While "traducteur" is included in the list of non-regulated professions liberales, you may find that in the visa application process the question may be raised about why you want to come to France if your business won't be looking to generate any business here in France.

One thing to keep in mind is that, for France, getting a visa (or any other administrative process) isn't a matter of simply fulfilling the requirements as written. If your application generates questions, it could be turned down for no particular reason at all if they have reason to doubt your motives. Doesn't mean it WILL be turned down, but give some thought to demonstrating why you want to do whatever you do from France rather than from where you are now.
Cheers,
Bev

 

While "traducteur" is included in the list of non-regulated professions liberales, you may find that in the visa application process the question may be raised about why you want to come to France if your business won't be looking to generate any business here in France.

Does that mean having potential clients in France is not officially required, but instead I should provide a reason why I want to work in France?

The requirements that I saw elsewhere include providing things like business plans, bank statements, projected revenue, qualifications… etc. I get that I would probably be asked to explain the motivations of my request, but I just want to make sure whether or not having potential clients in France is a prerequisite.

When it comes to motivations, there are several that I can demonstrate. The first one is the opportunity to join a cooperative (Société Cooperative et Participative). There are great benefits in being a member of a cooperative, including the ability to get a permanent employment contract while still working as a freelancer, which is a huge benefit that I don’t have in my country. A host of other perks associated with joining a cooperative also exist, such as having access to an extensive network of contacts that can provide an additional source of business opportunities and allow me to scale up. All of these benefits are not available for freelancers in my country (and in many other places I believe).

I am also planning to buy a house in France (hopefully in cash), although it won’t be on the higher end of the real estate market.

There are other motivations along these lines as well. Do you think they would suffice to convince the authorities?

Thanks for the help.

 

I believe you will at least need to have contacts in France who are interested in working with you and that you need to provide supporting documentation.

 

Do you have any link that can offer further information on this requirement?

 

For information about setting up a business in France, you can (and probably should) consult the website of the CCI in the area where you are thinking of setting up. The CCI is the Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie, which is a government office that works with businesses. They offer lots of guidance and information to help folks get started and may well have information about the co-operatives you are interested in, as well as information on the visas related to business start-ups.

But you should realize, too, that fonctionnaires (civil servants) in France are granted a certain amount of "discretion" and very often their ultimate decision for granting visas and other documents may rest on their "sense" about the intentions of the person applying. In this sense, having French clients may not be a "prerequisite" as such, but if you give the impression that you aren't interested in developing your business in France, under the French rules and regulations, they can find a reason to put you off.
Cheers,
Bev