Students in one of the following situations must file their residence permit request in the three months following their arrival in France : (or as soon as they turn 18 year old for the visa “mineur scolarisé”)
- Algerian nationals holding a long-stay visa with the mention « étudiant » (“student”) ;
- holders of a long-stay visa with the mention « étudiant – programme de mobilité » (student-mobility);
- holders of a short-stay student visa marked « étudiant concours » (competitive examination student) having passed the examination for which the visa was issued;
- Holders of student visa for schooled minors « mineur scolarisé »
For Algerian nationals holding a long stay « étudiant » (student) visa and for holders of a « étudiant – mobilité » visa, the residence permit file is to be submitted online on the ANEF website.
For holders of a short stay « étudiant concours » visa or « mineur scolarisé », the residence permit file is to be submitted at the prefecture of the student’s place of residence. Students must follow the information found on their prefecture’s website or contact the prefecture through the contact form by specifying which visa is held in order to request an appointment to submit the student file. For students with these visas living in Paris, you must request an appointment with the Préfecture de Police de Paris by contacting them through the contact form. All information from the parisian préfecture about students living in Paris is here.
Holders of a « mineur scolarisé » visa (student visa for minors) must submit their residence permit request within two months after turning 18 years old.
It is recommended to look for information about the procedure upon your arrival by contacting your school or acc&ss Paris Centre or by emailing your prefecture.
PROCEDURE AND DOCUMENTS TO BE SUBMITTED to apply for a first « étudiant » residence card
For the on line deposit, you will provide e-photo, and for the deposit of a paper application at the préfecture you will give 3 recent passport photographs (35 mm x 45 mm format) . Watch out : e-photos are valid for 6 months only.
Documents to be submitted
- Long-stay visa marked « étudiant » or « mineur scolarisé » , or short-stay visa marked « étudiant concours » along with the embassy certificate indicating the choice of schools and the certificate indicating the successful completion of the examination for which the visa was issued ;
- Passport (pages related to identity information, validity dates and entry stamps);
- Birth certificate indicating filiation or full copy of birth certificate;
- Recent proof of address (less than 6 months):
- if tenant: electricity bill (or gas, water, landline telephone or Internet service bill) or rental lease agreement less than 6 months old or rent receipt or housing tax statement;
- if staying in a hotel: hotel certificate and bill;
- if staying at someone’s house: dated and signed statement from the host, copy of his/her identity card or residence card, deed of ownership (or the host’s statement of residence tax or copy of the rental lease agreement or the host’s electricity, gas, water, landline telephone or Internet service bill). A sample of a housing certificate from a host (“attestation d’hébergement”) can be found here.
- e-photo (for online deposit). Compatible Photomatons can be identified by a blue sticker that indicates “Agréé services en ligne ANTS “. or 3 recent passport photographs for deposit of a paper application at the préfecture (35 mm x 45 mm format) ;
- Final proof of enrolment (for the coming school year issued by the French educational institution), called « certificat de scolarité » . A pre-registration certificate will not allow a residence permit to be issued. The final certificate must mention the study level and must be written or translated in French. This document is essential in the residence permit request procedure. Online courses and courses taken as a free auditor does not allow to obtain a student residence permit.
- If the student is carrying out an internship: « convention de stage » (internship agreement) in addition to school or university proof of enrolment
- Justificatifs de moyens suffisants d’existence : les ressources financières doivent être au moins égales à 615€ par mois. Vous pouvez cumuler plusieurs types de ressources afin d’atteindre le seuil minimum requis. Dans ce cas fournissez tous les justificatifs correspondants dans chaque rubrique. L’allocation logement est prise en compte dans les ressources. L’hébergement à titre gratuit est pris en compte comme un avantage en nature et permet d’abaisser le seuil des 615 € mensuels. Justificatifs de ressources possibles :
- If in the care of a third person: Third party identification card and either bank statements of regular transfers in French mentioning the amount in euros or sworn statement in French of sums needed to complete the required amount if resources are provided by a third party mentioning the amount in euros.
