Passeport Talent – Chercheur (Researcher)

Year establishedPublished

2016

Governing lawPublished

Code de l'entrée et du séjour des étrangers et du droit d'asile (CESEDA), Articles L421-14 to L421-16 (Passeport Talent – chercheur)

Responsible authorityPublished

Préfecture (in France) or French consulate (abroad); hosting agreement stamped by the consulate or, in France, by the host research/education institution

What the program providesPublished

A multi-year French residence permit for doctoral students, researchers and research professors under a hosting agreement, no personal investment required

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Minimum ageUnknown

Unknown

Clean criminal record requiredUnknown

Unknown

Local health insurance requiredPublished

Yes

Nationality restrictionsPublished

No

Basic eligibilityPublished

At least a master's-level diploma; a signed hosting agreement (convention d'accueil) with an accredited French higher-education or research institution to conduct research or teach at university level; funding at least equal to the public doctoral contract minimum (≈€2,300+ gross/month, 2026), from a grant, stipend or institutional funding

Employment statusPublished

Full-time employee

Generational limitPublished

Not applicable

Family sponsorshipPublished

Yes

Spouse includedPublished

Yes

Children includedPublished

Yes

Child age limitPublished

18 years

ChildrenPublished

Spouse and minor children qualify for the simplified accompanying-family procedure without a standard family-reunification application; spouse may also work

No governed customer claim is present for this section.

Processing timeUnknown

Unknown

Can apply without travelingPublished

Yes

How you applyPublished

Hosting agreement from the French research/education institution, then a long-stay visa at a French consulate abroad; validated online (stays under 12 months) or via an in-person multi-year residence-permit request at the prefecture (stays of 12+ months)

Required in-person stepPublished

For stays of 12+ months, in-person multi-year residence-permit request at the préfecture within 3 months of arrival

What the processing time measuresPublished

No published standard processing time found for this category

Official application routePublished

https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/

Minimum investmentPublished

None required

Minimum passive investment (July 2026)Published

None required

Minimum active investment (July 2026)Published

None required

Processing feeUnknown

Unknown

Application feeUnknown

Unknown

Total cost to applyUnknown

Unknown

Monthly income requiredUnknown

Unknown

Monthly pension income requiredPublished

None required

Monthly rental income requiredPublished

None required

Savings requiredPublished

None required

Proof of sufficient fundsPublished

Yes

Local bank deposit requiredPublished

No

Minimum local bank depositPublished

None required

Fees paidPublished

Before approval

Cost notesPublished

Renewal of the multi-year residence permit costs €225; initial visa fee not separately confirmed for this category (general Talent Passport long-stay visa fee is ≈€99, not confirmed as applying here)

Stay required to keep statusPublished

2 days/year

Physical presence requiredPublished

No

In-country visit requiredPublished

Yes

Move-in windowUnknown

Unknown

Length of residencyUnknown

Unknown

Residency is lifetimePublished

No

RenewablePublished

Yes

Maximum durationPublished

48 months

Maximum duration is lifetimePublished

No

Stay rule (Sept 2026)Published

Not specific to this category: under CESEDA, most French residence permits lapse if the holder is absent from France for more than 6 consecutive months, or more than 10 months in total over a 5-year period, unless justified

Tax residency rulePublished

Foreign individuals are considered domiciled in France if their habitual abode or principal place of sojourn is in France, they carry out professional activities in France, or France is the center of their economic interests.

Personal income taxPublished

range between 11%-45%

Time to permanent residencyPublished

5 years

Time to citizenshipPublished

5 years

Work for a local employerPublished

Yes

Start a businessUnknown

Unknown

Remote or freelance workUnknown

Unknown

Local healthcare accessPublished

Yes

University accessUnknown

Unknown

Can buy landUnknown

Unknown

Local bankingPublished

Yes

Permanent residence timeline basisPublished

Years stated

Citizenship timeline basisPublished

Years stated

Plan B note (Sept 2026)Published

Permit runs for the length of the hosting agreement, up to 4 years, renewable. Holders can take up the research/teaching position in the hosting agreement without separate work authorisation. After 5 years' continuous French residence, the general 10-year resident-permit and naturalisation rules apply (not confirmed as category-specific). No day-count presence rule is published for this visa itself; the CESEDA 6-month absence rule that applies to French residence permits generally is used instead of the list's 'stay none' claim, which is not confirmed as correct — the permit is tied to actually holding the hosting-institution position.

Official program websitePublished

https://www.campusfrance.org/en/the-researcher-talent-passport-long-stay-visa

Plan B sources (Sept 2026)Published

https://www.campusfrance.org/en/the-researcher-talent-passport-long-stay-visa | https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/eu-immigration-portal/researcher-france_en

Every fact on this page comes from the CitizensOS Mobility Asset Database (Sep 21, 2026 edition). A blank is shown as Unknown.