Residence permits for researchers

If you are a national of a European Union country, the European Economic Area (EEA), or Switzerland, you may stay and work in France without a visa or residence permit.

Since the end of the Brexit transition period, British nationals are, in principle, considered third-country nationals regarding their stay in France. For more information, you can check out our Brexit page.

The "Talent" residence permit is issued in a number of cases. Third-country nationals holding a degree at least equivalent to a master's degree who conduct research or teach at the university level under a hosting agreement signed with an approved organization may obtain a multi-year residence permit bearing the designation "Talent-Researcher."

Your hosting agreement and your "Talent" visa entitle you to :

• Work for the assignment mentioned in your hosting agreement from the moment you arrive in France.
• To enter and leave the Schengen area as you wish during the validity period

The benefits of your "Talent - researcher" residence permit:
1. It allows the holder to carry out the professional activity specified in the hosting agreement without needing to apply for a work permit.

2. The "Talent – ​​Researcher" residence permit may be issued for a maximum duration of four years, depending in particular on the duration of the hosting agreement.

3. Family members of the permit holder may apply for a residence permit marked "Talent – ​​Family." This permit also grants the right to engage in professional activity.

Algerian scientists are covered by a specific bilateral agreement. Researchers of Algerian nationality are subject to a specific regime established by the Franco-Algerian agreement of December 27, 1968. They do not fall under the standard "Talent-Researcher" scheme and may obtain an Algerian residence certificate bearing the "scientist" designation. The procedures for obtaining and renewing this certificate are specific. The procedures for obtaining this annual certificate are specific.

For more information, check out our specific page for Algerian researchers and PhD students.

The different types of  “Talent-chercheur” visas

If you are coming to France for a period exceeding 3 months:

• If your hosting agreement covers a research stay of up to 12 months, a "Talent-Researcher" VLS-TS (long-stay visa serving as a residence permit) may be issued. It must be validated online within three months of your arrival in France.
• If your stay is scheduled to last longer than 12 months, a "Talent-Researcher" long-stay visa will be issued. You must apply for a "Talent-Researcher" residence permit within two months of your arrival in France.

For stays of up to 90 days, short-stay rules apply. Depending on your nationality, a short-stay visa may be required.

Please note: Your "Talent-Researcher" VLS-TS visa allows you to carry out the professional activity specified in your hosting agreement as soon as you arrive in France. However, you must validate your VLS-TS within three months of your arrival.

You must validate your VLS-TS online within three months of arriving in France to give it the status of a residence permit.

Validation is completed online via the dedicated website (available in French, English, and Chinese). You will need to pay a €350 fee online to validate your VLS-TS.

If you are coming to France with your foreign spouse (a national of a non-EU/EEA country), your spouse must have received the same type of visa, marked "Talent - famille" (Talent – ​​Family), and must also have it validated.

The legal basis for this "Talent – ​​Family" VLS-TS visa is Article R431-16 10° of the CESEDA.

If you have any questions regarding your visa type or these procedures, you can consult the Espace Ulys website.

Please note: your hosting agreement and "Talent" visa authorize you to work on the assignment specified in your hosting agreement as soon as you arrive in France, even if you have not yet applied for your residence permit.

You must submit your application for a residence permit within two months of your arrival and before your visa expires. Applications are submitted online via the dedicated website (available in French, English, and Chinese).

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a submission receipt.

Once your application has been submitted, a submission confirmation will be available in your ANEF account. Please note: this confirmation does not, in itself, serve as proof of your legal status of stay.
Once your application has been approved and the production of your residence permit has begun, a certificate of approval may be made available in your ANEF account. This document serves as proof of your legal status of stay pending the delivery of your permit and authorizes you to cross Schengen Area borders.

Please note: if your visa has expired while your application is still being processed, you will receive a certificate extending the processing period, which extends the rights associated with your visa. This certificate, together with your expired visa, extends your right to stay but does not authorize travel within the Schengen Area or travel between your country of origin and France in the context of an initial residence permit application.

