France — Study (PhD with a doctoral contract or scholarship (Talent Passport researcher))

Main requirements

You need a master's or equivalent. In sciences and engineering you apply directly to topics posted by researchers (doctorat.campusfrance.org or ABG); in humanities you usually send your own proposal to a supervisor. The doctoral school must then approve enrolment, and many require secured funding.

Documents

For the visa: hosting agreement (convention d'accueil), passport, CV, master's degree and the documents in the Campus France Iran attachment. For applying: CV, transcripts and degree, recommendations, and a proposal in humanities.

Language

In hard sciences, engineering and biology French is usually not required; only the thesis abstract must be in French. Humanities and social sciences often require French B1–B2.

Costs and proof of funds

PhD tuition is €398/year and differentiated fees do not apply. Funding: university doctoral contract (no age or nationality limit; minimum pay €2,300 gross/month since 1 January 2026), CNRS or ANR project contracts, CIFRE industrial PhD (no nationality condition, at least €2,300 gross/month in 2026), or the Eiffel scholarship (age limit 35 for PhD; applied for only through the French institution, which submits by 6 January 2027). A talent-researcher card under a research hosting agreement requires at least €2,200 gross/month; if your funding is below that you get a student card instead. Once issued, the talent card costs €350 (€50 stamp + €300 tax).

Steps and timeline

Typically start looking from January of your M2 year; contact supervisors and interview; doctoral-school approval and funding; obtain the hosting agreement; email [email protected] (subject RDV VFS / Passeport Talent) with the hosting agreement, passport scan, CV and mobile number; complete France-Visas and submit at VFS Tehran. For stays of a year or more you get a 3-month visa and apply online for the card within 2 months.

Iran-specific notes

Many science and engineering labs are restricted zones (ZRR) where every foreign researcher needs prior security clearance. A question raised by a senator in the French Senate in 2025 states that of 17,843 requests examined in 2023, 470 (about 3%) were refused, mostly foreign researchers, without stated reasons. No official figure exists for Iranians, but in a 2017 French press report a lab head said requests for foreign doctoral candidates, Iranians among them, are sometimes rejected. So sensitive fields (e.g. nuclear, aerospace, electronics, chemistry) carry more risk, and clearance can take months.

After arrival (work while studying, post-study stay, permanent residence)

The talent-researcher card allows work, and your spouse and minor children get a talent-famille card through the simplified accompanying-family procedure. Talent cards are not subject to the integration contract (CIR), so the civic exam and A2 French rule introduced in 2026 for a first multi-year card doesn't apply; a later resident card does require the civic exam and B1 French. After completing research, talent-researcher holders can get the one-year job-search/business-creation permit, then a salarié or Talent card.