From your Home country

• • 1. Find a certified course provider in France. Check out the official France website https://www.campusfrance.org/en.Or please check Études en France.

  • 2. How to apply for VLS-TS?

    • 1. Submit an application form for French Student Visa ( Official Application link).
    • 2. Prepare a complete file.
    • 3. Application fees.

  • 3. What documents do you need to apply?

    • 1. Application form
    • 2. Identity proof
    • 3. Photos
    • 4. Travel document (Flight ticket)
    • 5. Purpose of travel/stay (A visa letter received from your school)
    • 6. Accommodation (minimum 3 months)
    • 7. Funds/Financial sustainability proof

4. What will you receive from the French consulate in your country ?

• • 1. Passport with a student visa of France. (This needs to be validated within 3 months after arriving in France with OFII process)
  • 2. OFII form - Visa de long sejour- Demande d’attestation OFII

Upon arriving in France as a student

1. You will have a one-year student visa (VLS-TS). The next step that you will have to do is get the OFII to validate the first Visa (done within three months). The VLS-TS Visa needs to be validated with the OFII stamp.

Renewing your student visa (Titre de Séjour - étudiante)

• • 1. It has been almost a year since you are living in France. Here’s what you would need to renew your student visa:
    1. 1. A document from your school stating that you are still a student enrolled in the school.
       2. Photocopy of your first-year transcript (marksheet).
       3. Photocopy of your School ID.
       4. Photocopy of your passport (all pages that are stamped).
       5. Passport size photo (you can get it at any machine named “Photomaton”).
       6. Address proof:
          1. If you are living in a colocation, ask your landlord/landlady to provide you with attestation d'hébergement (proof of residency), ID of the landlord/landlady, electricity bill/internet bill
          2. If you are renting a place all by yourself, a recent electricity bill (in your name) and quittance de loyer quittance de loyer (rent receipts) of the last 3 months.
       7. Document of Funds/Financial proof
    Note:Sometimes the visa office whether ISSO/Prefecture might ask for some additional documents, so it is always helpful to have the full file handy along with the photocopies of the documents.
  • 2. Once you applied for a renewal, you will receive a Recepisse valid for 3 months. Now you can go and collect your renewed Student Visa (Titre de Séjour) which will be valid for one year (in some exceptions 2 years) from the application of renewal (which needs around 2-3 months to be ready).

Note:If your « Titre de Sejour – Etudiant » is not ready within 3 months, you can request for the renewal of your Recepisse. The documents required for the renewal are the same as mentioned above.

• 3. When you are approaching the end of your studies, you will have to take care of renewing your visa which is a little different. When you go for a renewal, you will not receive a one-year validity. Instead you will get a short period varying from 3-6 months. This can either be a Recepisse / temporary APS (Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour).

What you can & can’t do on this visa?

• Can do:

   
  1. Travel freely in the countries listed in Schengen area.
  2. Work part-time to earn some financial resources (maximum 20 hours a week, not more than 964 hours in one year).
  3. Receive housing subsidy “CAF” based on the type of accommodation.
  4. Take advantage of VISALE (free rental deposit service for students).
  5. Extend your stay in France after the first year.
  6. Travel to India multiple times

• Can’t do:

   
  1. Obtain full-time work as a salaried employee for more than 6 months (964 hours maximum).

Finding a job after finishing your studies

Go to APS