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.
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 the creation of any self-employed activity — including liberal professions, following Decree 2025-539 in force since 16 June 2025 — the prefecture transmits the application to the foreign labor platform for an advisory opinion on economic viability. The application fee is EUR 99 for the long-stay visa plus EUR 350 (EUR 300 tax + EUR 50 stamp duty, effective 1 May 2026 under the 2026 Finance Law) 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 1,449.93/month vs. EUR 1,867.02/month as of 1 June 2026), 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).