Extending visas & residence permits
If you want to stay in France past the expiration date of your residence permit, you must plan in advance for the renewal process.
Short-stay visas
Short-stay visas can only rarely be extended or exchanged for another visa type. The conditions are strictly limited to those involving a force majeure, humanitarian crises, or a medical emergency. Additionally, certain professional situations may be accepted as a justification, such as if a contract was not established during the expected timeframe. However, you can only apply for an extension if you have not already stayed past the expiration date of your visa.
You will need to fill out a visa extension application, issued by the prefecture in your department of residence (List of prefectures on the French Ministry of the Interior’s website; in French).
In most cases, if you wish to stay longer in France, you will have to first return to your home country to apply for a new visa.
Passeport talent-chercheur long-stay visa
Other possibilities are open to you if you have a Passeport talent-chercheur long-stay visa that also serves as a residence permit (VLS-TS). If your employment contract, doctoral contract, or research stay (e.g., as a visiting researcher, doctoral student, or grant recipient) is extended, your host institute will need to fill out and sign a new Convention d’accueil d’un chercheur ou d’un enseignant étranger (Cerfa n° 16079*03).
Then, via the renewal process, you can apply for a new multiannual Passeport talent-chercheur residence permit via the French Ministry of the Interior’s website Foreign Nationals in France.
Helpful link
Long-stay visa & residence permit
For a long-stay visa that also serves as a residence permit (VLS-TS), the period of validity ranges from 4 months to 1 year. If your stay will exceed 1 year, you will need to apply for a residence permit at the prefecture for your administrative department of residence. This process must be initiated in the 2 months prior to the expiration of your VLS-TS.
