Visas for PhD students and Researchers

Visa / RESIDENCE PERMIT: WHAT’S THE diffErence?

  • A visa
    • gives you the right to enter France
    • is issued by the French Consulate in your country 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 temporaty 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 “étudiant” visa (motive: 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 equal to or higher than the net salary of a doctoral contract in France (for reference, it was approximately 1687€ net per month in 2023-2024. This amount may change). Please check with the administration of your hosting laboratory, you may be eligible for the ‘Passeport Talent Chercheur‘ or ‘Scientifique-Chercheur‘ status..

PhD student or Researcher WITH a hosting agreement

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

  • 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 equal to or greater than the net salary of a doctoral contract, in France (for reference, it was approximately €1687 net per month in 2023-2024. 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 “Passeport Talent Chercheur” or “Scientifique-Chercheur” visa (for Algerian doctoral students) after obtaining a Hosting Agreement (Convention d’accueil) from the institution where you will be enrolled in a PhD program.
  • PhD student with a Doctoral Contract
    • You need to apply for a “Passeport 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.
  • PhD student with a CIFRE Contract
    • You  need apply for a “Passeport 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.
  • Researcher salaried in France
    • You are coming to work in France as a researcher: log onto France-Visas to request a “Passeport 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 for a research stay (as a guest PhD student or researcher) will depend on the amount of funding you have secured for your stay.

  • You must request a “étudaint” visa (motive: Studies) if the funding obtained is less than a contractual PhD student’s net salary in France. You must not choose the internship reason, 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 reason.
  • A “Passeport Talent Chercheur” or “Scientifique-Chercheur” visa (for Algerian nationals) if the funding obtained is equal to or greater than the net salary of a doctoral contract in France (for reference, it was approximately €1687 net per month in 2023-2024. Note that this amount may change, so please inquire with the administration of your hosting laboratory for updated information).  You can apply for a “Passeport 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 MESRI website.

Familly of “Passeport Talent Chercheur” or “Scientifique-Chercheur“

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

  • Spouses and children of PhD students and researchers with a valid Hosting Agreement can benefit from  a “Passeport 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 “Passeport 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. It is crucial to 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 Visit Agreement (Convention de séjour de recherche)specifying the nature and duration of your stay (short or long stay) for PhD students who are registered 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 guarator, etc.
  • Hosting Agreement for contractual PhD students, teacher-researchers employed by a higher education and research institution in France, and guest PhD students and researchers who have obtained ⩾ funding (for reference, it was approximately €1687 net per month in 2023-2024. 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 “Passeport 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 because once you are in France, you will not be able to request:

  • modification of your visa’s motive
  • a residence permit on the basis of a tourist visa

For further information, please consult the following links:

AND after the visa ?

To obtain the right to stay in France, you’ll 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 Temporary Long-Stay Visa (VLS-T) with the reference “Residence Card to request upon arrival in France”

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