You will be notified by SMS when your residence permit is ready. The cost of issuing the card is €350, subject to any changes in applicable fees. Payment must be made according to the procedures specified by the authorities. The residence permit will be a multi-year permit.
To collect your permit from the Prefecture, you may be required to book an appointment online via your Prefecture's website. Please note: these appointments are reserved for individuals who have received confirmation that their permit is ready for collection.

Prefecture du Rhône : Contact the Prefecture

Prefecture de La Loire : To collect your residence permit, you can go to the Préfecture from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. without an appointment except on Tuesdays. It will be given to you upon presentation of the text message informing you that your permit is ready, along with your identity documents (passport, previous residence permit, receipt).


If you are coming to France with your foreign spouse (a national of a non-EU/EEA country), your spouse must have received the same type of visa and will also need to submit an application via the online platform.

If you are unsure about your visa type or the procedures to follow, you can consult the Ulys portal.

When a renewal application is submitted online via the ANEF portal, it must be filed no earlier than four months and no later than two months before the residence permit expires, in accordance with the procedures applicable to your situation. It is important to adhere to the filing deadline relevant to your case. Filing late may result in administrative consequences and, in some instances, the payment of a regularization visa fee.

The following provisions do not apply to Algerian citizens (due to a specific bilateral agreement). Please see our dedicated page for Algerian doctoral candidates and researchers.

Your "Talent-Researcher" residence permit may be renewed if you continue your research or teaching activities under a new hosting agreement, provided you meet the applicable requirements.

If your research work is complete and you wish to remain in France to look for a job or start a business related to your work, you may—subject to certain conditions—apply for a temporary residence permit marked "job search or business creation" (RECE). This process is handled online, just like a change of status for holders of a hosting agreement.

When your hosting agreement ends, depending on your situation, you may in some cases apply to stay longer to look for a new job. Several options are available depending on your plans.

If you are unsure about the procedures to follow, you can consult the Ulys portal.

You must apply to renew your "Talent-Researcher" residence permit—as well as your spouse’s "Talent-Family" permit—between four and two months before your current permit expires. The application is submitted online via the dedicated website.

For example, if you are changing your status to "Talent-Researcher" from a "Student" residence permit, you must follow the same procedure as for a renewal.

Once you have submitted your application, a submission confirmation will be available in your ANEF account. This confirmation does not constitute a temporary residence document and is not sufficient on its own to prove the legal status of your stay.

Once your renewal application has been approved and the production of your new permit has begun, a certificate of approval may be made available in your ANEF account. For a renewal application, this certificate must be accompanied by your previous residence permit or, if applicable, your long-stay visa. It serves as proof of your status while the permit is being produced and authorizes you to cross Schengen Area borders. We recommend checking the required documents before traveling abroad.

If your residence permit expires while your renewal application is still being processed, a certificate of extended processing may be made available in your ANEF account.

This certificate, when accompanied by your previous residence permit (even if expired), confirms the continued validity of the rights granted by that permit. If your previous permit authorized you to work, that right remains valid for the duration of the certificate.

The certificate of extended processing issued for a renewal also authorizes you to cross Schengen Area borders.

You will be notified by SMS when your residence permit is ready. A fee of €250 must be paid according to the procedures specified by the authorities—specifically using fiscal stamps where required.
To collect your permit from the Prefecture, you may be required to book an appointment online via your Prefecture’s website. Please note: these appointments are reserved for individuals who have received confirmation that their permit is ready for collection.

Prefecture du Rhône : Contact the Prefecture


Prefecture de La Loire : To collect your residence permit, you can go to the Préfecture from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. without an appointment except on Tuesdays. It will be given to you upon presentation of the text message informing you that your permit is ready, along with your identity documents (passport, previous residence permit, receipt).


For all subsequent renewals, the procedure is the same and must be started two to four months before the expiry date of your residence permit.

If you have any doubt about the formalities to be completed, you can contact Espace Ulys.

If you are involuntarily unemployed at the time your "Talent-Researcher" card is due for renewal, it will be renewed for a period corresponding to the duration of your accrued unemployment insurance benefit entitlements.

