled in school from age 3** ([Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1866)) and must attend school **until age 16** ([Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F21304)). The rules apply whatever your nationality.

| Stage | Ages (usual) | French name |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery school | 3 to 6 | *École maternelle* |
| Primary school | 6 to 11 | *École élémentaire* (CP to CM2) |
| Lower secondary | 11 to 15 | *Collège* (6e to 3e) |
| Upper secondary | 15 to 18 | *Lycée* (seconde, première, terminale) |

### Enrolling in a public primary school

For nursery and primary school ([Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1866)):

1. **Go to the town hall** (*mairie*) with proof of identity for you and your child and recent proof of address. Enrolment for September usually opens around March and closes by June, but you can enrol when you arrive during the year.
2. **Assessment:** children aged 6 or older are assessed in French, their other languages, maths and school writing. Younger children join ordinary nursery classes.
3. **The mairie gives you a certificate** naming the school.
4. **Complete registration at the school** with the certificate and proof of compulsory vaccinations.

### Enrolling in a collège or lycée

For secondary school, contact the **CASNAV** for your area, the education service for newly arrived pupils. An education psychologist reviews your child's past schooling and organises an assessment, and the local education authority then assigns a school ([Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F21304)). The child must be in France to enrol.

### French support for non-French speakers (UPE2A)

Children who don't yet speak enough French join a **UPE2A** unit, a class for newly arrived pupils that teaches intensive French while they also attend ordinary classes. The aim is usually full integration within about a year, with longer support if needed ([Service-Public](https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1866)). This is free in public schools.

### International sections in public schools

France's public system has **international sections** (*sections internationales*) in some primary schools, collèges and lycées. They teach part of the curriculum in a foreign language, and pupils are admitted after tests: tests in the section's language for French-speaking pupils, and French tests for pupils who already speak the section's language. At the end of lycée, pupils can take the **baccalauréat français international (BFI)**, the international option of the French general baccalauréat, which replaced the former OIB from the 2022 school year ([Ministry of Education FAQ](https://www.lycee-jean-renoir.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/faq-bfi-eduscol.pdf)).

International sections exist in a limited number of schools and admission is selective. Ask the school or the local education authority about admission dates as soon as you know where you will live.

### International schools in Paris

Besides public international sections, there are private bilingual and international schools in and around Paris. They set their own fees and admission rules, and some follow foreign curricula or prepare the **International Baccalaureate (IB)**. The Ministry of Education's FAQ points out that the IB is a private diploma, which doesn't give automatic entry to French universities, unlike the French baccalauréat and the BFI. Compare total costs (tuition, registration, transport) and ask whether your employer contributes; some relocation packages include school fees.

### Choosing where to live

For public primary schools, the town hall names the school, usually based on your address, so choose the school before the flat, or at least check which school a flat depends on. Our [renting in Paris guide](https://francedevjobs.com/guides/renting-in-paris-as-a-newcomer-dossier-garant-visale) explains the rental file, and the [cost of living in Lyon and Toulouse guide](https://francedevjobs.com/guides/cost-of-living-in-lyon-and-toulouse) compares rents outside Paris, where family flats cost much less.

## Family relocation checklist

1. **Before leaving:** marriage certificate, children's full birth certificates, school records and vaccination records, with apostilles and translations as needed.
2. **Visas:** apply for the talent-famille visas at the same time as yours.
3. **First 2 months:** apply for the residence cards on ANEF.
4. **School:** enrol at the town hall (primary) or with the CASNAV (secondary), and contact international sections early if you want one.
5. **Health:** register each adult with the CPAM, and add the family to your mutuelle if the plan allows.
6. **Partner's job search:** your spouse can work from the day the card or visa allows it.

Our [relocation checklist](https://francedevjobs.com/guides/relocation-checklist-france) covers housing, banking and tax for everyone. On France Dev Jobs, 223 of the 1,739 live jobs (13%) offered relocation support in our [October 2026 report](https://francedevjobs.com/reports/2026-10); [companies that sponsor visas](https://francedevjobs.com/visa-sponsor-companies) is a good place to start if you need a Talent permit.

## Frequently asked questions

### What is the talent passport family card?

The talent-famille card is the residence card for the married spouse and children of a Talent card holder. It lasts as long as the main holder's card, costs €350 and gives full permission to work.

### Can my spouse work in France on a talent-famille card?

Yes. The card allows salaried and self-employed work. An employer doesn't need a work permit to hire your spouse and doesn't pay the foreign-worker tax.

### Can my unmarried partner get a talent-famille card?

Service-Public describes the card for spouses and doesn't mention PACS or unmarried partners. Ask the French consulate which permit your partner needs before you move.

### When should my family apply?

From abroad, apply for long-stay talent-famille visas at the consulate, then apply for the residence card on ANEF after arriving. Family members already in France with a long-stay visa must apply within 2 months of arrival.

### Are public schools in France free for foreign children?

Public schools are free and take all children living in France, whatever their nationality. Children who don't speak French get support in UPE2A classes. Private schools, including most international schools, charge fees.

### What is the difference between the BFI and the IB?

The BFI (baccalauréat français international) is the international option of the French general baccalauréat, taught in public international sections. The IB is a private diploma from the International Baccalaureate Organization; French universities assess it case by case.

*This guide is general information, not immigration or legal advice. Rules and fees change; check Service-Public and ANEF for your family's situation.*

## Sources

- https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F35792
- https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16922
- https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F34308
- https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1866
- https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F21304
- https://www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F20739
- https://www.lycee-jean-renoir.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/faq-bfi-eduscol.pdf
- https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/