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French Polynesia (French overseas collectivity) · work sponsored

Temporary-Mission Work Authorisation in French Polynesia

By · Last reviewed:

Guidance updated 14 November 2026. Full-review date shown above.

Separate work permission for an overseas employer temporary assignment, including the short-mission form and specific teaching/research branch.

Requires sponsorshipDoes not lead to permanent residencyMT1 covers at most 15 days, non-renewable. The longer ordinary mission is non-renewable: the web page says more than 15 days and less than six months, while the current ZIP checklist says a maximum of six months. Confirm the exact six-month boundary with SEFI. A separate MT3 authorisation can last 12 months and be renewed only for higher education or research. None of these periods itself determines visa validity or grants permanent residence.In flux
Processing time
Arrange the required prior work authorisation through SEFI before the assignment starts. Its published average two-month work-permit handling is indicative, not a verified expedited MT1 service or a visa-processing promise. Confirm the actual mission timetable, exact duration category and applicable exemption before travel. For stays requiring local residence, coordinate the separate High Commission process and its published timing discrepancies.
Government fees
The inspected temporary-mission pack does not establish a current application fee or certify a free service. Confirm any SEFI charge separately from visa, residence, translations and professional-registration costs. The applicable short- or long-stay visa depends on nationality, existing status, purpose and mission length; EUR 99 is the standard long-stay consular fee only where that category is required and payable.
Typical duration
MT1 covers at most 15 days, non-renewable. The longer ordinary mission is non-renewable: the web page says more than 15 days and less than six months, while the current ZIP checklist says a maximum of six months. Confirm the exact six-month boundary with SEFI. A separate MT3 authorisation can last 12 months and be renewed only for higher education or research. None of these periods itself determines visa validity or grants permanent residence.
Sponsorship required
Yes
Leads to permanent residency
No
Reviewed Service de l emploi / Government of French Polynesia ↗

In short

Separate work permission for an overseas employer temporary assignment, including the short-mission form and specific teaching/research branch. Guidance updated 14 November 2026. Costs, application stages and eligibility conditions are set out with their sources below.

Cite this: https://visaatlas.org/visas/french-polynesia/temporary-mission-work-authorisation#answer

What is the Temporary-Mission Work Authorisation in French Polynesia in French Polynesia (French overseas collectivity)?

Temporary-Mission Work Authorisation in French Polynesia is a sponsor-led French Polynesia route. Indicative government fees are The inspected temporary-mission pack does not establish a current application fee or certify a free service. Confirm any SEFI charge separately from visa, residence, translations and professional-registration costs. The applicable short- or long-stay visa depends on nationality, existing status, purpose and mission length; EUR 99 is the standard long-stay consular fee only where that category is required and payable; indicative processing time is Arrange the required prior work authorisation through SEFI before the assignment starts. Its published average two-month work-permit handling is indicative, not a verified expedited MT1 service or a visa-processing promise. Confirm the actual mission timetable, exact duration category and applicable exemption before travel. For stays requiring local residence, coordinate the separate High Commission process and its published timing discrepancies; typical duration is MT1 covers at most 15 days, non-renewable. The longer ordinary mission is non-renewable: the web page says more than 15 days and less than six months, while the current ZIP checklist says a maximum of six months. Confirm the exact six-month boundary with SEFI. A separate MT3 authorisation can last 12 months and be renewed only for higher education or research. None of these periods itself determines visa validity or grants permanent residence. This route does not lead to permanent residence.

Primary guidance checked with Service de l emploi / Government of French Polynesia on 14 November 2026.

Overview

SEFI publishes a temporary-mission procedure for a foreign employee sent by an employer established outside French Polynesia. The employee remains paid by that employer, with local host and mission evidence. This existing permission is newly covered in this catalogue; it is not a newly enacted visa. The current mission checklist expressly recognises limited Lp.5321-2 exemptions for specified activities lasting less than three months. A short visit, EU nationality or family relationship is not by itself a general work-permit exemption. Confirm the actual statutory activity and any remaining entry, residence or professional-registration duties with SEFI before relying on an exemption.

