Outlook Business Desk
Germany and France are leading Europe’s efforts to attract Indian entrepreneurs and skilled workers with new visa policies, amid rising interest from Indian professionals seeking long-term opportunities in business and tech, as reported by Business Today.
Germany now offers a (Type D) Freelance Visa for Indians to live and work without local employment. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs and freelancers, offering a path to legal residency under flexible self-employment rules.
Germany’s 2022 mobility pact made Blue Card visas faster for Indians—no remonstration delays, quicker approvals, and processing in just two weeks in many cases.
To qualify for Germany’s freelance visa, applicants typically must show access to €500,000 and a plan to generate local jobs. Indian graduates from German universities may qualify with lower financial thresholds.
France also offers the Competencies and Talents permit and FrenchTech Ticket, supporting start-up founders and innovators from India. These schemes are designed to encourage tech-driven migration and entrepreneurship.
France is digitalising its visa systems—enabling real-time tracking, stronger security checks, and online applications. Over 165,000 Indian visas were issued by France in 2024, with an 83% approval rate, as per Schengen News.
Indians submitted 1.1 million Schengen applications in 2024—but faced 165,000+ rejections. Travellers lost over ₹136 crore due to changing rules and documentation issues. Germany, France, and Italy had the highest rejection rates.
From July 2025, Germany scrapped its informal remonstration process. Indian applicants must now take legal routes to challenge rejections, raising concerns about fairness and accessibility in future visa decisions.