Applying for a residence permit authorising you to start a business or seek employment

A foreign student who has just obtained a French professional license diploma or a French diploma at least equivalent to the master’s degree may stay in France at the end of his/her studies to look for a job or create a business, by applying for a temporary residence card « job search/ business creation » (RECE – Recherche d’emploi/creation d’entreprise) valid for one year (law of 10 September 2018), except for students from countries that have bilateral agreements with France and will apply notefor the RECE but for a provisional residence permit (“autorisation provisoire de séjour” or APS) for the same reason. The duration of the APS and conditions for the delivery will depend on the agreement.

Beware : Students of Algerian nationality do not benefit from this option.

Students living in Paris (75) must submit their application online on the démarches simplifées web page

Documents to provide

On “démarches simplifiées” for the online process, the required documents must be submitted in PDF files only.

In the case of deposit with an appointment (for some préfectures), the originals and copies of the same documents must be presented.

• “student” residence permit or visa + confirmation of online validation of the visa; ;
• passport (pages related to marital status and validity dates);
• justificatif de domicile datant de moins de 3 mois :
  • if tenant: electricity bill (or gas, water, landline telephone or Internet service bill) or rental lease agreement less than 6 months old or rent receipt or housing tax statement;
  • if staying at a hotel: hotelier’s certificate and bill;
  • if staying with an individual: dated and signed statement from the host, copy of his/her identity card or residence card, deed of ownership (or the host’s statement of residence tax or copy of the rental lease agreement or the host’s electricity, gas, water, landline telephone or Internet service bill);
• birth certificate (only for some préfectures)
• 3 recent passport photographs (35 mm x 45 mm format) up to current standards (no copy);
• proof of your health insurance;
• diplôme obtenu au cours des douze derniers mois ou attestation de réussite définitive délivrée par le jury  :
  • diploma at least equivalent to a master’s degree ;
  • professional diploma (“licence profesionnelle”);
  • Level I diploma certified by the Conférence des Grandes Écoles (master’s degree and “master of science” degree).

Progress of the procedure of the request

If the application is complete, the student is notified of an appointment for the submission of a paper copy (picture on phone not accepted) of each document he/she uploaded and receives a récépissé. He/she is then informed by text message as soon as his/her residence card is available.

For the retrieving of the residence card, the student must make an appointment on the web site of the prefecture. Students living in Paris must make their appointment from this web page of the web site of the Préfecture de Police de Paris

On the day of the RECE card’s collection, the student must pay a fee of € 75 in the form of a tax stamp.. 
In the case of bilateral agreement, students do not have to pay any tax to obtain their APS.

Purchase of the tax stamp

On line on https://timbres.impots.gouv.fr/ (please save and print your receipt)

Right for working

During the validity period of the residence permit for seeking employment / starting a business, the holder is authorised to seek and perform a job related to his/her training or research, with a salary of more than 1.5 times the monthly SMIC (French minimum wage).

At the end of the twelve months, the application for a residence permit will depend on the status and income of the student holding a residence card for seeking employment / starting a business :

All the useful and updated pieces of information are available on the Service public web site 

For starting a business,

he/she may apply for a temporary residence card for business owners / professionals or a multi-year passeport talent residence card for starting a business :

• a temporary residence card « for « entrepreneur/profession libérale » (business owners / professionals) »
• or a multi-year residence card « “passeport talent – création d’entreprise” (for starting a business)»

For salaried employment,

he/she may apply for a residence permit according to his/her income :

• salarié » or « travailleur temporaire » residence card (temporary workers / employees(the employment situation will not be invoked against them)
• « travailleur temporaire » or « salarié » residence card (temporary workers / employees – the employment situation will not be invoked against them)
• or multi-year residence card « passeport talent – chercheur (researchers)»
• or multi-year residence card « passeport talent – profession artistique et culturelle (artistic and cultural professionals) »

• or multi-year residence card « passeport talent – salarié qualifié (qualified employees)»
• or multi-year residence card « passeport talent – entreprise innovante (innovative companies owners) »
• or multi-year residence card « passeport talent – carte bleue européenne  (EU Blue card)».