Additional sources

Eligibility

Typical criteria

Common blockers

Typical evidence

  • ·MT1: completed, dated and signed form, passport copy and one photograph. It records purpose, exact locations and dates, worker details, local host registration/contact information and overseas-employer details, with the host undertaking about overseas remuneration and equivalent conditions.Service de l emploi / Government of French Polynesia ↗
  • ·MT2 and MT3: original motivated letter to the Employment Minister giving worker identity/birth/nationality/address/function, sending-employer and host details, reasons/nature/duration and continued overseas pay with equivalent conditions; passport copy and two recent passport photographs.Service de l emploi / Government of French Polynesia ↗
  • ·Separate entry/status and residence documents where required, and any authorisation or registration for a regulated profession; confirm the actual list rather than substituting the 15-day form for every longer assignment.Service de l emploi / Government of French Polynesia ↗

Application pathway

  1. Check the route fit

    Ask SEFI to establish the precise mission branch or statutory exemption, including any six-month boundary issue.

  2. Build the evidence pack

    Have the overseas employer and local host prepare the correct form/letter, identity, assignment and remuneration evidence.

  3. Submit through the official channel

    Obtain the required prior work approval and the separate entry/residence permissions applicable to the actual stay.

  4. After approval

    Work only within the authorised mission and dates; assess any further assignment or teaching/research renewal before the permission expires.

After approval: prepare for your next step

For Temporary-Mission Work Authorisation in French Polynesia, use the actual decision and the issuing authority’s instructions to establish what has been granted. A successful application, permission to enter, permission to work and a residence document are not interchangeable.

  1. 1. Check the decision. Confirm the name, passport, status granted, start date and any next action. Resolve an error with the authority before relying on the document for travel or employment.
  2. 2. Establish the travel step. Read any entry window, activation, collection or in-country registration instruction. For an extension or change of status, do not assume leaving the country is required or safe while a further step remains pending.
  3. 3. Confirm what you may do. Agree the lawful start date and onboarding with the employer or sponsor. Check whether the permission names an employer, role or activity before changing the arrangement.
  4. 4. Organise the household. Check each accompanying person’s permission separately, then arrange healthcare, accommodation, access to money and the relevant local registrations. A tax number or bank account does not by itself prove a right to work.
  5. 5. Keep the ongoing conditions visible. Record the actual expiry, renewal process, permitted absences and any duty to report changes. An initial grant does not automatically establish permanent residence or citizenship.
Official Temporary-Mission Work Authorisation in French Polynesia instructionsBuild my moving plan for this routeMoving to French Polynesia

Official application links

Where to actually go next

Government links only

These are the official pages to use for this route. Open them before preparing documents: the forms, fees, appointment systems, and sponsor steps can change without warning.

  1. Official guidanceEmployer
    Read the current mission categories ↗

    Confirm the duration, exemption and employment conditions.

    Service de l emploi / Government of French Polynesia · verified

  2. ChecklistEmployer
    Download the mission application pack ↗

    Use the working May 2025 ZIP linked from the downloads page.

    Service de l emploi / Government of French Polynesia · verified

  3. ChecklistApplicant
    Check separate visa requirements ↗

    Use the actual destination, nationality and mission purpose.

    France-Visas / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs · verified

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Frequently asked questions

Is a 15-day work mission automatically visa-free?+

No. The 15-day limit describes a work-authorisation procedure. Entry visa exemptions depend on separate nationality and status rules.

Can an ordinary six-month mission be renewed?+

The current ordinary mission guidance says non-renewable. Only the specified higher-education/research branch is described as a renewable 12-month authorisation. The exact ordinary six-month boundary differs between the web page and checklist and needs confirmation.

Need tailored advice?

We do not provide legal advice. For an application that depends on your exact circumstances, consult a regulator-listed immigration advisor.

Find a regulated advisor in French Polynesia

How we verified this

We check every figure on this page against the primary government source, record the date it was last checked, and re-check it on a regular schedule. Rules change, so always confirm time-sensitive details with the official source before you rely on them. Visa Atlas is an information-only publication and does not give legal advice.

Primary source: Service de l emploi / Government of French Polynesia

Last checked: 14 November 2026

See the full evidence trail and methodology

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