Visa application

Visa

If you are a citizen of the European Union, the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra or San Marino, you don't need a visa to stay and work in France. A valid identity document is all you need.

If you are a citizen of another country, depending on your nationality and the length and purpose of your stay, you may need to apply for a visa to enter France legally. Applications should be made to the French embassy or consulate in your country of residence.

The official multilingual website France Visas is the portal containing all the information you need to guide you through the process and assist you at every stage of your application (file preparation, submission and follow-up).

To find out contact details of the French consular authorities abroad, visit the website of the Ministère des Affaires Etrangères et du Développement International

DIFFERENT TYPES OF VISA

Short-stay C visa (for a visit up to 90 days)


If you are staying in France for less than 90 days, you will get a short-stay visa C, also known as a "Schengen visa".

This visa does not require you to apply for a residence permit once in France, but the stay cannot be extended.

Please note that certain nationalities are exempt from visa requirements for short-stay stays in France.

Long-stay D visa (stay over 90 days)


If you are staying in France for more than 90 days, you will get a D long-stay visa.

  • If you come to France for a stay between 4 and 12 months, you'll get a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit called Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour (VLS-TS).

This visa is valid for between 4 and 12 months, and must be validated within 3 months after your arrival in France to give it the value of a residence permit.

  • If you come to France for more than 12 months, you'll get a long-stay visa that will require you apply for a residence permit after your arrival.

This visa is valid for 3 months and requires you to apply for a residence permit within 2 months of your arrival in France.

The D long-stay visa is marked differently depending on the purpose for stay and your financial situation in France:

This status is intended for researchers and doctoral students coming to France to carry out teaching or research work, and who have signed a hosting agreement (covnention d'accueil Cerfa)* with a French institution:

  • researchers and PhD students with a working contract in France,
  • visiting researchers who remain employed at their home institution,
  • researchers and PhD students on research fellowships (séjour de recherche) whose monthly funding is higher than the minimum amount of the public law doctoral contract (about 1642 €/month as of January 2023).

*The convention d'accueil Cerfa is an official document issued under certain conditions by establishments approved by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. It enables non-EU nationals to benefit from the simplified procedure dedicated to international scientists. It is compulsory for doctoral students and researchers employed in France, as it is equivalent to a work permit.

Please note that you will need to present the original hosting agreement when applying for your visa.

To apply for your hosting agreement, contact the person in charge of stay at your host research unit. This person will contact the appropriate department at the university, which will check your eligibility and prepare your hosting agreement and send it to you by e-mail and by post.

This status is intended for :

  • PhD students enrolled in a French higher education establishment and without an employment contract in France
  • researchers and PhD students on research fellowships (séjour de recherche) whose monthly funding is less than the minimum amount required for a public-law doctoral contract (about 1642 €/month as of January 2023).

In the latter case, an agreement called convention de séjour de recherche must be signed with the host establishment. This agreement must be presented instead of the certificate of pre-registration in a French establishment when applying for a visa.

DO YOU NEED A VISA?

Check if you need a visa using the official multilingual visa website for France : FRANCE VISAS .

In case of doubt, do not hesitate to contact your Euraxess center.

IF YOU ARE COMING TO FRANCE WITH YOUR FAMILY

If you are coming to France with your spouse and/or children, depending on their nationality and length of stay, they will also need to apply for a visa to enter France legally.

As soon as you have a hosting agreement (convention d'accueil "scientifique-chercheur") and provided you have sufficient resources and health-accident-repatriation coverage, your spouse and children can automatically get a visa to accompany you to France, the "Passeport Talent - Famille".

All visa applications must be submitted at the same time.

If you do not have a hosting agreement, your spouse will have to apply for a visa as a "Visiteur".

Find out more information