Researcher visa
If you are a citizen of a country for which a visa is required to enter French territory, the visa you will need to apply for will depend on the length of your stay, your status (employee, scholarship holder, student), and your source of funding.
Depending on your situation, once you arrive in France, your visa will need to be validated or you will need to apply for a residence permit.
Plan ahead!
To ensure that your procedures are completed on time and that your mobility as a researcher at the University of Strasbourg is not delayed, please contact the Euraxess Service Centerat least 3 months before your planned arrival date.
Before my arrivalYou are a grant researcher
- Scholarship less than €1,760 net per month: student visa
- Scholarship greater than €1,760 net per month: Talent Chercheur visa or scientific researcher visa (Algerian nationals)
To be eligible for a Talent Chercheur visa as a scholarship researcher, the monthly funding (scholarship + any additional funding) must exceed the minimum amount of the public law doctoral contract, i.e., approximately €1,760 net per month as of January 1, 2025.
If you are a doctoral student enrolled at the University of Strasbourg and funded by a scholarship of more than €1,760, you will have the choice between a student residence permit and a Talent Chercheur residence permit.
To find out which residence permit is most advantageous for you, check out our infographic!
Before applying for your student visa
If you are a doctoral student or postdoctoral fellow, a research stay agreement (CSR) must be drawn up. This document provides a framework for your stay, particularly with regard to intellectual property and occupational accidents/illnesses, and enables you to obtain your student visa for France.
The CSR is mandatory for all foreign researchers receiving scholarships who are hosted by a French university (including Europeans). If you are a scholarship recipient and are eligible for a Talent Chercheur grant, a CSR must also be drawn up in parallel with the hosting agreement.
- If you are a doctoral student or researcher with a contract established by the University of Strasbourg,
- If you are a doctoral student at the University of Strasbourg with a CIFRE contract,
- If you are a scholarship holder and hosted by a research unit at Unistra,
► Then the Euraxess Service Center at the University of Strasbourg will be responsible for drawing up your hosting agreement or research stay agreement: the administrator of your host research unit must send us a request for an agreement, accompanied by a copy of your passport and a copy of your employment contract or scholarship certificate.
- If you are an employee of Inserm, or a scholarship holder in an Inserm unit or a joint Inserm/Unistra unit, Inserm Grand Est will be responsible for drawing up your hosting agreement.
- If you are an employee of CNRS or a scholarship holder in a CNRS unit, CNRS Alsace will be responsible for drawing up your hosting agreement.
► In both cases, contact your research unit manager.
Once you have your host agreement, CSR, or thesis registration certificate, you must submit your visa application for France on the France-visas platform: a digital version of your documents must then be provided.
When you go to the embassy for your appointment, you must bring the originals.
At the end of this appointment, you will leave your passport so that the visa can be affixed to it; you will then need to return to collect it in person.
What visa is required for spouses?
The spouse of a researcher may join him or her in France: the visa he or she will need to apply for will depend on the researcher's visa and residence permit.
- Spouse of a researcher with a Talent – Researcher visa or residence permit: apply for a Talent Family visa.
- Algerian spouse of a researcher with a Scientist – Researcher visa or residence permit: apply for a Private Family Life visa.
- Spouse of a researcher on a Student visa: apply for a Visitor visa.
- Non-European spouse of a European citizen (EU/EEA/Switzerland): apply for a Family member of an EU/EEA/Swiss citizen residence permit within three months of arrival in France.
What kind of visa is required for children?
- Children who are citizens of the EU/EEA/Switzerland: no action is required if your children are citizens of a European country, the EEA, or Switzerland.
- Minors (under 18) who are nationals of a third country: for stays of more than 90 days, your minor children will need a long-stay D visa to enter French territory.
- If you have a Talent Chercheur visa: your child can obtain a Talent Famille visa.
- If you are an Algerian national and hold a Scientist-Researcher visa and your child is also an Algerian national, or if you have a student visa: your child will be able to obtain a Private and Family Life visa.
I am in Strasbourg- If you hold a short-stay visa for less than three months, no further action is required after your arrival in France.
- If you hold a long-stay visa (VLS), valid for 3 months for a stay of more than 12 months, or a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS) for a stay of less than 12 months, then, within three months of your arrival in France, you must validate your visa or apply for a residence permit by creating an account on the ANEF (platform for foreigners in France).
Documents to prepare
- Birth certificate
- Passport
- Visa
- Latest diploma equivalent to at least a Master's degree
- Signed hosting agreement
- *new* Contract committing to respect the principles of the Republic
- E-photo: type of photo required for all applications for a residence permit or ANTS driver's license. This type of photo can be taken in Photomaton booths or using the Smartphone ID app.
You have a VLS-TS (stay between 3 and 12 months) Research Talent
You must validate your visa on theANEF.
Your visa will then be valid as a residence permit, provided it is accompanied by the validation printed on the ANEF.
Cost: €200 per online tax stamp at the time of application
Application for a residence permit – Scientist-researcher (Algerian nationals)
If you are an Algerian national, you must apply for a residence permit at the Prefecture: you must make an appointment on the Prefecture's website and bring the required documents to the appointment (originals and copies).
You have a long-term stay visa (stay longer than 12 months) Research Talent
You must apply for a residence permit on theANEF.
Cost: €225 per tax stamp when you collect your residence permit from the Prefecture.
Renewal of residence permit
The residence permit must be renewed within two months before its expiry date on the ANEF platform.
Warning!
- If your contract or scholarship exceeding €1,760 per month is renewed and you need a new hosting agreement, contact the Euraxess Center at least 3 months before the expiry date of your current residence permit.
- If you are an Algerian national, residence permits can only be renewed at the Prefecture: you must make an appointment on the Prefecture's website and bring the required documents (originals and copies) to the appointment.
You lose or have your residence permit stolen
In the event of loss, theft, or destruction of your residence permit, you must report it to the Prefecture immediately via your ANEF account.
- If your residence permit expires in more than three months, a new residence card will be issued to you.
- If your permit expires in less than three months, your report will be recorded and you can apply for renewal of your residence card: you will then need to attach a sworn statement of loss of your residence card or a theft report in place of your card.
Change of status and modification of information on the ANEF
- You are changing your residence permit status from student to Talent Chercheur: you must declare this change on the ANEF when you apply to renew your residence permit.
- You are changing your address, or wish to modify/correct your civil status or marital status: you must declare this change on the ANEF under the heading “I am declaring a change of circumstances.”
Residence of minor children
If they are minors, your children will not need a residence permit. An application for a DCEM (Document de Circulation pour Etranger Mineur, or Travel Document for Minors) must be made to the ANEF to allow them to travel outside France.
We advise you to apply in advance so that you are not caught off guard by the processing times.
Cost: €50 per tax stamp.
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