Visa and Residence Permit

If you are an EU citizen, this process does not concern you.

Depending on your nationality, your situation and the length of your stay, you may need to obtain a visa or residence permit (titre de séjour) to study or carry out research in France, and even to return here after you graduate. You will most likely have to apply for a VLS-TS (Visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour, Long-stay visa equal to a residence permit).

For all necessary information and to find the right process for your situation, please refer to the official website for French visa applications.

If your country uses the "Études en France" procedure, your visa application must be completed on their dedicated platform. If your country does not use the "Études en France" procedure, get in contact with the French Consulate in your home country.

Important : This procedure can take several months depending on the country, so it is imperative to start the process as soon as you receive your acceptance letter.

To find out more, click on the logos in the right-hand column for pages in English with useful information.

If you have a long-stay visa (VLS-TS), you need to validate your visa online within 3 months of your arrival in France on the ANEF website. You must pay a €50 tax (known as Titre pour étranger) by means of an online tax stamp on the following link.

At the end of your first year and before the expiry date of your visa, you need to complete a residence permit application on the ANEF website. Start the renewal process 4 months at the earliest and 2 months at the latest before the expiration date of your long-stay visa (VLS-TS) in order to avoid late fees.

If you are missing certain documents to finalise your application, it is important that you still send off your application in the stated period, indicating the missing document(s) in the additional comments box and the provisional date you will be able to provide them, as well as another pertinent information.