note: updates ongoing as my settling process advances.
Before going to France from Japan
- Visa: Talent visa for researchers requires convention d'accueil from the hosting institute. Printed PDF (i.e. not the original paper copy) was accepted. This visa requires a Master or Phd degree certification as well.
- Housing: It takes some application process for Cité Universitaire. (Pasteur Institute has a partnership with Cite, which makes easier to apply apparently.)
- Convention d'accueil: This required a document that convinces the hosting institute enough to say that I was getting PhD for sure. I used an email from Graduate School that stated my defense result 'pass'.
- De-registration from Japan, so that I don't pay residence tax, health insurance, and pension while I'm away. Note that the residence tax depends on where I lived on January 1st of the year. Also, I would still pay for income tax that arises within Japan.
After arriving in France
- Apply for titre de séjour (residence permit). Better to do it as soon as possible. Before getting a favorable result (Attestation de décision favorable) that explicitly says this document allows to cross Schengen boarders, you can't go out of France and come back to France. (I'm not sure if you can within the initial three months when the initial visa is valid, but it may be risky.) Also, it is recommended to book your appointment with prefectural police to pick up the titre de sejour EVEN BEFORE you receive the notification that the titre de séjour is ready! I tried to make an appointment after I got the notification, which was about 2 months+ after I applied for the titre de séjour. However, they were fully booked for the following two months! I think the best way is to apply titre de séjour, book an appointment with police for sometime 2-3 months later. You can cancel your booking anyways. (see (*1))
(*1) I had to go to Japan after I received the "Attestation de décision favorable sue one previère Demande de title de séjour", before getting the titre de séjour (if I could book an appointment with police immediately, there wouldn't have been any concern). Although the attestation says "Ce document authorize le franchissement des frontières de l'space Schengen", I wasn't fully sure. So I contacted French embassy in Japan. They told me to make sure to have the attestation printed out with me. I flew back to France with Emirates, and they were fine with this French attestation. (phew!) Although my trip to Japan was still within my first visa for three months was valid, it looked like what convinced them was the attestation, as they asked me if I have residence permit and I showed the attestation.
- Communicate with the hosting institute about social security (mandatory) and 'mutuelle' (probably depends on the institute). It takes about 6 months to get social security card, while social security number may be given earlier. update: I got temporal social security number after 3 months! This seems to already function if you want to get reimbursed for medical fee with some manual process. I'm not sure how it works, but it looks like you don't need to pay for COVID test with this number. (*2)
(*2) optional: Assigning a personal general physician. It seems medical cost is cheaper with an assigned a personal general physician. I haven't done it yet as I'm guessing I would need my social security card.
- Open bank account (Pasteur has a partnership with BNP Paribas)
- Navigo: transportation card. many institutions reimburse for the fee.
- Numero fiscal, income tax exemption, and tax return: Tax return is around May of every year. Every resident, regardless of income status, needs to file a tax return. With numero fiscal, one can apply online, but if you don't have the number first year, you need to do it by paper documents. (*3)
(*3) optional: To avoid double taxing in France and in another country where your income is taxable, I Income tax exemption can be applied for either together with the application for the numero fiscal or first time tax return, if there's a treaty exists between the two country.
