Finishing a master’s in France and hoping to stay on? Indian graduates have more room than most. A bilateral agreement stretches the one-year job-search permit to two years, alumni can come back on a five-year Schengen visa, and a good job offer leads to the Talent card.
Is there a post-study work visa in France for Indian students?
Not under that name. What Indian students call the PSW is a French residence permit with a long official title, and the France-India agreement adds a second year to it.
Service-Public, the official information site of the French administration (verified 1 June 2026), calls it the carte de séjour temporaire “recherche d’emploi ou création d’entreprise”. It is open to holders of a student residence card who obtained, in the last 12 months, a diploma at least equivalent to a master’s. It lasts one year, lets you work as an employee without a work authorisation, lifts the 964-hour student cap, and requires a job linked to your studies paying more than €2,800.53 gross a month. You file at your préfecture in the two months before your student card expires and pay €150 in tax stamps.
That is the rule for every non-EU graduate, and our guide to working in France after graduation covers it document by document. This page covers what changes when your passport is Indian.
What the India-France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement gives graduates
The agreement was signed in New Delhi on 10 March 2018. Announcing its approval, India’s Union Cabinet said it fosters the mobility of students, academics, researchers and skilled professionals, and that it is initially valid for seven years with automatic renewal.
| Point | General rule (Service-Public) | Indian graduates (agreement, article 3.2) |
|---|---|---|
| Diploma | Licence professionnelle, Mastère Spécialisé, CGE-labelled MSc or another diploma at least equivalent to a master’s, obtained in the last 12 months | A training cycle leading to a diploma at least equivalent to a master’s, at a French institution “authorised at national level”, or at an Indian institution linked to a French one by a diploma award convention |
| Length | 1 year, not renewable | 1 year, extended for another year: up to 24 months |
| Job allowed | Linked to your studies, more than €2,800.53 gross a month | Related to your training, paid at least one and a half times the minimum monthly wage: €2,800.53 at the current SMIC of €1,867.02 |
| Afterwards | Employee, Talent or EU Blue Card permit, depending on salary | With a job or a job promise meeting these conditions, you continue to work without the employment situation test |
The second year comes from an exchange of letters of 18 September 2015, which the agreement cites. Campus France India summarises it as a 12-month visa renewable once for 12 months, so 24 months after your studies. The text also states its purpose: the permission is granted to supplement your training with initial professional experience, “in the prospect of their return to India”.
Service-Public adds that nationals of countries that signed a migration agreement with France may request a provisional residence authorisation (APS) for a first professional experience. Ask your préfecture which document it issues under the France-India agreement, and bring a printout of article 3.2.
Already back in India? You can still apply from there
Going home after graduation does not close the door. There is an official route from India.
Service-Public (F17319) lets graduates who left France request a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) marked “recherche d’emploi / création d’entreprise”, within four years of obtaining their diploma in France. France Alumni India, the Campus France alumni network in India, explains in its alumni visa FAQ published on 3 October 2023 that Indian alumni file this “post-study” long-stay visa at a VFS centre in India, for one year renewable once, two years in total.
- 1Check the four-year windowIt runs from the date you obtained your diploma in France. The FAQ asks for a degree obtained in the four years before your application.
- 2Gather the alumni proofsA copy of the student (or student mobility) residence permit you held when you graduated, or any proof that you held one; a copy of the diploma, at least equivalent to a master’s or on the list set by decree; proof of a business project in your field if that is your plan; plus the standard long-stay visa documents listed on France-Visas.
- 3File at VFS in IndiaYou pay the visa fee at this stage, as for any long-stay visa.
- 4Validate within 3 months of arrivalValidate the VLS-TS online and pay €100 in tax stamps on top of the visa fee, according to Service-Public. Validation keeps your stay regular and lets you cross Schengen borders again.
The five-year Schengen visa for Indian alumni
It is real and generous, but it is a travel visa, not a work permit. France Alumni India sets out the rules in the same FAQ of 3 October 2023.
