Practical Information for International Students
Visa’s and Immigration
European Union nationals are entitled to stay in France with their valid EU identification.
All Students from outside Europe (that is, students from countries other than the 31 countries of the European Economic Zone, plus Andorra, Monaco, Switzerland, San Marino, and the Vatican) must obtain a long-term visa marked 'étudiant' if they intend to study in France for more than 6 months.
A long-stay visa is mandatory for non-EU nationals to apply for a residence permit later.
For general information on the European Union and Immigration Policy’s, please refer to the website: http://www.europa.eu
Visa requests should be made to the French consulate or embassy in your country of origin before your departure. There is a minimum 3-week waiting period.
For more information, go to :
www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/france_829/venir-france_4062/entrer-france_4063/index.html
Four very important pieces of advice:
- A tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa in France or in any other country of the European Union.
- If you plan to complete two programs in succession (such as a program in French as a foreign language, followed by an academic program), obtain admission to both programs before applying for your visa so that your visa will be valid for the duration of your period of study. French visas cannot be extended in France.
- International students of all nationalities (except EU members) residing in France for more than 3 months must obtain a student residency permit or ‘Carte de Séjour’, (distinct from a visa); within two months of their arrival in France (see below).
- A long-stay visa is mandatory for non-EU nationals to apply for a residence permit later.
Documents required when applying for a visa
- Proof of admission to an educational institution.
- Proof of financial resources for one year.
- Proof of the existence of a bank account from which funds can be transferred.
- A valid passport whose period of validity encompasses the entire length of the visa period requested.
- Depending upon the country, other documents may be required.
Residence Permit ‘Carte de Séjour’
All non EU International students who intend to study in France for more than 3 months must visit the prefecture (or government centre) for their area to obtain a temporary residency permit showing their student status. The temporary residency permit is valid until the expiration date of the applicant's passport or until the date of completion of the applicant's academic program, whichever comes first. The permit must be renewed annually.
You will need the residency permit in order to obtain housing assistance.
Students should remember to bring an ORIGINAL copy of their birth certificate, translated into French and stamped by their foreign ministry. They will need it to apply for the residence permit and social security, and it would be wise to come supplied with at least two original copies.
To obtain this permit, you must apply to Prefecture du Val de Marne
Préfecture du Val-de-Marne
21 à 29 avenue du Général de Gaulle
94011 Créteil FRANCE
Tel: 01 49 56 60 00
For further information, you can see the website: http://www.service-public.fr
Managing your Money
The official French currency is the Euro, the sole currency used for cash transactions in France.
On arrival in France, before you establish a French bank account, you should be able to pay easily with your “home” credit card if it is one of the major names like Visa and MasterCard. Major credit cards (such as Visa and MasterCard) are accepted by most merchants for payments in excess of 15 Euros. Automated teller machines (cash machines) are readily available in cities.
The French make extensive use of bank cheques. However, cheques drawn on foreign banks are rarely accepted by French merchants. Ask your bank if it is associated with a banking institution in France. The connection may make things easier when you go to open an account in France.
Students staying over three months will need a bank account to pay for essential services.A valid passport, proof of address, and residence permit for non-EU nationals are required to open a bank account.
Healthcare and Health Insurance
The French health-care system is one of the best in the world. The level of care in French hospitals is of very high quality, and universal insurance makes care available to everyone. Students, in particular, enjoy ready access to medical services and preventive care. All hospitals have an emergency room that is open 24 hours a day. Physicians and pharmacies are on call nights and weekends.
The European Health Insurance Card
Students from the EU benefit from the free movement of persons and extended social protection from their home country. EU nationals must have a European Health Insurance card(valid for 1 year) issued by the appropriate authorities of their originating country.
The European Health Insurance Card is available free of charge through your local sickness insurance institution. You should however register at the social security office near to your school so that they can refund you more quickly:
Assurance Maladie CPAM – Val du Marne
1 Avenue du Général de Gaulle
94000 Créteil
tel. 01 43 77 45 20
www.cpam94.fr
For information, please see the official EU website: http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/healthcard/index_en.htm
Non-EU nationals will automatically have to join the French social security system upon registration.
The renowned French system of health insurance reimburses a portion of participants' medical expenses in return for a mandatory annual contribution (203€ in 2011).
