Residence permits for researchers

If you are a scientist or a PhD student from a European Union country, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland, you can live and work in France. You do not need to complete any immigration formalities.
British citizens are not considered to be third-country nationals. For more information, you can check out our Brexit page.

The Talent passport (“Passeport talent”) residence permit is issued in a number of cases. Researchers and PhD students who hold a hosting agreement issued by an approved institution in France, can apply for a Talent passport - researcher (“Passeport talent – chercheur”) permit.

Your hosting agreement and your "Talent passport" 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 passport - researcher residence permit:
1. It entitles the holder to exercise a professional activity in line with the hosting agreement, without having to apply for a work permit.

2. This residence permit can be valid for several years.

3. Family members of the holder of this permit can apply for a residence permit with the status “Talent passport - family” (“Passeport talent - famille”). This permit also entitles the holder to work.

Algerian scientists are covered by a specific bilateral agreement. A certificate of residency with “research scientist” (“scientifique-chercheur”) status is issued instead of the “Talent passport - researcher” permit. There are specific formalities to get this annual certificate.

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

The different types of “Talent passport - researcher” visas:

• Stay of up to 90 days: C type short-stay visa => No formalities upon arrival! This visa cannot be extended.
• Stay of between 3 and 12 months: D type long-stay visa valid as a residence permit “VLS-TS”: visa must be validated online.
• Stay of more than 12 months: 3-month Long-stay visa (type D): application for a residence permit to be completed online.

If you have any doubts about your type of visa and the formalities to be completed, you can contact Espace Ulys.

Please note: your hosting agreement and your “talent passport” visa (VLS-TS) entitle you to work for the assignment mentioned in your hosting agreement from the moment you arrive in France, even if your VLS-TS has not yet been validated.

Within 2 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your VLS-TS (long-stay visa valid as a residence permit) to turn it into a "residence permit".

The validation needs to be completed online on the dedicated website (website available in French, English and Chinese). You must pay a fee of €200 online to validate your VLS-TS.

The reference for your “Talent passport ” VLS-TS is Article R431-16 10 of the CESEDA [code of entry and residence of foreigners and right of asylum].

YOU ARE COMING TO FRANCE WITH YOUR FOREIGN SPOUSE who is a third-country national: your spouse must have received the same type of visa with the status “Talent passport - family” and must also get it validated.

The reference for his/her “Talent passport ” VLS-TS is Article R431-16 10 of the CESEDA [code of entry and residence of foreigners and right of asylum].

If you have any doubts about your type of visa or these formalities, you can contact Espace Ulys.

Please note: your hosting agreement and your “talent passport” visa entitle you to work for the assignment mentioned in your hosting agreement from the moment you arrive in France, even if you have not yet applied for your residence permit.

Within 2 months of your arrival and before your visa expires, you must submit your residence permit application. This application can be completed online on the dedicated website (website available in French, English and Chinese).

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a submission certificate.

Once your application has been validated, you will receive a favorable response certificate ("attestation de décision favorable"). This certificate, along with your expired visa, will extend your residence rights and will enable you to travel within the Schengen area, and to travel between your country of origin and France until your residence permit is collected.

Attention : if your application has not been processed and if your visa has already expired, you will receive a certificate of extension ("attestation de prolongation d'instruction"), which will extend the rights associated with your visa. This certificate of extension, along with your expired visa, will extend your residence rights but will not enable you to travel within the Schengen area, and to travel between your country of origin and France when applying for a residence permit for the first time.


You will be notified by text message when your residence permit is ready. A fee of €225 to be paid using tax stamps ("timbres fiscaux") must be paid online for this appointment. The residence permit is valid for several years.
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 du 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. 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).


YOU ARE COMING TO FRANCE WITH YOUR FOREIGN SPOUSE who is a third-country national: your spouse must have received the same type of visa and must also submit an application on the online platform.

If you have any doubts about your type of visa and the formalities to be completed, you can contact Espace Ulys.

 

The residence permit renewal application must be submitted no later than two months before your visa/residence permit expires. Préfectures do not accept the late submission of documents under any circumstances, applications received after the expiry date (residence permit, receipt, temporary stay authorization) are subject to a fine.

The following provisions do not apply to Algerian nationals (specific bilateral agreement). See our page dedicated to Algerian researchers and PhD students.

Your “Talent passport - researcher” VLS-TS or residence permit can be renewed if you have a new hosting agreement. This formality is completed online, as it is if you want to change your status if you have a hosting agreement.

