FranceStudy and training

France researcher visa (Talent chercheur)

Talent residence card – researcher (passeport talent chercheur)

In short

Researchers and university teachers with at least a master's degree and a hosting agreement (convention d'accueil) with an approved French body receive a Talent card in the researcher category, valid up to four years. A minimum of EUR 2,200 gross applies to research-stay agreements.

Apply on France-Visas (official visa portal) checked 25 October 2026

Key facts

Validity
Length of the hosting agreement, up to four years.
Fee
€99Long-stay visa fee; in France the multi-year Talent card costs EUR 350 (EUR 300 tax + EUR 50 stamp duty).
Funds required
€2,200 per monthMinimum gross amount for researchers with a research-stay hosting agreement.
Work
Research and teaching under the hosting agreement.
Family
Spouse and minor children receive a "talent – family" card through the simplified accompanying-family procedure, with the right to work.
Path to permanent residence
After five years of lawful residence: 10-year resident card or EU long-term resident card, with B1 French and the civic exam.
Where to apply
France-Visas, then the French consulate or its visa application centre in your country of residence.

Conditions

You need a diploma at least equal to a master's and a hosting agreement signed with a public or private body approved for this purpose, stating your status, the research or teaching purpose and its duration. The researcher category is decided faster than other Talent categories: the prefecture's silence counts as refusal after 60 days.

Visa, card and the EU mobility option

You apply for the visa at the French consulate in your country of residence. If the stay is shorter than 12 months, the consulate issues a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) with the "talent" mention, which you validate online within three months of arrival. If the stay is one year or more, it issues a three-month "talent" long-stay visa and you request the multi-year card online after arriving. The employer does not need a work authorisation and does not pay the tax for employing a foreign national. If your hosting agreement mentions membership of a mobility programme for research in another EU state, you can obtain the "talent – chercheur – programme de mobilité" card; a researcher already admitted in another EU state who comes to France for more than three months for part of the work needs no long-stay visa.

  1. Create your long-stay application on France-Visas, choosing the "researcher (Talent)" purpose, and print the form and receipt.
  2. Book an appointment with the French consulate or the visa application centre it uses in your country of residence, and attend in person with originals and copies.
  3. Pay the visa fee and give fingerprints; the consulate decides on the long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS).
  4. Within three months of arriving in France, validate the VLS-TS online on the ANEF website and pay the residence tax.
  5. Attend the OFII appointments if you are summoned (medical visit, integration contract where applicable).
  6. Apply online for the residence card between four and two months before the VLS-TS expires.

After arrival: VLS-TS, OFII and residence card

Validate the VLS-TS online on the ANEF website within three months of arrival and pay the residence tax; without validation you are not lawfully resident and cannot travel back to France after leaving. OFII may summon you for a medical visit. Apply online for the next card between four and two months before the visa expires.

Family

Spouses and minor children of Talent card holders can travel with you or join later under the simplified accompanying-family procedure, without going through family reunification. They receive a multi-year "talent – family" card that allows them to work.

Refusal

If the prefecture does not answer, the application is deemed refused after four months for most Talent categories, 90 days for the EU Blue Card and 60 days for researchers; you then have two months to appeal. Visa refusals by the consulate first go through the mandatory administrative appeal stated in the notice.

Documents

Required documents

Identity

  • France-Visas long-stay form and receipt, signed
  • Passport valid for the stay, issued less than 10 years ago, with copies
  • Recent ICAO-standard photo and proof of legal residence in the country where you apply

Money

  • Proof of salary, grant or resources

Work

  • Hosting agreement (convention d'accueil) signed by the approved body

Study

  • Master's degree or higher

Insurance

  • Health insurance until French social security cover starts

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a doctorate?

No, a master's degree is the minimum.

Can my spouse work?

Yes, the talent – family card allows work.

How long is the card valid?

For the length of the hosting agreement, up to four years.

Does my French host need a work authorisation for me?

No. The researcher card itself allows work, and the employer is exempt from the tax on employing a foreign national.

What if my research stay is shorter than a year?

You receive a VLS-TS with the "talent" mention and validate it online within three months of arrival; no separate card is needed.

Official sources

Summarised from the official sources above. Rules, fees and processing times change: confirm with the embassy or the official portal before you apply.

Other visa types for France

Visits and short stays

Business and self-employment

Study and training

  • Student visa Validity: VLS-TS from four months to one year; then a one-year card, followed by a multi-year card for the rest of the degree.
  • Internship and trainee visa Maximum stay: Company internship: six months initially; continuing training: 12 months, renewable once up to 18 months.

Work

  • Work visa Validity: First year on the VLS-TS; then a four-year multi-year card for permanent employees still in the job, or a card matching the fixed-term contract.
  • Skilled worker visa Validity: Length of the contract, up to four years.
  • EU Blue Card Validity: Contracts of two years or more: length of the contract up to four years; shorter contracts: contract plus three months, up to two years.
  • Intra-company transfer visa Validity: Length of the assignment, up to three years, minus time already spent on the visa; not renewable.

Family

  • Family reunification visa Processing time: The mayor checks resources and housing within two months; the prefect decides within six months of the complete file reaching OFII (silence means refusal).
  • Spouse and partner visa Validity: VLS-TS valid one year; then a multi-year card of two to four years.

Residence

  • Retirement visa Validity: VLS-TS for the first year, then a renewable one-year card.
  • Permanent residence Validity: 10 years, renewable. The EU card lapses after more than three consecutive years outside the EU or six years outside France; the ordinary resident card after more than three consecutive years outside France.

Protection

France visa guide