- If student has a scholarship: scholarship certificate written in French specifying the amount in euros and the duration of the scholarship.
- If the student with a working contract: contract and the last 3 pay slips
- If sufficient means: bank statement in French and in euros with sufficient credit balance (minimum €6000).
- New in July 2024 : Agreement to the commitment to respect the principles of the Republic (Contrat d’engagement à respecter les principes de la République française), completed and signed (contract in French). Signing this agreement is mandatory (subject to exceptions). This contract has to be uploaded online when reaching the stage “supporting documents” (Justificatifs) in the section “proof of address” (Justificatifs de domicile). More information and a sample of the agreement can be found here.
Important note about the list of documents : in most cases, these documents are sufficient but it may happen that the prefecture requests additional documents before validating the request, to check a particular situation. If so, any additional documents requested should be provided on time.
Quick tip : The applicant can benefit from the support of the Centre de Contact Citoyen (CCC) who can be contacted by phone at 0 806 001 620 or by using the contact form built into the ANEF website. It is advised to contact the CCC in writing in order to keep track of the administration’s answers.
AFTER SUBMITTING THE APPLICATION
Once the student submit their application, a « confirmation de dépôt » is issued on the ANEF account. It is a confirmation that your request has been filed.
The student then receives an « attestation de prolongation d’instruction » during the process of the residence permit request. During the procedure, this « attestation de prolongation d’instruction » does not allow the student to work or to come back in France without a visa after leaving the country.
Additional information or document might be requested by the prefecture. The student must reply within the specific deadline or your application will automatically be closed. If you do not have the requested document, answer the request with a brief letter and any possible proof (for example the date of registration at the university that will allow you to obtain your school certificate)
Once the application is approved by the prefecture, an « attestation de décision favorable » is issued. This document indicates the validity period of the residence permit to be issued.
All these documents can downloaded from the student’s ANEF account.
The student receives a text message on their phone once the residence card is ready to be collected at the prefecture. The residence card must be collected before it expires or the student will not be able to renew their residence permit. In most prefecture, it is necessary to make an appointment on the prefecture’s website in order to collect your residence permit. At this appointment, the original of the passport and a €75 printed tax stamp will be requested.
Purchase of tax stamp
Tax stamps can be bought on the tax department’s website.
There is no need to buy a tax stamp (timbre fiscal) when you submit your residence permit request with an appointment at the préfecture (the stamp may be expired before being used) because it will only be requested when you obtain your residence card. Thus, you can purchase it just before going to get your residence card at the police prefecture.
Quick tip : if the student has not received a text message within 2 months after the « attestation de decision favorable » was issued, he/she can write to the prefecture to ask if the residence permit is ready to be collected and/or make an appointment to collect it.
What’s next? How to extend your stay in France
Students wishing to stay in France beyond the expiry date of their residence permit must apply for a renewal between 4 and 2 months (which means between 120 and 60 days) before the expiry date of the residence card.
Information about the e-photos
Only professional photographers and approved photo booths such as Photomatons can provide photographs and a digital signature that are compatible with the visa request teleservice. They can be identified by a blue sticker that indicates “Agréé services en ligne ANTS “ (“Online approval services from the French National Agency for Secure Documents”).
Once you have taken your photo, you will be asked to sign using a stylus on a tablet or touch screen. It is important to use your real signature and not just a period or symbol in order for your residence permit to be produced.
- Your photos will be printed in the same way as they are for a normal photo. .
- You will also receive an individualised 22-number code. When you are filling out your online residence permit request form on the ANEF website, you need just indicate this number in order to link it to the photo and the digital signature.
It is advisable to wait 24-48 hours before using the code or to renew your attempt in case of any problem with this code. If it is not recognized after 2 days, you must contact the technical service of the photobooth (contact details indicated on your documents).