🏠 Immigration & Studies in France

Settling in France: your administrative procedures on arrival

Arriving in France triggers a series of procedures to be completed within precise deadlines: visa validation, student contribution, social security, housing and bank account. Poorly managed timing can jeopardise your stay.

Get support on this step See the Immigration area

150€ VLS-TS validation on ANEF

~105€ CVEC compulsory before enrolment

3 months Maximum time to validate the visa

Priority procedures

Some procedures are subject to strict deadlines and must be anticipated when preparing your departure.

Validation of the VLS-TS on the administration website (ANEF) within 3 months of entering France, for a tax of about €150
Payment of the Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC), about €105, compulsory before any administrative enrolment at the university
Registration with student social security to obtain a number and then a Carte Vitale
Opening a French bank account with an RIB, needed to receive any aid
Looking for accommodation (CROUS residence, private residence, shared flat) and applying for housing aid from the CAF if eligible

Housing and CAF aid

The housing aid application can be started online as soon as the lease is signed, with a file including passport, visa or residence permit, birth certificate, enrolment certificate, rental contract and RIB. Eligibility conditions for non-European students change regularly: we check the criteria in force with you at the time you settle in.

Our support, remotely and on site

Thanks to our subsidiary based in Paris, we can concretely support you with these procedures from your arrival: booking appointments, preparing CAF and social security files, and guiding you to housing solutions suited to your budget.

Frequently asked questions

What our applicants ask us most

What happens if I do not validate my visa within 3 months?

After this deadline, your visa loses its validity as a residence permit: you lose the right to work and access to certain social benefits, with a risk of an irregular situation.

Is the CVEC refundable if I change programme?

The CVEC is due only once per academic year, regardless of the number of enrolments in the same year.

Can I work as soon as I arrive?

The right to work opens as soon as the VLS-TS is validated or the student residence permit is obtained, within the limit of 964 hours per year.