Renewing Your Residence Permit

If you wish to stay in France after your residence permit has expired you must apply to renew it. This is a paid online procedure that must be started at least four months and no later than two months before your current residence permit has expired. Any delay may result in an increase in charges. On this page, you will find all the information you need to prepare your application, gather the necessary documents and meet the deadlines to avoid any administrative problems.

• Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS)
  If your VLS-TS is expiring and you are continuing your studies, you must apply for a multi-year residence permit. The duration of this permit depends on the number of years remaining in your course.
  For example, if you have completed the first year of a degree, you may receive a permit valid for another two years (until the end of the third year).
   
• Multi-year residence permit
  If your current permit expires, you can apply to renew it, provided you are working towards another degree. The new permit will cover the duration of degree for which you are registered.
  For example, after a Bachelor's degree, you may obtain a two-year permit for a Master's degree.

To renew your permit, you must:

• Be enrolled in a higher education establishment in France.
• Have monthly resources equivalent to the basic monthly maintenance allowance granted to French government scholarship holders (€615 in 2025).
• Provide proof of the seriousness of your studies (regular attendance, academic results, diplomas obtained, etc.).

Repeating a year does not affect the validity of your application, subject to it being justified as part of your academic career.

You will need:

• Your passport with your residence permit.
• A birth certificate indicating parentage (or a full copy of the birth certificate).
• A certificate of enrolment for the coming year.
• Transcripts of marks for the previous year.
• A document certifying that you have the financial resources to continue your studies in France for a year (i.e. €615 per month).
• Proof of address dated within the last three months (electricity bill or tenancy agreement).
• Proof of health insurance (a certificate of entitlement issued by the Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie, which you can download from your personal account on the Ameli.fr website).
• Three passport photographs.

All foreign nationals applying for a residence permit must sign an undertaking to respect the values of the French Republic. 

• Your individual hosting agreement for research and your Cerfa form no. 16079*03 are still valid.
  If you are continuing your research activity under a hosting agreement that is still in effect, you can apply to renew your residence permit.

• Your individual hosting agreement for research and your Cerfa form no. 16079*03 have expired, but you are still registered as a PhD student.
  To renew your Talent Passport - Researcher residence permit, you must renew your individual hosting agreement and Cerfa form. 
  The residence permit may then be extended until you defend your thesis.

• You are no longer registered as a PhD student or your employment contract has ended. 
  If you are at the end of your contract but you are entitled to unemployment benefits from France Travail, you can apply to extend your stay.
  The duration of the new residence permit will be aligned with the duration of your unemployment benefits.

• You had a scholarship and have finished your studies.
  At the end of your studies or research contract, you can apply for a job search or business creation residence permit (Recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise - RECE) or, depending on your nationality, a provisional residence permit (Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour - APS).
  These residence permits allow you to:

  Remain in France for 12 months.

  • Work freely without requiring an authorisation.
  • Look for a job or set up a business related to your studies or field of research.

  
  Eligibility conditions:

  • Hold a degree at least equivalent to a Master's degree awarded in France.
  • Have a valid student or Talent Passport - Researcher residence permit.
  • Not be of Algerian nationality (special status).

  
  Depending on your nationality:

  • APS: only for certain countries (e.g. India, Lebanon, Senegal, Tunisia, etc.).
  • RECE: open to all other nationalities.

Algerian nationals in France have a special status governed by the agreements of 27 December 1968.

• If you have an Algerian student residence certificate that has expired and your situation has not changed, you may renew your application for a student residence permit on the ANEF website.
• If you have an Algerian Scientist - Researcher residence certificate and your work contract or your stay as a visiting researcher or as a scholarship recipient is extended, your host organisation must draw up a new hosting agreement. 

You can then apply to renew your residence permit and obtain a new Scientist - Researcher residence certificate for Algerian nationals.