Who qualifies
What you receive
What it does not allow
How to apply
The Embassy of India in Paris confirms, in its education brief of July 2026, that France introduced these visas in 2023 for Indian alumni with at least a semester of master’s-level study in France. An older Campus France India page still describes the first version, decided in July 2013 for French master’s or PhD holders living in India.
| Route | Purpose | Validity | Work | Where you apply |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job-search or business-creation permit | Find a job or create a company | 1 year, plus 1 for Indian graduates | Yes: job linked to studies, more than €2,800.53 gross a month | Préfecture in France, or VFS in India within 4 years |
| Five-year alumni visa | Tourist or business trips | Up to 5 years, 90 days in any 180 | No | VFS in India |
| Young Professionals Scheme | Salaried experience | 12 months, extendable to 24 | Yes, under the scheme | Through the scheme run by NSDC and OFII |
From graduate to employee: the 2026 salary thresholds
Service-Public lists which permit to request when your job-search year ends, according to your salary. Amounts are gross and were verified on 1 June 2026. Rupee figures are for orientation only, at ₹105.8641 per euro, the FBIL reference rate shown on the Reserve Bank of India website on 28 October 2026.
| Permit | Main conditions | Gross pay | In rupees (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employee or temporary worker card | Job related to your training; at this pay the employment situation test does not apply | from €2,800.53 a month | about ₹2.96 lakh a month |
| Talent, qualified employee | Diploma at least equivalent to a master’s obtained in France (or a CGE-labelled level 1 diploma from a nationally authorised institution); contract of more than 3 months | from €39,582 a year | about ₹41.9 lakh a year |
| Talent, employee of an innovative company | Recruited by a young innovative company or one recognised as innovative by the economy ministry, in a role directly linked to its research and development project | from €39,582 a year | about ₹41.9 lakh a year |
| Talent, EU Blue Card | Diploma sanctioning at least 3 years of higher education, or comparable professional experience; contract of at least 6 months | from €59,373 a year | about ₹62.85 lakh a year |
| Talent, project holder (company creation) | Master’s-equivalent diploma or 5 years of comparable experience; a real and serious project; at least €30,000 of funding; resources of at least €22,404.20 a year | not a salary test | funding of about ₹31.76 lakh |
The Talent qualified-employee card has three advantages for a first job. Your employer needs no work authorisation and pays no tax for employing a foreign national; the card follows your contract for up to four years; and your spouse and minor children can receive a “talent-famille” card without going through family reunification. It costs €350 in tax stamps, about ₹37,052.
Searching for the “talent passport”? Campus France India still uses that name for the permit created in February 2016; Service-Public now calls it the multi-year “talent” card. Business France’s Welcome to France site (verified 11 May 2026) adds the “French Tech Visa for Employees”, a simplified route for innovative companies to recruit onto the Talent qualified-employee card for up to four years.
For Indian graduates, article 3.2.2 of the agreement adds a safety net: if, when your one or two years end, you hold a job or a job promise related to your training and paid at least one and a half times the minimum wage, you continue to work without the employment situation test. Roles and salary ranges in AI are covered in our guide to AI jobs in France for international students.
The Young Professionals Scheme, a second India-only door
Article 4.2 of the agreement creates exchanges of young professionals aged 18 to 35. The Embassy of India in Paris (July 2026) says the scheme was operationalised in 2024, with an annual quota of 500 participants who receive an initial 12-month work visa, extendable to 24 months and further renewable through employment contracts. India’s National Skill Development Corporation and France’s Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII) run it jointly.
The agreement asks for a diploma validating, as far as possible, at least three years of higher education matching the job, or professional experience of a comparable level, and the ability to express yourself in the language or languages of the host country. The employment situation is not taken into account. It does not depend on a French diploma, which can suit graduates who returned to India and want to come back on a salaried contract before turning 36.
Where an AI2 MSc graduate fits
AI2, the Applied Institute of Artificial Intelligence, teaches its MSc 100% in English on one campus in Écouen, 22 minutes from Paris Gare du Nord by Transilien line H.
