Visa / residence permit?
Visa and residence permit are two different notions:
- A visa gives you the right to enter France
- A residence permit gives you the right to stay in France
STUDENT
RESIDENCE PERMIT
IF YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF A EUROPEAN UNION (EU) MEMBER STATE
You do not need a residence permit for a period of studies in France.
IF YOU ARE A CITIZEN OF A NON-EU COUNTRY
The residence permit is mandatory.
Once you are in France, depending on the type of visa you have been issued, you must carry out residence formalities in order to be authorized to live in the country as a student.
IF YOU HAVE A “STUDENT” RESIDENCE CARD DELIVERED IN THE CONTEXT OF A MOBILITY PROGRAM BY ANOTHER EUROPEAN UNION (EU) STATE
Visas entitling you to a residence permit
- Visa D – long stay – marked “card to request within 2 months” or “C. SEJ. A SOLLIC.”
- Visa C – short stay – marked “competitive exam” OR “Visa concours” provided you have passed the exam for which the visa was delivered.
- Visa D – long stay – marked “school-going minor” OR “Mineur Scol.” once you have reached the age of majority (18 years old).
Important: If you arrived in France with a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS), you do not have to request a residence permit but you must validate your visa in order to give it full residence permit value.
Requesting a residence permit
You must submit a request for a residence permit between 4 and 2 months before the expiry of:
- your entry visa to France, for a first request for a residence permit
- your current residence permit, for a renewal request
Important!
Be sure to comply with the submission deadline. Without a valid residence permit, you will be in France illegally and will not be able to:
- benefit from health insurance or CAF housing assistance
- work part-time as a student
- carry out an internship in a company or a work-study contract
- cross Schengen area borders again if you leave it, unless you reapply for a visa
To apply for a residence permit, you must:
- be registered in a French higher education institution
- SPECIAL CASE: for renewals that must be submitted before the registration period, a sworn statement indicating that registration is not yet open, with an undertaking to send the registration proof as soon as it is obtained OR a statement from the training department or school authorising registration for the next academic year, depending on exam results.
- have accommodation in France
- have at least 615 euros per month in financial resources (apart from CAF housing assistance)
- be able to prove the effectiveness and seriousness of your studies (transcripts, certificate of attendance)
/!\ Please note that:
Since July 17, 2024, any foreigner applying for a residence permit in France must sign a Contrat d’engagement (commitment contract) to respect the principles of the French Republic.
These principles include: personal freedom, freedom of expression and conscience, equality between men and women, human dignity, the motto and symbols of the French Republic, the territorial integrity of France and secularism.
Before submitting your residence permit application, you must first of all remember to:
• download this commitment contract here
• read it carefully
• sign it and attach it to your application for a residence permit. For applications submitted on the ANEF online platform, you can, for example, upload this signed contract at the same time as your proof of address.
If you do not sign this contract: your application will be considered incomplete and your residence permit application will not be successful!
You cannot apply for a residence permit online if you have a:
- “competitive exam” visa
- “school-going minor” visa
- residence permit that expired more than 9 months ago
In all these cases, contact us: drie-info-contact@univ-lorraine.fr
Steps in the residence permit application procedure
The time taken to process an application for a residence permit varies from one Prefecture to another.
- First, the Prefecture will issue you a “certificate of extension of instruction” or “attestation de prolongation d’instruction” (ADP) of your residence permit request (1).
- When the Prefecture has examined your application, it will issue you a “certificate of decision” or “attestation de décision” (2).
- At last, if the decision is favorable, it will issue you a “residence permit” (3) valid for a year or longer, depending on your personal situation and the degree you are preparing.
Documents dElivERED BY YOUR PrEfecture OF rEsidence AT EACH STEP OF THE procEdure
Attestation de prolongation d’instruction de demande de titre de séjour (ADP) (1)
This is a provisional document delivered by your Prefecture of residence when your residence permit request file is complete and has been examined. It is usually valid for 3 months.
- Case of a first request : unless otherwise stated on the ADP, it does not entitle you to health insurance or housing assistance, or to work (unless you have obtained a work permit) or cross Schengen area borders (if you leave the territory, you will have to request a “return” visa at the French consulate before coming back to France).
- Case of a renewal : the ADP is only valid if accompanied by the previous residence permit (Residence Card or VLS-TS), even if it has expired. The ADP enables you to keep all the rights for which the previous residence permit entitled you to within the validity period of your ADP (health insurance, housing assistance, work part-time as a student, travel in and entry to the Schengen area at whatever entry point).
All this information is clearly stated on the ADP
Attestation de décision (2)
If it is “favorable”, this certificate is issued to you while you wait for your residence permit to be produced. Meanwhile, the certificate entitles you to health insurance, housing assistance and to work part-time as a student, and authorizes you to cross Schengen area borders.
Residence Permit (3)
This is a residence card delivered by the Prefecture when your residence permit request has been accepted. It is valid for 1 or more years (except for Algerian citizens). Its duration depends on your personal situation and level of studies.
Consult:
- Tutorial: Submitting a request for a residence permit online (Campus France)
- How to renew your residence permit (titre de séjour) (Campus France)
Important!
- Be sure to always check the validity dates of your documents (passport, ADP, attestation de décision favorable and residence permit) before travelling
- Never book plane or train tickets before you have obtained your residence documents
WORKING IN FRANCE AFTER YOUR STUDIES: applying for a “JOB-SEEKING OR BUSINESS CREATION” RESIDENCE PERMIT (CARTE DE SEJOUR “RECHERCHE D’EMPLOI / CREATION D’ENTREPRISE”) OR CHANGE OF STATUS ON YOUR CURRENT RESIDENCE PERMIT
This content may also interest you
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Validating a long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS)
You’ve arrived in France with a VLS-TS, within the 3 months following your arrival, you must validate your visa in order to give it the full value of a residence permit.
Read more -
The visa
– A visa : gives you the right to enter France. It is delivered by the French Consulate in your usual country of residence.
Read more
– A residence permit : gives you the right to stay in France. It is delivered by the Prefecture of your place of residence in France.
