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France - Student Visas

International Education, Semester Abroad

The information below, under "REQUIREMENTS: STUDENT VISAS," was obtained from the Visa page on the web site of the French Consulate in Washington, D.C. The information was current as of June 16, 2004. It is provided here for your convenience. Comments inserted in the text by R-MC's Office of International Education are enclosed in brackets [like this]. Throughout this web page, "the Consulate" refers to the French Consulate in Washington, D.C. If you must apply for a student visa at a different French Consulate, consulte the visa application requirements provided by that Consulate.

• NOTE: There is no application form used solely for student visas. To apply for a student visa, U.S. citizens must complete the long stay visa application form. However, students should follow the requirements for a "student visa" (as listed on the Consulate's web site), not the requirements for a "long stay visa (general case)." Also, the long stay visa application form is called the "Application for a long stay visa (formulaire long s�jour)" on the Consulate's DOWNLOAD CENTER FOR THE VISAS web page.

• UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION: Students should consult the web site of the Consulat Général de France (located at the same address as the French Embassy in the United States) or the Consulate where they will apply for their visa (if other than the Embassy/Consulate in Washington, D.C., see below) for up-to-date information about how to apply for a student visa. Do not rely solely on the information on this web page, as visa application requirements can change without advance notice.

• HOLIDAY CLOSINGS: Check with the Consulate where you will apply for your visa to make sure it will be open the day you plan to go. The Consualte in Washington, D.C. maintains a web page that lists the holidays on which it is closed.

WHO NEEDS A STUDENT VISA? You must obtain a student visa if you plan to enroll in a French university. This includes students who participate in our semester abroad programs in Paris or Nice. Visas are not required of students who participate in one of Randolph-Macon's J-term study/travel courses to France.

WHERE DO I APPLY FOR MY VISA? American citizens must apply for a student visa at the French Consulate that serves their state of residence. The Consulat Général de France office in Washington, D.C. has jurisdiction over:

Delaware
Maryland
Pennsylvania
Virginia
Washington, D.C.
West Virginia

If your residence is in one of the jurisdictions listed above, you should apply for a student visa through the Consulate in Washington, D.C. The Visas Office is located at 4101 Reservoir Rd., NW, Washington, D.C. 20007-2185. Open to the public from 8:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on weekdays. You are advised to verify these times before you go. Fax: (202) 944-6212. Telephone: (202) 944-6200 (recorded information/answering machine). An executive answers your calls from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays.

If your residence is in another state or territory, you should apply for a student visa through the Consulate office that has jurisdiction over your state of residence. To find the Consulate that serves your states, consult the list of French Consulates in the U.S. or the map of the U.S. showing the different regions serrved by each Consulate.

FORMS: Many of the forms needed to apply for a French visa are available from the Consulate's web site, on the DOWNLOAD CENTER FOR THE VISAS web page, where the long term visa application form is called "Application for a long stay visa (formulaire long s�jour)". The forms are in Adobe format.

FEES: The Consulate's web site includes a list of visa fees. Scroll down to the bottom and see the row labeled "Long s�jour ETUDIANTS (plus de 3 mois)/Long stay for STUDENTS (over 3 months)." The student visa fee, as of July 22, 2004, is $122.22. Personal checks are not accepted as payment for visa applications. See below for information about acceptable methods of payment. IMPORTANT: According to the Consulate's web site, "The processing fee may change as the result of currency fluctuation. The rate that applies is the one in vigor [that is, the one that is current] the day of the issuance of the visa. Adjustments should be taken in account." Visa fees can be verified by calling the Consulate, (202) 944-6015.

Contact Randolph-Macon's Office of International Education for more information about applying for a student visa.

REQUIREMENTS : STUDENT VISAS

Read GENERAL INFORMATION before applying [available on the Consulate's visa web page].

This procedure applies in the case of the student is over 18 years old at the date of arrival or within 3 months after the arrival in France.

1 - INFORMATION

- Apply at the appropriate consulate depending on your address in the USA (home or university). Note that the applicant should apply for the visa and should obtain it in his/her country of residence before traveling. A delay of procedure may be required.

- There are 3 kinds of student visas available, depending upon the length of studies in France as indicated in the letter of enrollment:

1 - a Schengen visa, multiple entries, for a stay up to 3 months: the student should use the short stay visa application form. The visa fee that applies is the Schengen one, but the requirements are the same as for a temporary long stay visa.

[A Schengen visa is not applicable for U.S. citizens.]

2 - the temporary long stay visa (from 3 to 6 months), multiple entries, is valid for the whole stay. The student does not need a residency card. The student [should] use the long term visa application form and refer to the student visa fee.

