Student Visas in France

One thing that is vital to studying in Europe is getting a student visa. A visa is documentation which allows you to reside in a country for a set period of time, many have restrictions on what you can do as far as working or studying. This covers visas for full time university students, so on all of these visas you are allowed to attend school.In France, the university application process is heavily integrated with the student visa application process. You will apply for university via EEF (Etudes en France) and once you are admitted your Campus France USA advisor will help you apply for visas. EEF and Campus France work hand in hand with this process.

There are a few main types of student visas (4)

1. Temporary long-stay visa: (visa de long séjour temporaire pour études). This visa allows you to stay in France, if you are enrolled in full time education, for up to 6 months. Because it doesn't allow you to stay any longer, it is ideal for study abroad students NOT those who wish to complete their whole degree in France. You will not need to apply separately for a residence permit.

2. Long-stay visa: (visa de long séjour pour études or the extended-stay VLT-TS). This visa allows students to stay in France for longer than 6 months, so if you are attending a French university full time, this is the visa for you. With this visa you will be required to obtain a residence permit within 2 months of arriving in France. This visa will last the duration of your university program. **The following instructions are based on this visa**

Applying for a Long-Stay Visa (1)

1. Apply to university in France via Campus France USA and Etudes en France

2. Figure out what type of visa applicant you are (you can find this on page 8-9 of this document)

a. If you are an American student studying abroad through a US school you are a "Pre- Consular applicant" under the "SA/DD" category.

b. If you are an American student planning to study at a French institution you are candidate applicant under either the DAP or HDAP category (this is what category you put on your initial university application) depending on the level of study you wish to pursue

3. For DAP and HDAP applicants once you are admitted to a French university, your status changes to Pre-consular applicant, which allows you to move forward with the Visa application.

What does a Long-term student visa Allow You to Do (3)

1. Study full time at a French university

2. Work up to 964 hours a year (approx. 20 hours a week)

3. Extend your stay longer than the initial period granted by your residence permit (this comes in handy should you want to look for work in France after graduation)

4. Travel freely within the Schengen area (26 countries of the EU)

What you need in order to get a visa (5)

1. Your American passport, which remains valid for more than 3 months after the date your visa will be expected to expire

2. Two recent ID pictures

3. Documentation of your acceptance and admission at a French University

4. Paid fees (applying via Campus France costs $205 plus approx $60 USD for the visa)

5. Provide biometric data (finger prints)

Helpful Links/Sources

1. Campus France Etudes en France guide this covers the application processes for both university and for Visas

2. Application overview

3. More information about the VLT-TS visa

4. General student visa info

5. Visa application process via official website of France