Please note: the information provided on this website may change depending on the regulations in effect when you arrive in France. The conditions governing entry to and residence in France are the exclusive prerogative of the French government.
Scientific visas
You will need a visa to carry out research or teach at university level under a hosting agreement in France. Applicants are assessed on their status, financial resources and the hosting agreement with the host institution. This page describes the eligibility conditions, the types of visa and the steps you need to take in order to obtain it. Here you will find all the information you need to choose the right visa and complete the necessary formalities.
You must apply for a visa at the French consulate in your country of residence.
When you submit your visa application, you will be asked to provide proof of your stay in France, including proof of financial resources (even for stays of less than three months), accommodation, insurance, etc.
Nationals of the European Union, the European Economic Area and the Swiss Confederation do not need a visa to enter France.
Visa for a stay of less than 3 months
The Schengen short-stay visa allows you to stay for 90 days (uninterrupted or accumulated over 180 days) in a country in the Schengen area to carry out research, for example.
If you can provide proof of funding equal to or greater than the gross monthly salary of a public-sector PhD contract student in France (€2,200 in 2025) or if you are a salaried PhD student, you are eligible for a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) under the Talent Passport - Researcher category (for says of more than 3 months and up to one year) or a long-stay visa under the Talent Passport - Researcher category (for stays of more than one year).
These visas enable you to study for a doctorate, carry out research or teach in France.
The remuneration of PhD students under contract changes each year and is set by the decree of 29 August 2016.
To obtain a long-stay Talent Passport - Researcher visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS - for stays longer than 3 months and up to one year) or a long-stay Talent Passport - Researcher visa (for stays longer than one year), you will need both an individual hosting agreement for research and Cerfa form no. 16079*03 entitled Convention d'accueil d'un chercheur ou d'un enseignant étranger (Hosting Agreement for a Foreign Researcher or Lecturer), signed by both you and the host institution.
- If you can provide proof of funding that is less than the gross monthly salary of a PhD contract student in France (€2,200 in 2025) and at least equal to the basic monthly maintenance allowance granted to French government scholarship holders (€615 in 2025), apply for a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) for students, even if you are a researcher coming to France for to carry out research.
The individual hosting agreement for research is an internal document drawn up by the organisation hosting the foreign PhD student, researcher or lecturer.
It sets out, among other things, the support and hosting arrangements and defines the rules governing intellectual property.
This document must be signed by at least the legal representative of the host organisation (e.g. Sorbonne University) and the beneficiary. It may also include the signature of the beneficiary's home institution and that of the head of the host research unit in France.
TheCerfa form no. 16079*03 entitled Convention d'accueil d'un chercheur ou d'un enseignant étrange (Hosting agreement for a foreign researcher or teacher)is an official administrative document.
This scheme enables a researcher or lecturer from outside the European Union, the European Economic Area or the Swiss Confederation who holds a Master's degree or equivalent, to be hosted in France by a French institution accredited for this purpose, to carry out research or lecture at a university.
Approval is granted by the French Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space.
This document is required to obtain a visa and residence permit. It must be signed by at least the legal representative of the host organisation (e.g. Sorbonne University) and the beneficiary.
For PhD students, these documents are issued for a maximum period of three years. They may be renewed twice for periods of one year, subject to the duration of the funding granted to the foreign student undertaking the research.
For researchers, these documents are issued for a maximum period of one year.
Special provisions for Algerian researchers
For stays of more than 3 months, Algerian nationals are covered by a special scheme governed by the agreements of 27 December 1968 and are not eligible for long-stay Talent Passport - Researcher visas.
You must apply for a long-stay Scientist - Researcher visa.
This visa allows you to enter France and obtain a residence permit, also known as a residence certificate, from the prefecture.
You will need both an individual hosting agreement for research and Cerfa form no.16079*03 entitled Convention d'accueil d'un chercheur ou d'un enseignant étranger (Hosting Agreement for a Foreign Researcher or Lecturer), signed by both you and the host institution.
