Student visa or residence permit (visa ou titre de séjour étudiant)

If you are a foreign national who wants to study in France, you normally first need a student long-stay visa (visa de long séjour) valid as a residence permit (titre de séjour). After 1 year, you can request a student residence card. Your application route depends on your situation; check France-visas before starting a visa application.

Steps

You are applying for a visa: other cases

1. Check France-visas for your application procedure and document list before starting.
2. If you are a national of one of the 72 countries concerned, apply through Études en France when you pre-register online for higher education in France; otherwise, apply through France-Visas.
3. Validate your VLS-TS online within 3 months of arriving in France and pay the 100 € tax, in addition to the visa fees.

You entered France legally with a student entrance-exam short-stay visa and passed the entrance exam

1. Apply directly for a student residence permit (titre de séjour) at the préfecture.

You entered France legally, attended school in France since at least age 16 and are continuing into higher education

1. Apply directly for a student residence permit (titre de séjour) at the préfecture.

After 1 year in France

1. Apply for your student residence permit (titre de séjour) online only.
2. Use the online service to track your application, answer requests for further information and read decisions.
3. You may need to attend the préfecture for fingerprints if these have not already been taken.
4. Pay the 100 € tax and stamp duty using timbre fiscal tax stamps.
5. If your application is accepted, attend your appointment at the préfecture to receive your permit.

Documents to bring

Renewing your student residence permit (titre de séjour)

You request a multi-year student residence card (carte de séjour pluriannuelle)

Key facts

• Your student VLS-TS is valid for 4 months to 1 year.
• Your student card is valid for 1 year and can be renewed.
• For a multi-year student permit, you pay 150 € (100 € tax + 50 € stamp duty) using timbre fiscal tax stamps.
• If you apply late for renewal, you must also pay a 180 € regularisation visa fee, except in cases of force majeure or if you present a valid visa.
• If the préfecture does not reply within 90 days, your application is implicitly refused.

When to renew

• Apply online between 4 months and 2 months before your current visa or residence document expires.

Renewal planner · the end date of your permit gives the filing window