APS (Master) or Carte de séjour – Recherche d’emploi/création d’entreprise is a job-search or business creation resident permit given to students, who had graduated from a college or university in France. It allows graduates to gain their first professional experience or create a business activity related to their course.
The first version of this article was written by Sanjay Kamath a few years ago, focusing on APS for Indian students. This current version goes further with the latest updates and covers students from with various non-European countries.
APS Master or CdS RECE ?
The resident permit issued depends on the nationality of the graduates.
| Resident Permit | Country of Origin |
| Autorisation provisoire de séjour (APS Master RECE) with the comment « recherche d’emploi ou création d’entreprise » | Students from Benin, Burkina Faso, Mauritius, Tunisia, Cape Verde, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), Gabon and India. |
| Carte de séjour temporaire (CdS RECE) with the comment « recherche d’emploi ou création d’entreprise » | Students from Montenegro, Serbia, Georgia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and other nationalities. |
Henceforth, In this article “APS Master“ means the pink paper given free-of-cost and the “CdS RECE” means the card given for 75€. Both aren’t the same.
Who can apply?
There are 2 important criteria to be eligible for APS Master or CdS RECE.
A. Graduates who have (had) a valid French student resident permit.
B. Graduates from French colleges & universities with,
- Master’s degree or its equivalent for people from Cape Verde, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville), and India.
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees or their equivalents for people from Benin, Burkina Faso, Gabon, Tunisia, Georgia, Mauritius, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia.
Only the courses registered with RNCP and/or CGE will be eligible. If you had studied a Masters degree not recognized by one of the above, you won’t be able to apply for APS Master or CdS RECE.
Note:
- RNCP is a national register for professional certifications managed by France Competences, under the authority of the French Ministry in charge of vocational training. You can search for your degree on the francecompetences.fr website.
- MS Mastère Spécialisé or MSc – Master of Science degree from registered colleges & universities on CGE database.
- Here is the list of courses equivalent to a Master’s and eligible for the APS.
When to apply?
Inside France 🇫🇷
- If you are applying in France, the application should be submitted within the academic year of graduation and you should have a valid student resident permit. For example, you had done the academic year 2023/2024, the application must be submitted in the same year of receiving the final degree.
- Irrespective of the remaining validity on your student resident permit, apply for APS immediately after receiving the course completion certificate and/or final degree certificate.
Outside France 🇫🇷
- If you have left France without applying for it, you can submit an application within 4 years of graduation. It can be applied at any French Embassy or consulate in your country.
Note: If you do a french language course after your Masters degree, you will no longer be eligible for APS Master or CdS RECE. So, you should avoid the false advertisements by a few private language schools.
Duration of APS?
The duration varies according to the bilateral agreements signed between France and various countries.
| Country of Origin | Duration | Renewable |
| Students from Benin, Burkina Faso & Mauritius. | 6 months | Once |
| Students from Tunisia | 6 months | Twice |
| Students from Cape Verde & Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). | 9 months | No |
| Students from Gabon | 9 months | Once |
| Students from Montenegro, Serbia, Georgia & Bosnia-Herzegovina. | 12 months | CdS RECE & non-renewable |
| Students from India | 12 months | Once |
| Students from other non-European countries | 12 months | CdS RECE & non-renewable |
| Students from Algeria | Not eligible | Not eligible |
What is the cost of APS?
- APS Master (pink paper) is free.
- Carte de Sejour RECE (card) costs 75€. The tax stamp can be purchased here timbres.impots.gouv.fr
How & where to apply?
- Please refer to the detailed article with a list of Prefectures in How to submit an application for APS or CdS RECE inside and outside France?.
What are the options available when APS Master or CdS RECE expires?
- If your APS Master is renewable, you can apply for a renewal.
- The procedure is the same as the 1st application, except some Prefectures that have a separate application process for renewal.
- Any resident permit including APS Master can only be renewed inside France by a local Prefecture. It cannot be done by a French Embassy or Consulate.
- For example, Indian graduates can renew their APS Master for another year. This is applicable for APS issued in France or outside the country (Ex: India).
- If you hold a CdS RECE, it cannot be renewed. So, you should apply for a status change to work or business creation resident permits. If you are unable to find a job or start a business, you should leave France on or before the expiry date of CdS RECE.
Here is a detailed article that explains the various work-related options to extend your stay in France. Work & Resident Permits After Graduating In France?
Points to know
- Do not wait until the last moment of your student visa expiry date. Try to apply for an APS visa right away, once the course is finished.
- APS can’t be applied in France, once the student visa has expired.
- APS can be applied at any prefecture in France. But the applicant should have a local address proof belonging to that prefecture limits (contract or attestation d’hébergement with all supporting docs from the person giving the attestation).
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- Please refer to FAQ: APS – French job search or business creation resident permit.
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Sources & References
- APS Master service-public.fr
- Bilateral agreements about Professional mobility between France & various countries immigration.interieur.gouv.fr
- Recherche d’emploi – Création d’entreprise france-visas.gouv.fr
- Création d’entreprise : quelles sont les démarches à effectuer ? economie.gouv.fr/entreprises
- Comment faire pour embaucher un salarié étranger ? service-public.fr
I’ve gone through those comments, but I still have a question. That’s why I inquired. If I complete a one-year university diploma in French language (Public University ) and apply for APS for my previous master’s within that year, am I eligible for APS?
Question received : If I pursue a French language course following my master’s degree at a public university, am I qualified for an APS?
As explained in the FAQ, the answer is always NO irrespective of doing the French course in a private school or public university
Hi,
Firstly, thanks a lot for this elaborate write-up. It was very clear and helpful
I am an Indian student and will be graduating this month from a French Business School.
