Assistance and steps for settling in France

Before confirming your mobility project, you must prepare a realistic and accurate budget of your expenses and financial resources for your entire stay in France.

Please note: plan a higher budget for your installation costs during the first month.

Reminder: if you are a national of a non-EU country, you must have a minimum amount of financial resources for the entire duration of your stay in France. You will be required to provide proof of your financial resources when applying for your visa and later for your residence permit throughout your studies.

To find out more, please read our articles on:

• Planning and managing your budget
• Taking part in our webinars or consulting our information materials

This step should be started as soon as you receive your confirmation of admission.

Before the start of the academic year, due to the large number of students in Lorraine, around 60,000, accommodation is booked very quickly, especially during the summer.

In addition, if you are a student from a non-European Union country, proof of accommodation (a “justificatif de domicile” or “attestation d’hébergement”) is required to obtain your visa.

In France, universities do not provide student accommodation. Student housing is managed by another organisation, the CROUS.

However, Université de Lorraine offers support for finding accommodation, in particular by sharing information and through partnerships.

To find out more, please read our articles on:

• Finding accommodation
• Taking part in our webinars or consulting our information materials

This step must be completed at the same time as booking your accommodation, as some documents are required to secure your housing before your arrival.

In some cases, these documents will also be requested by landlords in order to receive the keys to your accommodation.

To confirm your accommodation booking, organisations or landlords will ask for:

• a guarantor or a deposit,
• housing insurance and civil liability insurance,
• a credit card to pay the first fees before or upon your arrival.

To find out more, please read our articles on:

• Finding accommodation
• Compulsory insurances in France
• Taking part in our webinars or consulting our information materials

If you are not a national of a European Union country, you must apply for a visa at least two months before your arrival in France. Before starting any procedure, check on France-Visa whether you need to apply for a visa.

You must submit your application through France-Visa as soon as you receive your admission certificate from Université de Lorraine. The French Consulate or Embassy in your country will handle your application.

To find out more, please read our article on The visa.

If you are a national of a non-EU country but already live in a European Union country, you must check the entry procedures for France on France-Visa.

Please note: a residence permit issued by another European Union country does not allow you to stay in France for more than three months, and only as a visitor. This status does not give you the right to work, access health coverage, or receive social benefits.

Therefore if:

• you are a national of a non-EU country,
• you already live in a European Union country,
• and you hold a residence permit issued as “Student in a mobility programme” by that country,

the entry procedures for France are specific.
To find out more, please read our article on Coming to France with a “Student – mobility program” residence permit delivered by another European Union (EU) country.

This step only concerns students who are citizens of a European Union country or who already live in a European Union country and are covered by that country’s health insurance system.

You must apply for the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from your national health insurance organization. This card allows you to receive healthcare in France and means you do not need to register for French Health Insurance.

To find out more, please read our article on Health Insurance.

After your arrival in France, you will need to complete several procedures with the French authorities. They will ask you to provide documents that we recommend you bring with you to make these procedures easier. Some documents must be translated by a certified translator.

To find out more, please read our articles on:

• Essential documents
• Translating your administrative documents

Some banks require a student card or a certificate of enrolment to open a bank account. In this case, you must be enrolled at the university before opening a bank account.

Other banks accept an admission letter or an admission notification from Université de Lorraine.

For your procedures with the French authorities, you need a bank account based in a European Union country, for example to register for Health Insurance or to apply for housing assistance.

To find out more, please read our article on Opening a bank account.

Please note: these steps only concern students who are nationals of countries outside the European Union.

These steps must be completed quickly after your arrival in France.

The validation of your VLS-TS visa must be done within 3 months. This step is mandatory to stay legally in France, register for Health Insurance, apply for financial housing assistance, etc.

If you do not validate your VLS-TS visa or apply for a residence permit within 3 months after your arrival, you may be considered as staying illegally in France and it will be very difficult to apply for a residence permit later.

To find out more, please read our articles on:

• Validating a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS)
• Residence permits for students

Please note: this step only concerns students who are nationals of countries outside the EU, EU students without a European Health Insurance Card, or EU students staying in France for more than one year.

In France, Health Insurance, also called Social Security, Assurance Maladie is mandatory and free for students. It covers part of your healthcare costs.

If this step applies to you, you must register for Health Insurance after completing your administrative registration at the university.

To find out more, please read our article on Health Insurance.

Health Insurance does not cover all healthcare costs.

Complementary health insurance, also called a mutuelle, helps cover part of the remaining costs.

It is not mandatory, but it is strongly recommended, as the costs you may have to pay yourself in case of specialist consultations or hospitalization can quickly become very high (for example, more than €1,000 for one night in a hospital).

To find out more, please read our article on Complementary or mutual health insurance.

To help you pay your rent, you may, under certain conditions, apply for housing benefits provided by the CAF.

Please note: From 1 July 2026, the following students will be eligible for housing benefits (APL):

• students who are nationals of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) country
• students who are nationals of a non-EU or non-EEA country and who receive a French government scholarship

If you are a national of a non-EU or non-EEA country and do not receive a French government scholarship, you will no longer be eligible for APL from 1 July 2026.

To find out more, please read our article on Housing assistance provided by the family allowances fund (CAF).