User Corner

The invitation letter on headed paper and/or Convention d'Accueil are only issued at the the request of the user.

If you require a visa for entry into France, as soon as you receive an electronic experiment invitation from ILL, you should contact your nearest French Embassy or French Consulate to make an appointment.

The Invitation Letter from the ILL may NOT be enough to obtain a French visa.
Please ask the French Embassy or French Consulate for information on documents to provide. Requests for visa documents should be sent by e-mail to sco(at)ill.eu.

If you are informed that you need a ‘Convention d’Accueil’ (formerly a ‘Protocole d’Accueil’) could you please send us the following information by email to the User Office:
 

• Name (family name)
• First name
• Gender (M or F)
  
• Date of birth
• Nationality
• Status/profession (ie PhD student, Post Doc, Research Assistant, ...)
• Private address in country of residence
• Name of employer
• Employer's address
  
• Experiment number & instrument
• Dates of your stay in France
• Mobile phone number for DHL to be able to contact you for delivery of the documents

Please note that SCO cannot issue the official visa support documents at short notice. The completed convention d’accueil is taken to the local authorities (Préfecture) for official approval. This service is provided on a weekly basis by ILL’s Liaison Officer. (Allow plenty of time before the appointment with the Consulate; the procedure can take from 10 days to a month between the date you request the document and the day you receive it). Your Convention d'accueil will be sent by DHL courier or normal post to your LABORATORY ADDRESS.

Visa fees are not reimbursed by the ILL.