The final year awards the AI2 diploma and prepares a professional certification recognised by the French State and registered in the RNCP at level 7, master’s level (EQF 7): RNCP39978 « Architecte des systèmes d’information dans les processus industriels » for the Data Science and Cybersecurity tracks, and RNCP40554 « Architecte Internet des objets (IoT) » for the IoT track. Both are certified by DATAKOO, AI2’s parent company, so school and certifier belong to the same group. Our page on the RNCP level 7 qualification shows how to check a title on France Compétences.
A company phase built in
Master’s level for your permit file
Your B.Tech already counts
Semesters in France for the alumni visa
| AI2 MSc format | Tuition | From, after AI2 scholarship | In rupees (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| MSc Year 1, applied AI core | €12,500 | €10,500 | about ₹11.12 lakh after scholarship |
| MSc direct entry, 18 months | €13,000 | €11,300 (IoT from €11,800) | about ₹11.96 lakh after scholarship |
| Fast-Track MSc, February 2027, 11 months | €12,500 | €11,000 for applications before 15 November 2026 | about ₹11.65 lakh |
| Visa resources, per month | €877.50 | not applicable | about ₹92,896 a month |
Intakes are planned in February, May and September 2027, and the priority deadline for February is 30 November 2026. Every fee is on our tuition fees 2027 page; the curriculum is on the MSc Applied AI and Data Science page; and our guide to the MS in AI in France for Indian students matches your B.Tech, BE, BSc or BCA to an entry point.
Keep a copy of every visa and residence permit from day one: the post-study visa filed from India asks for your student permit, and the alumni visa for proof of your semesters in France. The 964 hours of paid work a student permit allows each year are explained in working while studying in France, and the first visa in our France student visa from India guide.
📘 Related guide: MS in France vs USA for Indian students: cost, duration, visas and work after study.
Frequently asked questions
Do Indian students get a two-year post-study work visa in France?
Yes. Under the 2018 France-India agreement, Indian graduates of a programme leading to a diploma at least equivalent to a master’s can stay one year, extended for another year, to find a job related to their training paid at least one and a half times the minimum monthly wage.
Is the five-year Schengen visa for Indian alumni a work permit?
No. France Alumni India states that it does not allow you to work in France or to look for a job. It is a multiple-entry short-stay visa for Indian alumni with a master’s or higher degree and at least one semester of study in France.
Can I apply for the post-study visa after returning to India?
Yes, within four years of obtaining your diploma in France. You file the long-stay visa for job search or business creation at a VFS centre in India, then validate it online within three months of arrival and pay €100 in tax stamps.
What salary do I need for the Talent card in 2026?
€39,582 gross a year, about ₹41.9 lakh at the FBIL reference rate of 28 October 2026, with a contract of more than three months and a diploma at least equivalent to a master’s obtained in France. The EU Blue Card requires €59,373 gross a year.
Can my spouse join me in France?
With a Talent card, your spouse and minor children can receive a “talent-famille” card without the family reunification procedure, according to Service-Public. The five-year alumni visa is issued to alumni only, not to family members.
Does an AI2 MSc lead to these permits?
The AI2 MSc ends with the AI2 diploma and an RNCP level 7 certification, master’s level, plus a six-month company phase. Graduates file the job-search or work permit with these documents, the préfecture examines each diploma, and the EU Blue Card asks for three years of higher education.
Sources consulted on 28 October 2026: Service-Public: job-search or business-creation card (verified 1 June 2026) · Service-Public: Talent cards and EU Blue Card (verified 1 June 2026) · Service-Public: SMIC amounts (verified 1 June 2026) · Service-Public: student visa resources · Ministry of External Affairs: India-France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement · Prime Minister of India: Cabinet approval of the agreement · France Alumni India: alumni visa FAQ (3 October 2023) · Campus France India: getting an alumni visa · Embassy of India in Paris: education brief (July 2026) · Business France, Welcome to France: recruiting international tech talent (verified 11 May 2026) · Reserve Bank of India: FBIL reference rates, 28 October 2026
Send your B.Tech or BE transcripts: AI2’s academic team reviews them, holds an online interview and confirms your entry year, tuition and any scholarship in writing.
