Visas for PhD students and Researchers

Visa / RESIDENCE PERMIT: WHAT IS THE diffErence?

  • A visa
    • gives you the right to enter France
    • is issued by the French Consulate in your country of residence.
  • A residence permit
    • gives you the right to stay in France
    • is delivered by the Prefecture in your place of residence in France.

The French Consulate will issue you a visa corresponding to the purpose (studies, research) and the duration of your stay in France (short or long stay).

visa?

RESIDENCE PERMIT?

DO YOU NEED A visa?

You only need to request a visa for France if:

  • You are a citizen of a country OUTSIDE the European Union (EU)
  • You have a temporary residence permit issued by another country in the Schengen Area

Comments

  • You do not need a visa or residence card if you are a citizen of the EU, the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland.
  • If you have an EU Long-Stay Resident’s Card (CRLD-UE), you do not need a visa to enter France BUT you’ll have to request a residence card once you have arrived in France.
Check whether you need a visa on the France-Visas website

TYPES OF VISAS DEPENDING ON YOUR SITUATION

Scroll down the situation that best corresponds to your situation in order to obtain more details. If you have any doubts, please contact your EURAXESS Center : drie-euraxess-contact@univ-lorraine.fr.

PhD student enrolled at a higher education institution in France WITHOUT a doctoral contract

Request for a “Etudiant” visa (purpose of stay: Studies)

  • You are going to enroll in a PhD program and come from an Études En France (EEF) procedure country: as a PhD student enrolled at a higher education institution in France, you can contact Campus France to request a grant and/or apply for a visa.
  • However, if you are coming as a PhD student enrolled in France and are from a non-EEF procedure country, you can make your request online on France-Visas.

Important! If you have obtained funding or a grant that is ⩾ than the net salary of a doctoral contract in France (for reference, it is approximately €1848 net per month from 01/01/2026. This amount may change. Please check with the administration of your hosting laboratory), you may be eligible for the ‘Talent Chercheur‘ or ‘Scientifique-Chercheur‘ status.

PhD student or Researcher WITH a hosting agreement

Request for a “Talent Chercheur” or “Scientifique-Chercheur“ visa (for Algerian citizens)

  1. PhD student registered in France with a Doctoral Grant equal to or higher than the Doctoral Contract
    • You have been awarded a doctoral grant whose amount is ⩾ than the net salary of a doctoral contract, in France (for reference, it is approximately €1848 net per month from 01/01/2026. Note that this amount may change, so please inquire with the administration of your hosting laboratory for updated information.) If this is your situation, you must apply for a “Talent Chercheur” or “Scientifique-Chercheur” visa (for Algerian citizens) after obtaining a Hosting Agreement (“Convention d’accueil“) from the institution where you will be enrolled in a PhD program.
  2. PhD student with a Doctoral Contract
    • You need to apply for a “Talent Chercheur” visa (for non-Algerians) or a “Scientifique-Chercheur” visa (for Algerians) only after obtaining a Hosting Agreement (“Convention d’accueil“) issued by the employing institution. It is important not to apply for a “Student” visa.
  3. PhD student with a CIFRE Contract
    • You need apply for a “Talent Chercheur” visa (for non-Algerians) or a “Scientifique-Chercheur” visa (for Algerians) only after obtaining a Hosting Agreement (“Convention d’accueil“)  from the institution where you will be enrolled in the PhD program. It is important not to apply for a “Student” visa.
  4. Researcher employed in France
    • You are coming to work in France as a researcher: log onto France-Visas to request a “Talent Chercheur” visa (for non-Algerians) or a “Scientifique-Chercheur” visa (for Algerians) visa online or contact the French Consulate in your country of residence. Only after obtaining a Hosting Agreement (“Convention d’accueil“) issued by the employing institution in France.

Guest PhD student or researcher

The status and purpose of your visa will depend on the duration and the amount of funding you have secured for your research stay.

  • You must request a “Etudiant” visa (purpose of stay: Studies) if the funding obtained is less than the net salary of a doctoral contract in France. You must not choose the internship purpose of stay, as this is only for Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students in France. Your visa application will be refused if you do not choose the correct purpose of stay.
  • You must request a “Talent Chercheur” or “Scientifique-Chercheur” visa (for Algerian nationals) if the funding obtained is ⩾ than the net salary of a doctoral contract in France (for reference, it is approximately €1848 net per month from 01/01/2026. Note that this amount may change, so please inquire with the administration of your hosting laboratory for updated information). You can apply for a “Talent Chercheur” or “Scientifique-Chercheur” visa (for Algerian nationals) after obtaining a Hosting Agreement (“Convention d’accueil“) issued by the hosting institution.

Please contact your hosting laboratory to verify your eligibility. For more information on the framework of research stays in France, please visit the MESRE website.

Family of “Talent Chercheur” or “Scientifique-Chercheur“

Request a “Talent Famille” or “Conjoint de Scientifique” visa.

  • Spouses and children of PhD students and researchers with a valid Hosting Agreement can benefit from  a “Talent Famille” or “Conjoint de Scientifique” visa (for Algerian nationals). To do so, you need to apply for a long-stay (D) visa specifically for “Talent Famille” or “Conjoint de Scientifique” at the French Consulate in your country of residence.

ESSENTIAL Documents FOR YOUR visa REQUEST

Important!

The following list is provided for informational purposes only. Therefore, please refer to the list of documents required by the French Consulate in your country of residence.

  • Valid passport
  • Proof of residence or accommodation in France (notification of allocation of CROUS accommodation, rental lease, etc.)
  • Letter or notification of admission to a PhD program or Research Stay Agreement (“Convention de séjour de recherche“) specifying the nature and duration of your stay (short or long stay) for PhD students who are enrolled in France or have been invited and guest researchers requesting Student status.
  • Proof of financial resources for a Student visa request only, at least equivalent to €615/month: certificate of doctoral grant or of funding for your research, certificate of cover by a financial guarantor, etc.
  • Hosting Agreement for contractual PhD students and researchers employed by a higher education and research institution in France, and guest PhD students and researchers who have obtained a funding ⩾ than the net salary of a doctoral contract in France (for reference, it is approximately €1848 net per month from 01/01/2026. Note that this amount may change, so please inquire with the administration of your hosting laboratory for updated information).
  • Most recent qualification obtained: Master’s Degree or Doctorate.
  • For a request for a “Talent Famille” or “Conjoint de Scientifique” visa: marriage certificate and/or birth certificate for each child, along with a valid passport.

It is crucial to arrive in France with the CORRECT visa. Indeed, once you are in France, you will not be able to request:

  • modification of your visa’s purpose of stay and status
  • a residence permit on the basis of a tourist visa (C)

For further information, please consult the following links:

AND after the visa ?

To obtain the right to stay in France, you will have to:

  • Validate your visa if you have a Long-Stay Visa valid as a Residence Permit (VLS-TS)
  • Request a residence permit if you have:
    • a Long-Stay Visa (VLS) with the reference “Residence Card to request upon arrival in France”

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