I am currently not in France. However, I have a multi-year student resident permit. Can I apply for the APS later?
Is there a timeline within which students should apply for APS from the time of graduation?
I understand that I have to apply for the APS before my student visa expires.
Thanks in Advance
Hello Kaushik, Thanks a lot for your feedback. Please refer Section 3 and Section 9 (FAQs) for some detailed answers.
Hi,
This is Apoorva. I currently live in Epinay Sur Seine. I had applied for Temporary Resident Permit, or APS (for “Autorisation Provisioire de Séjour”) at the main prefecture in bobigny and it had got approved last year. my visa is expiring in May 2024.
I repeated the same steps this year and filed a new file in the same way in bobigny prefecture (https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/users/sign_in) but they closed the file and asked me to apply at the sub prefecture in Saint Denis for the renewal of the visa. But I don’t find the link for the sub prefecture in Saint Denis. Could you please help me with that?
FYI-
Bobigny prefecture- (Préfecture – Seine-Saint-Denis)
sub Saint Denis prefecture – (Sous-préfecture de Saint-Denis)
Thank you,
Apoorva
Hello Apoorva,
Epinay Sur Seine fall under Sous-préfecture de Saint-Denis. You can find the details here https://www.seine-saint-denis.gouv.fr/index.php/Services-de-l-Etat/Prefecture-et-sous-prefectures/Sous-prefecture-de-Saint-Denis-Informations-pratiques
If you dont find the application link on the website, you can write to your prefecture via sp-saint-denis@seine-saint-denis.gouv.fr and pref-info-etrangers@seine-saint-denis.gouv.fr
Hello Prasanth,
I hope you’re doing good.
First of all, thank you so much for quite elaborating details on all sorts of queries. It is very helpful in many ways.
My name is Faijahmad MULLA, I completed my Diploma in French pastry arts at Ecole Ducasse in August 2023. After I also did my internship and worked in France for 4 and a half months. And my student resistance permit was valid only till 1st January 2024. (total of 11 months from the beginning) Now that I am in India, and have found a job in France I want to know if I can apply for ‘The APS Master or CdS RECE‘ and if yes what would be the procedures. I tried to find the answers but no one has gone through the same procedures before.
Your valuable response would be highly appreciated. Please let me know in your own time.
Thanks again, I hope this message finds you well and have a nice day.
Bien cordialement,
Faijahmad MULLA.
Mars 08, 2024.
Hello Faijahmad,
I am good and i hope its the same with you.
Unfortunately, you are nit eligible for the “Job search or Business Creation’ visa because the minimum requirements is a masters degree. You can refer this article for more details.
In your case, your employer has to apply for your Work permit and only then you can apply for Salary visa. You can find an example here https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/02/salary-visa-application-experience-vfs-bengaluru-april-2023/
All the best
Hey Prasanth,
Thank you so much for this information. I am sure this might help me to ease my visa process. Have a nice day.
Faijahmad MULLA.
Hello Prasanth
Thanks for this information.
I am currently not in France and I’m within the 4 year window to apply for APS.
I have a couple of questions:
1 – as someone that’s left France, is it possible to get APS for 1 year that can be renewed for another year?
2 – as someone that’s planning to apply for APS outside of France, how do I get a copy of a French address proof? A hotel/airbnb booking works, or can it be a letter from a friend willing to host me?
Belle journée
Hello Shreeraj,
The article already explains these topics in detail.
1. Irrespective of the place of the application, Indians can renew their APS for their 2nd year.
2. Attestation d’hebergement from your friend.
Hi Prasanth,
Thank you for this post—very helpful as always! I have a question regarding the renewal of my APS. I’m currently in the first year of my APS, which ends in mid-April 2025. When applying for the renewal, would you recommend starting the process three months before the expiry date (i.e., January 2025) to contact the prefecture and secure an appointment?
I also heard from a friend that for their APS renewal, they simply visited the prefecture the day after their first APS expired, brought along their documents, and were issued the new APS on the spot. Does the process differ from prefecture to prefecture, and when would you suggest it’s ideal to start the renewal process?
Thank you in advance for your advice!
Hello,
Whatever the resident permit including APS, the renewal must be submitted before the expiry of the previous one.
If you under a prefecture which requires an online application, then you must apply a lot earlier. At least 2 months before the expiry date because the renewal process can take anywhere from 2 to 6 months.
Feel free to follow your friend’s advice at your own risk. Personally, I try to follow the official guidelines & not a friend’s advice because anecdotal experiences don’t help.
Hello,
Here’s my situation:
• My student visa expired in August.
• I applied for a renewal two months ago and received a three-month prolongation, valid until November 29.
• I haven’t received another prolongation or any update on my student visa renewal.
• At the moment, I only have my expired visa, the expired prolongation, and the Confirmation du Dépôt.
• I recently received my Attestation de Diplôme this month and want to apply for the APS now.
So, am I supposed to wait for the prolongation/renewal for my applied student
Visa. As it’s mentioned in your article where it states that we cannot apply APS with expired student visa. Can u please provide more clarity on this one.
Thanks in advance!
Hello Shoaib,
You have an ongoing resident permit application. So, it’s not a problem. But they might simply close your renewal application on ANEF because you are not a student anymore.
Apply for the APS asap (read today). Everyday you keep waiting, you will be complicating your situation a lot more & reach the point of receiving an OQTF letter asking you to leave France. If this happens, any chances of getting another Schengen visa will go down the drain, because you would have officially demonstrated that you don’t respect the local immigration laws.
You should have submitted an application already & you are already very late.