Upon your arrival in France

Depending on your visa, you may have additional formalities to carry out once you have arrived in France.

What to do upon arrival

Below are some guidelines to help you determine whether you will have any further administrative obligations.

Short-stay visa (category “C”)

If you have a short-stay visa, you have nothing to do upon arrival. However, you must be sure to leave France and the Schengen Area before your visa expires.

VLS-TS—Talent Chercheur—stay of 3–12 months

Your visa lasts for one year. However, you must validate it within three monthsof your arrival in France, which involves paying a tax on top of the initial visa application fee. This process can be completed online via the French Ministry of the Interior (Foreign Nationals in France).

You will be asked to provide the following information:

• Certain details indicated on your visa.
• Your date of entry into France.
• Your home address in France.
• Debit or credit card information to pay for the residence permit fee or tax stamp.

Make sure to keep track of your log-in information, which you will need to track the visa validation process and, potentially, to renew your residence permit.

Long-stay passport—Talent Chercheur—stay of 12+ months

If you will be staying in France for more than 12 months, you will start off with a passeport talent-chercheur visa that is valid for 3 months. Within 2 monthsof your arrival, you must apply for a residence permit, whose period of validity will depend on the duration of your employment or hosting period, which is specified in your scientific hosting agreement (maximum of 4 years).

 You can submit your application online via the ANEF website.

You are responsible for ensuring that you have dealt with all necessary administrative requirements. Under no circumstances can INRAE host or employ someone who does not have the legal right to work or reside in France.

Residence permit tax

Except in certain cases, you will need to purchase a tax stamp whenever you apply for a residence permit. In France, tax stamps can be purchased at a licenced tobacco store (bureau de tabac); ask for an e-tax stamp for a titre pour étrangers. Alternatively, you can purchase e-tax stamps online from the French Ministry of the Interior (ANEF website) or the French tax agency.