International

Residence permit and insurance

The short-stay visa (visa court séjour) or short-stay Schengen visa allows foreign students to stay in France during its period of validity. This visa is valid for one or more visits to France.

The long-stay “student” visa (visa long séjour “étudiant”) allows the holder to obtain a residence permit, if and only if it states the following: "titre de séjour à solliciter dès l’arrivée en France” (residence permit to be requested on arrival in France). In this scenario, the student has two months starting from his or her date of arrival in France to start the residence permit application procedure at the Prefecture of his or her place of residence.
Any long-stay "student" visas without this wording do not allow the holder to obtain a residence permit.

The “competitive entrance examination” visas (visa concours) are valid for a set length of time so that a student can come to France to take a competitive entrance examination for a course or school. Subject to passing the competitive examination, these visas enable students to carry out their administrative procedures without having to return to their countries of origin. 

The “temporary” student residence permit (titre de séjour temporaire):

This residence permit is valid for a year (the academic year for students) and may be renewed depending on the length of the student's course. It is not possible to obtain a residence permit for a stay in France of less than three months.

Applications must be made to the Prefecture of the student’s place of residence (picking-up and handing-in of application).

For students staying in the Essonne (91) département, application forms can be obtained from the Direction for International Development and handed back to be send with all the students’ applications to the Préfecture de l’Essonne together.

The following documents are required for the residence permit application:

• Copy of a valid passport (copy of the page with the photo, identity information and expiry date) and visa (when applying for a residence permit for the first time) or residence permit (for renewals). 
• Certificate of registration or pre-registration
• Proof of address: MAISEL (student hall of residence) proof of address certificate or a proof of address certificate for any student staying with a third party with a copy of the host’s identity document and proof of address.
• Certificate proving membership of the student social security scheme.
• Proof of income: for grant-holders, grant certificate from the body paying the grant, for other students, guarantors’ certificate (parents, friends – pay slips) with proof of income in the name of the guarantor. 
• A RIB (Relevé d’Identité Bancaire – bank account details): students must open a bank account in France.
• Three colour or black and white passport photos: photos that are scanned, photocopied or do not respect the legal standards will be rejected.
• When applying for the first time, your birth certificate.

When applying for the first time:

You must undergo a compulsory medical check before obtaining your residence permit.
Students must pay OMI tax of €55 (can be paid in bars / tobacconists / newsagents).

Students who have not undergone the medical check or have not paid the OMI tax will not be allowed to renew their residence permit.

Practical information

For students living in Paris

Students from European Union, European Economic Area, and Swiss Confederation domiciled in Paris.

Other foreign students.

For students living in the Paris Region:

Contact the Prefecture of the french "Département"

Val de Marne

Essonne

Hauts de Seine

Seine Saint Denis

Yvelines

Val d'OIse

Seine et Marne

For any additional information : Your contact at Telecom SudParis.