When your hosting agreement expires, depending on your situation, you can apply to stay longer in order to find a job, under certain circumstances. Depending on your plans, a number of solutions is open to you.

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

You must renew your “talent passport” residence permit, along with that of your spouse, two to four months before your current visa or residence permit expires. This renewal must be done online on the dedicated website.

If you are changing your status to “Talent passport-researcher” (for example if you previously held a “Student” (“Etudiant”) residence permit), you must follow the same procedure as you would for a renewal.

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a submission certificate.

Once your application has been validated, you will receive a favorable response certificate ("attestation de décision favorable"). This certificate, along with your expired VLS-TS or residence permit, will extend your residence rights and will enable you to travel within the Schengen area, and to travel between your country of origin and France until your residence permit is collected.

If your application has not been processed and if your residence permit has already expired, you will receive a certificate of extension ("attestation de prolongation d'instruction"), which will extend the rights associated with your previous residence permit. This certificate of extension, along with your expired residence permit, will extend your residence rights and will enable you to travel within the Schengen area, and to travel between your country of origin and France when applying for the renewal of a residence permit.

You will be notified by text message when your residence permit is ready. A fee of €225 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 du 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. 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.

You can apply to renew your “Talent passport” residence permit if you have lost your job involuntarily (for example, your contract is not renewed). This extension enables you to look for a new job under a hosting agreement and to make use of your right to unemployment benefits that you acquired during your stay.

You must renew your “talent passport” residence permit, along with that of your spouse, two to four months before your current visa or residence permit expires. This renewal must be done online on the dedicated website.

Once your application has been submitted, you will receive a submission certificate.

Once your application has been validated, you will receive a favorable response certificate ("attestation de décision favorable"). This certificate, along with your expired VLS-TS or residence permit, will extend your residence rights and will enable you to travel within the Schengen area, and to travel between your country of origin and France until your residence permit is collected.

If your application has not been processed and if your residence permit has already expired, you will receive a certificate of extension ("attestation de prolongation d'instruction"), which will extend the rights associated with your previous residence permit. This certificate of extension, along with your expired residence permit, will extend your residence rights and will enable you to travel within the Schengen area, and to travel between your country of origin and France when applying for the renewal of a residence permit.

You will be informed by text message when your residence permit is ready. A fee of € 225 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 future renewals, the process will be identical and have always to 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 “Job search business creation” (“Recherche d’emploi/création d’entreprise”) is for holders of a “Talent passport - researcher” permit who have completed their research assignments and do not have any right to unemployment benefits with the unemployment office, France Travail.
This permit is valid for 1 year and cannot be renewed. You must pay a fee of €75 to be paid using tax stamps ("timbres fiscaux").
Certain nationalities are not eligible for the job search/business creation residence permit, in particular nationals from countries that have signed immigration agreements with France. More information about the APS (temporary stay authorization)

This formality must be completed online :
Préfecture du Rhône: access to the simplified formalities "démarches simplifiées" 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 work as a salaried employee without a work permit from the platform, in a field related to their education or research, subject to salary conditions.
• Or exercise an entrepreneurial activity in a field related to their education or research.

At the end of this one-year period, you may apply, according to the job found :
- for a temporary residence permit through the status of “employee” (“salarié”) or “temporary worker” (“travailleur temporaire”) with a work permit. The company does not have to prove that it cannot recruit by any other means than by hiring a foreign worker.
- for a multi-year residence permit through the status “talent passport - qualified employee” (“passeport talent - salarié qualifié”) or “talent passport - European blue card” (“passeport talent - carte bleue européenne”).

At the end of this one-year period, you can also apply for the temporary residence permit with “entrepreneur/freelancer” (“entrepreneur/profession libérale”) status, or the multi-year residence permit with “talent passport - business creation” (“passeport talent - création d’entreprise”) status.

Depending on the permit you are applying for, you will need to request a financial viability review on the dedicated platform, or an opinion from the Ministry of the Economy on the real and serious nature of your business creation project.

Link for the entrepreneur review
Link to the request for advice on a "talent passport - business creation" 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. The formalities for applying for your Algerian certificate of residence (CRA) with “research scientist” (“scientifique-chercheur”) status must be completed at the Préfecture of your place of residence- procedures vary between prefectures.


YOU ARE COMING TO FRANCE WITH YOUR ALGERIAN SPOUSE : your spouse must also submit an application for an Algerian certificate of residence (CRA) with “spouse of scientist” (“conjoint de scientifique”) status. This formality must be completed at the Préfecture of your place of residence- procedures vary between prefectures.


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.