To be eligible for the national student health plan, students must be under 27 and enrolled in a participating institution of higher education. Students 27 and older can obtain a special health insurance from the CMU: http://www.cmu.fr
You can enroll through your school (IPSA) who will provide you with an application form when you arrive for registration. Remember you need to supply a copy of your passport and birth certificate with a French translation and a cheque for the year’s subscription (203€ in 2011).
The social security office, or ‘Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie’, will then send you a green ‘Carte Vitale’, which you should present whenever you receive medical treatment or pay for your prescriptions > http://www.ameli.fr
Complementary health insurance that covers the difference between medical costs incurred and the Social Security reimbursements is not mandatory but recommended.
Doctors, dentists and prescriptions
Visitors must pay for treatment and then apply for a refund of part of the costs from the CPAM. Ensure that the doctor or dentist you consult is ‘conventionné’, that is, they work within the French health system.
After treatment, obtain a signed statement of the treatment given (feuille de soins); you cannot claim a refund without it. You will be charged for the treatment you receive, as well as for any prescribed medicines, and the amount(s) should be shown on the feuille.
When getting prescribed medicines, the pharmacist will hand you back your prescription and you should attach it to the feuille in order to claim a refund. Medicine containers also carry detachable labels (vignettes), showing the name and price of the contents. Stick these in the appropriate place on the feuille, and sign and date the form at the end.
For a refund, go to the nearest sickness insurance office (CPAM) with the feuille de soins, any prescription and your European Health Insurance Card
The refund will be sent to your home address later, but it may be subject to a bank charge. This refund process normally takes around two months. Around 70% of standard doctors and dentists' fees are refunded, and between 35% and 65% of the cost of most, but not all, prescribed medicines.
Hospital treatment
You must pay for outpatient treatment and then claim a refund from the local CPAM Office (as above).
For in-patient treatment, the doctor you have consulted or the hospital doctor will issue you with a certificate (attestation). The hospital should then send a Notice of admission - Acceptance of Responsibility (Avis d'admission - prise en charge) form to the local sickness insurance office along with your European Health Insurance Card.
If not, you should send it yourself. If you are treated in an approved hospital, the office will pay 75% or more of the cost direct to the hospital. You pay the balance. You must also pay a fixed daily hospital charge (forfait journalier). The 25% balance and the forfait journalier are non-refundable
Accommodation and Housing Aid
Monthly average rents average 15 Euros per square meter in Paris. The supply of units in privately owned student apartment buildings is rising. These buildings offer furnished and equipped studios and shared services such as cafeterias, coin laundries, and game rooms.
The monthly rent for a studio in such a building is 550 to 700 Euros in Paris.
When you rent a unit in a private building, you will have to sign a rental agreement or lease that specifies your rights and responsibilities and those of the property owner and his agent. Before the lease is signed, you will have to prove that you have sufficient resources to pay the rent. Usually this means that your monthly income (or that of you guarantor) must be at least 3-4 times the amount of your rent.
You will also have to pay a security deposit equal to 3 months' rent. In Paris, the monthly rent varies from 650 to 1050 Euros per month, though cheaper rents can be found outside the periphery of Paris and in the IPSA area.
Often it is necessary to have a parental guarantee, if you are an international student this may be difficult, but agencies will instead accept a higher security deposit of 3-6 months rent. Alternatively, proof that you can guarantee yourself by showing you have six months rent saved in a high interest account.
Housing assistance is available to students of all nationalities who rent housing in France. The precise amount of the monthly assistance varies according to the student's income, the type of housing, and the amount of the rent.
Payments are made by local family assistance funds ‘Caisses d'Allocations Familiales’ : www.caf.fr
To cover themselves against a possible disaster, tenants are obliged to contract a comprehensive house insurance with a reliable insurance company. This document can be asked to the tenant at any time.
For a general site showing all the latest housing offered by agencies
Useful sources for private housing rental in Paris are:
- The American Church, 65 Quai d'Orsay, Paris 75007
- The American Church has a notice board updated daily with private housing offers, often for students. Some accommodation is even offered in exchange for babysitting or household work.
The FUSAC magazine, a free bi-monthly magazine for the English speaking community in Paris, available in many locations around Paris, such as English speaking pubs and cafés and at the American church.
