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ADMINISTRATIVE FORMALITIES

Anyone planning to settle in France must possess a valid passport. Additionally, a visa might be necessary.

 

Getting a visa

Anyone planning to settle in France must possess a valid passport. Additionally, a visa might be necessary.

For any stay in France exceeding 90 days, nationals of non-European countries will need to apply in advance for a long-stay visa. To do so, you will need to contact the French consulate closest to your place of residence. 

If you are an EU national or from Switzerland, Andorra, Liechtenstein or Monaco, you do not need a visa, but you'll need a valid identity card or passport.

The French government provides an online visa wizard which you can use to see whether you need a visa, and if so, which category of visa. This is also where you begin the visa application process.

(link below).

International Talent: Passport Talent - Researcher

Most PhD students, scientists and researchers are eligible for a multiyear visa called “Passport Talent – Researcher”. Family members are eligible for the “Passport Talent – Family” visa. This visa allows you to apply for a residence permit, which must be completed within two months of your arrival in France. However, if you have a fixed-term contract (CDD) for less than 12 months, or in some other cases, you may be issued a long-stay visa that also serves as a resident permit (VLS-TS).

Please note: in addition to all the personal documents required for your visa application, you will also need a hosting agreement, or convention d’accueil, stamped and signed by the ILL. Please contact the Recruitment and Integration group if you have not yet received this document.

Other cases

In situations where your position at ILL does not meet the requirements for a “Passport Talent” visa, it's likely that ILL will need to obtain official authorisation to employ you. The Recruitment and Integration group will let you know about the documents they need from you to proceed with the request.

For more information

Official visa portal (in six languages): https://france-visas.gouv.fr/fr_FR/web/france-visas

International Student and Scholar Office (ISSO): https://international.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/getting-organized/visas-and-residence-permits/

 

Getting a residence permit card (carte de séjour)

If you are not an EU national, you and accompanying family members will have three months from your arrival in France to apply for a residence permit or titre de séjour. 

If you were issued with a VLS/TS visa which also serves as a residence permit, you will need to validate it online within two months of your arrival. Three months before the expiration of your VLS/TS, you will need to request a new residence permit as per the directions below.

Procedures do change, so please follow the instructions you received with your visa, and do not delay requesting your residence permit.

Passport Talent visa holders:

The application process for a residence permit involves multiple steps and may require official translations of diplomas and other documents. Delays in processing applications are not uncommon, especially between September and November. It's crucial to gather the necessary documents promptly and begin your application no later than three months before the expiry of your visa or current residence permit if you're already living in France.

The International Student and Scholar Office (ISSO), a partner of ILL, offers a free online application review service. Working closely with the Prefecture, ISSO can streamline the process by identifying any factors that may cause delays. ILL strongly recommends having your application reviewed by ISSO before submitting it to the Prefecture.

After the review by ISSO, you submit your application for a residence permit online through a national platform. Remember that you will need a hosting agreement, or convention d'accueil, which is provided by the ILL Recruitment and Integration group.

IMPORTANT!!!

Have your application reviewed online by ISSO before you submitting online through the national platform.

Only submit your application if it is complete, because if any documents are missing or incomplete, you may have to start the process again.

Other visa holders:

For holders of visas other than the Passport Talent, you must submit your residence permit application directly to the Prefecture.  The application process may differ depending on your nationality.

Please see the official website of the Préfet de l’Isere for more information: 

www.isere.gouv.fr/Demarches/Accueil-des-etrangers/Sejour

To apply for a residence permit:

administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/

class="couleur-orange">For more information:

On how to apply for a residence permit

 

On residency, immigration and naturalization