[Apply for a "temporary long stay visa" if you will study in France for the fall or winter semesters only. The application is available online along with an explanation of the form in English.]

3 - One year-visa (stay over 6 months): the visa is valid 3 months, 1 entry. The student should use the long term visa application form and refer to the "student" visa fee. Within this delay, and after the arrival in France, the students must complete the proper documentation with the French school or university, have to go for a medical check-up to a doctor from the Office des Migrations Internationales. Then they should contact the "Prefecture de police" in order to obtain the student residency card (carte de sejour) and present there the visa, the original documents previously required for the visa, a birth certificate and the medical results.

[Apply for a "one year-visa" if you will study in France for two semesters or more. The application is available online along with an explanation of the form in English.]

2 - REQUIREMENTS

- Passport signed and valid for a period of three months beyond the applicant's last day of stay in France.

[See R-MC's Passports web page for more information about passports.]

- 1 or 2 short stay or 2 long stay visa application forms [available online] signed and legibly filled out. Please print in black. Indicate your phone numbers and e-mail. Indicate the dates of stay. For the number of short stay application form, click here.

[Whether you will study in France for one semester or two, if you are a U.S. citizen you must submit 2 long stay visa application forms, also called "Application for a long stay visa (formulaire long s�jour)," not 1 or 2 short stay applications.]

- a passport size photograph glued on each form.

[For more information see the Passport photographs section of our Passport web page.]

- A proof of resident status in the US ( green card, valid US visa along with a copy of valid I-20 or valid I-AP66, visas...) for non US citizens.

["Proof of resident status," described above, is not required of U.S. citizens.]

- prepaid self-adressed envelope if you apply by mail. Only UPS, Express mail, Priority mail, certified mail (a registered mail) will be accepted, if not the personal appearance will be required. Note that the personal appearance is the basic rule.

- Student visa fee; payment by credit card (Visa, Mastercard) (especially for files sent by mail) or money-order made out to Consulate general of France or certified checks. Cash is accepted only if you apply in person. No personal checks. You can verify the rate on the website or by calling (202) 944-6015

[Click the "Visa, Mastercard" link to obtain a CREDIT CARD PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION FORM.]

ORIGINAL AND 1 COPY OF THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS:

- A proof of studies in the USA (letter from the school or university)

[For Randolph-Macon students, this is the "full-time student letter" provided to you by the Office of International Education.]

- A letter of admission (pre-enrollment ) from the school which the applicant plans to attend to in France.

[This is your "pre-inscription" letter from the French university.]

Financial guarantee such as a notarized statement certifying that the applicant will be provided with a monthly allowance of $ 600.00 for the duration of his/her stay in France, or a proof of personal income along with a letter from school stating that room, board, and tuition are fully prepaid (+ 1 copy). If the host provides the student with a letter attesting that the lodging will be free of charges, and a copy of his/her pictured I.D., an allowance of $400.00 will be accepted.

[A sample Financial Guarantee is available on the Consulate's DOWNLOAD CENTER FOR THE VISAS web page, in Adobe Acrobat format.]

- medical insurance :

- stay up to 6 months: when applying for a visa, the students should present a letter from their insurance company stating that the coverage is valid in France

[Click here for more information about this letter.]

- stay over 6 months: after their arrival in France, the students under 28 years old and enrolled in a French school which is affilieted to the French Social Security, must join this social security for the length of their studies. This point is verified by the Prefecture when the students apply for the residency card. The reimbursement of the medical expenses amounts to 70%. For the 30% remaining, these students have the choice to join a french student insurance OR make use of their own insurance with worldwide coverage (letter from the insurance company). However, the students over 28 years old, or enrolled in a French school which is not affiliated to the French Social Security, cannot join this social security: they must show a proof of insurance registration with a coverage valid in France when they apply for the residency card.

- IF UNDER 18 at the date of arrival or within 3 months after the arrival in France, you should add to the general required documents:

- a notarized parental authorization [available online], signed by both parents indicating the name and occupation of the person appointed as guardian of the minor for the duration of the stay.

- SCHOLARSHIPS : FRENCH GOVERNMENT, FOREIGN GOVERNMENT OR INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION SCHOLARSHIPS, AND RECIPIENTS OF AN E.U PROGRAM . A scholarship recipient only needs to present the first four items on the requirements list, plus a letter granting and indicating the amount of the scholarship and the length of stay in France. The applicant will also have to go for a medical check-up to a doctor accredited to this Consulate. The medical check up is paid by the scholarship recipient, but the visa is free of charge. To print the medical certificate form, click here.

The Consular Administration has full authority to appreciate and request more documents than those submitted by the applicant. The latter is hereby informed that submitting the aforementioned documents does not ensure automatic issuance of the visa.

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