You can pursue a doctorate if you have:

• a five-year post-secondary qualification (Master’s degree, engineering degree, or an equivalent foreign qualification)

• a good level of French (generally level C1 or C2) or a good level of English. It is possible to do a PhD in France without speaking French well, provided you speak fluent English.
• a research background (your education or professional experience must demonstrate your ability to conduct research)
• a defined and precise thesis project
• a thesis supervisor who agrees to supervise you
• funding .​

Before enrolling in a PhD program, you must have a clear research project.

This is your doctoral project. It must explain:

• the subject of your thesis  
• the methods used to conduct your research
• the expected results and their relevance to your field.

Your project must be original and well-defined, meaning it must bring something new to your field. It must also align with the research themes of the laboratory that will host you.

In the exact sciences, you should not prepare a research project on your own to propose to a researcher. It is the researcher who proposes the topic. Your role is to find a topic and then submit your application for that topic.

In the humanities and social sciences, you often have to prepare your own research project and then send it to a researcher with work in the same field.

To find thesis topics, you can use doctorat.gouv.fr .

The national doctoral platform in France allows you to contact researchers working in research laboratories in France who can supervise a doctoral thesis (as a thesis director). You can consult their proposed thesis topics or their offers of support. The specific topic of the doctorate can be defined later once you are in contact with the researcher.

The offers are classified by major scientific fields and by societal themes.
They were validated by a doctoral school of an institution authorized to award doctorates.
Funding for the PhD may already be secured. In other situations, funding still needs to be found, based on the project and your application.

The director of thesis supervising you is the researcher who guides you throughout your doctoral studies. This person guides you in your research, reads your work, and helps you progress.

This is a very important step. Without this agreement, you cannot enroll in a doctoral program.

You don't need to contact all researchers in a field. Choose only those who work specifically on the topic of your project.

There are two types of subjects:

• the topics already funded by the host institution
• and the topics for which you need to have your own funding.
  When you have found a topic that interests you, all you have to do is contact the researcher or doctoral school that published the topic.

You can get in touch with researchers from the thesis topics and support offers published on doctorat.gouv.fr (see step 2).

In France, most doctoral programs are funded. There are several ways to receive funding to prepare your thesis. Everything is explained here and on this page.

The doctoral contract

This is the most common form of funding. A doctoral school or research organization offers you a contract. You are paid monthly to work on your thesis.

• Doctoral contract at a doctoral school: approximately 1800 to 1850 euros net per month
• Contract from a research organization (CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) , CNES (National Center for Space Studies) , CEA (Atomic Energy Commission)...): approximately 1850 to 2100 euros net per month.

The funding body may be different from the employer. For example, you may have a doctoral contract with the CNRS funded by the National Research Agency (ANR) .

The CIFRE scheme

The CIFRE (Industrial Agreement for Training through Research ) allows you to complete your doctorate while working in a company. You are hired by the company (on a permanent or fixed-term contract ) with a salary of at least €1,800 net per month. You also work with a university team on your research project.

Other funding programs are available on this page.

Scholarships

There are also scholarships to prepare for a doctorate, offered by foreign universities , foundations or foreign governments or the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Preparing for a doctorate through continuing education

It is possible to prepare a doctorate on a part-time basis, alongside a main salaried activity, preferably within a framework arranged between the employer and the university.
In this case, the thesis can last up to 6 years. And it is still possible to extend it, if the doctoral school approves the extension.

The Pause program

The PAUSE program allows scientists at risk due to security concerns or persecution in their country of origin to continue their research at a university in France by co-financing their stay in a research laboratory. Doctoral students can also benefit from this program to pursue a doctorate in France.

Other possible resources

Subject to the agreement of the doctoral school, it is possible to prepare a doctorate with:

• personal savings
• financial support from the family.

When you first enroll for a doctorate, and every year thereafter, the director of the doctoral school checks that all the conditions are in place for your doctorate to run smoothly.

In particular, they check:

• if your thesis topic is "solid" (well-defined) and achievable within the given time-frame
• if you have sufficient funding to live and work for the duration of your PhD
• if you have the necessary time to complete your thesis (for example, if you are preparing it part-time)
• if your thesis supervisor is available and doesn't already have too many doctoral students under their supervision
• if the framework of your registration is well suited (initial training, continuing education, VAE …).

A research laboratory is a place where researchers work together on scientific projects. To pursue your doctorate, you must be affiliated with a state-recognized laboratory.

There are three steps:

1 - Validation of your project by the thesis supervisor

If a thesis director agrees to supervise you, your file (research project and funding) is sent to the doctoral school.

2 - Review of your application by the doctoral school

The doctoral school then examines your application for enrollment in the first year of doctoral studies and makes its decision taking into account the opinion of the research laboratory that will host you and the opinion of the thesis supervisor.

3 - Validation of your project by the research laboratory

The laboratory confirms that it can accommodate you (equipment, staff…) and that your project corresponds to its research areas.

The doctoral school reviews your complete application and verifies:

• your thesis project (topic, methods, objectives)
• the agreement of your thesis supervisor
• the agreement of the host laboratory
• your financing  
• your degrees and your academic background.

If your application is complete and accepted, you will receive an admission notification or an "authorization to enroll." The director of the doctoral school authorizes you to enroll in the first year of your doctoral studies.

If you are abroad

You must first apply for a long-stay visa on France Visas to enter France.

Depending on your situation, there are two visas most commonly used:

• Long-stay visa with the mention "Talent Passport - Researcher"  
• Long-stay visa with the mention "Student"

After your arrival in France, you must validate your visa within 3 months and then apply for your residence permit on the ANEF (Foreigners in France) website.