The renewal of your "Talent" residence permit—as well as that of your spouse—takes place between two and four months before your current visa or residence permit expires. This renewal must be done online on the dedicated website.

Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a submission receipt.

Once your application is approved, you will receive a document confirming the favorable decision, which will extend your residence rights. This document will allow you to travel within the Schengen Area and between your country of origin and France.

If your application has not yet been processed and your residence permit has expired, you will receive a document confirming the extension of the processing period; this will extend the rights associated with your previous permit. This document will allow you to travel within the Schengen Area and between your country of origin and France while your renewal application is being processed.

You will be informed by text message when your residence permit is ready. A fee of € 250 to be paid using tax stamps (timbres fiscaux) must be paid online for this appointment.
To collect your residence permit at the Préfecture, you may be required to book an appointment online on the Préfecture website. Important, these appointments are only for those who have received confirmation that their permit is ready to be collected!

Prefecture de Rhône : Book an appointment online to collect your residence permit

Prefecture de La Loire : To collect your residence permit, you can go to the Préfecture from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. except on Tuesdays. It will be given to you upon presentation of the text message informing you that your permit is ready, along with your identity documents (passport, previous residence permit, receipt).

For all subsequent renewals, the process will be the same and must always be initiated two to four months before the expiration date of your residence permit.

If you have any doubt about the formalities to be completed, you can contact Espace Ulys.

The temporary residence permit bearing the "job search or business creation" (RECE) designation may be requested by individuals who previously held a "Talent-Researcher" multi-year residence permit and have completed their research work, provided they meet the other regulatory requirements. It is issued for a period of one year to enable the holder to look for a job or prepare a business creation project related to their training or research work.
This card is valid for one year and is non-renewable. Fees may be payable upon issuance of the document, in accordance with current rates.
Les ressortissants de certains États ayant conclu un accord de gestion concertée des flux migratoires avec la France peuvent relever d'une Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour (APS) pour première expérience professionnelle plutôt que de la carte RECE. More information about the APS (temporary stay authorization)

This formality must be completed online :
Préfecture du Rhône: access to the simplified formalities "démarche numerique" website.

During this period, you will be able to exercise a professional activity in your desired field.

The RECE permit enables its holder:

• Either to engage in paid employment without prior work authorization, in a field related to their research, provided that the remuneration exceeds the applicable regulatory threshold set for holders of a RECE card.
• Either to pursue entrepreneurial activity related to one's studies or research

At the end of this one-year period, if you have a job or a job offer that meets regulatory requirements, you may apply for, among others:
- a residence permit marked "employee" (*salarié*) or "temporary worker" (*travailleur temporaire*);
- a multi-year residence permit marked "Talent," such as "Talent – ​​Researcher" or "Talent – ​​EU Blue Card."

If you plan to start a business related to your research work, other residence permits may be requested once the RECE’s validity period has expired—specifically those authorizing entrepreneurial activity—provided you meet the eligibility criteria.

Depending on the permit you are applying for, you will first need to request an assessment of the project's economic viability via the dedicated platform, or seek an opinion from the ministry responsible for the economy regarding the genuine and serious nature of your business creation project.

Link for the entrepreneur review
Link to the request for advice on a "talent - porteur de projet" permit

More information about the eligibility criteria depending on your situation.

If you have any doubt about the formalities to be completed, you can contact Espace Ulys.

Algerian scientists are covered by a specific bilateral agreement. Procedures for obtaining or renewing your Algerian residence certificate (CRA) with the "scientist-researcher" designation are handled by the prefecture of your place of residence; specific requirements vary by prefecture.


If you are coming to France with your Algerian spouse: your spouse must also apply for or renew an Algerian residence certificate (CRA) as the "spouse of a scientist" at the prefecture of their place of residence; specific requirements vary by prefecture.


For more information, check out our specific page for Algerian researchers and PhD students.


If you have any doubts about the formalities to be completed, you can contact Espace Ulys.