If you are in France

The residence permit also depends on the doctoral student's situation (whether the thesis is funded or not, whether they are employed or a student) .
The length of stay for a scholarship recipient is often limited to 3 years plus more 2 times 1 year; for an employee, it is directly linked to the duration of their employment contract.

You must apply for your first residence permit between 2 and 4 months before the expiry of your entry visa to France:

• The "Student" residence permit

You have the option of applying for a "Student" residence permit to study and work part-time in France (maximum approximately 964 hours per year).

This residence permit is often used by doctoral students who do not have an employment contract with the university .

To get this card, you need to:

• be enrolled in a French higher education institution or invited under a research stay agreement (CSR)
  The main questions about the research stay are here, with general answers.
• have sufficient financial resources to live in France (at least €615 per month, excluding housing benefits from the CAF)
• be registered with the Health Insurance
• have accommodation in France
• not to exceed 964 working hours per year
• prove that you are properly attending your studies (registration certificate, transcripts, attendance certificates).

Then you can apply for a multi-year residence permit (valid for 2 to 4 years).

• The talent passport card - researcher (see the "Researcher" section)

This is the most suitable card if you are preparing for a doctorate.

To apply for this card, you must:

• be paid in France for your doctorate by a higher education and research institution or another accredited institution with funding dedicated to your research and at least equal to the salary of a doctoral contract
• OR be invited under a research stay agreement with a grant based on scientific criteria (France Excellence Eiffel , Marie Skłodowska-Curie …) of an amount at least equal to the net salary of a doctoral contract under public or private law (approximately €1848 net per month)

• have a valid hosting agreement signed by your employing (or hosting) establishment.

• The "Talent Family" residence permit

To apply for this card, you must:

• be the spouse of an international researcher (outside the European Union)
• and this spouse must be a doctoral student or researcher and have a hosting agreement.

Once the doctoral school has accepted your application, you can complete your administrative registration at the university. This registration officially confirms your status as a doctoral student.

The application process is done online, usually on the website of the university where you want to pursue your doctorate. Guides and tutorials are available on university websites and online platforms that explain the application process in detail.

Here are some examples:

• ADUM: platform used by many doctoral schools in France. It allows you to submit your application for a doctorate and, if necessary, to request an exemption from the degree requirement.
• Paris City University  
• University of Nantes…

First, prepare your documents and send the requested supporting documents.
Generally speaking, you need:

• a copy of your master’s degree or certificate of completion
• a transcript of marks
• an individual training agreement signed by the PhD student, the thesis supervisor and the head of the research unit
• a copy of a valid identity document (passport, residence permit, etc.)
• proof of financial means if self-funded, or an employment contract
• a CV…

After validation of your application and the charter, you must pay the university registration fees (for example €397) and the contribution to student and campus life (CVEC) (€105).

Once registered, you will receive your school certificate (official proof of doctoral registration) and your student card.

In addition to your research, you must attend supplementary training courses organized by the doctoral school (between 100 and 250 hours over the course of the thesis, depending on the doctoral school). These training courses are about:

• research methodology, research ethics and scientific integrity, the challenges of open science
• writing scientific articles
• showcasing your skills (for example, how to write a researcher's resume (CV))
• various topics such as starting a business, languages…

An individual supervision committee checks annually that your thesis is progressing well. This committee is made up of independent researchers (other than your supervisor). It ensures that you are receiving adequate support and that your research is making progress.

You can become a university lecturer-researcher or a researcher in a public laboratory.

To become a lecturer-researcher, the application process is standardised across all disciplines and universities and grandes écoles, and consists of two stages:

1. A qualification stage for the position of lecturer

2. an application stage for recruitment competitions open in each higher education institution to previously qualified candidates.

The main public research organizations in France are:

• The CNRS (National Centre for Scientific Research), the largest public research organization in France
• Inserm (National Institute of Health and Medical Research), specializing in health
• The IRD (Research Institute for Development), specializing in developing countries
• INRAE (National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment)  
• The CEA (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission) …

You also have the option of working in the private sector.

Many large companies have a research and development (R&D) department where they recruit PhDs.

Your profile may be of interest to a company if your research topic matches its activities or innovation needs.

A doctorate is recognized as evidence of expertise and the ability to solve difficult problems.

It is possible to obtain an HDR (habilitation to supervise research).

Please note, you must:

• have already published research work (articles, books…)
• prepare a portfolio presenting your research and scientific project. The portfolio is evaluated by researchers and presented to a jury.

Consult the registration steps on the doctoral school or university website, then contact them if necessary.

If you successfully complete this degree, you can apply for university professorships and officially supervise doctoral students as a thesis director.

If you want to stay longer in France, you must apply to renew your residence permit 2 to 4 months before its expiry date.

To renew your residence permit, you will generally need:

• your doctoral registration certificate for the current year
• proof of your progress in the thesis (opinion of the thesis supervisor or the monitoring committee)
• proof of funding (doctoral contract, scholarship, etc.)
• a recent proof of address.

A doctorate in France is an important and sometimes demanding step. This period can be intense, especially at the beginning.

Exchanges between doctoral students allow for the sharing of practical advice on research, work organization, and administrative procedures. The experiences of others can be reassuring and help avoid some difficulties.

University doctoral student associations often offer meetings and workshops to get to know each other and have a good time.

Finally, internet forums and social networks are also useful places to ask questions and find information quickly.