WHEN YOU ARRIVED
Residence Permit
Students belonging to the UE, the EEA and Switzerland do not need a visa to study in France. Other international students will need to apply for a Long Stay Visa. The letter of acceptance from IAE Pau Bayonne will need to be submitted with your visa application to the French consulate of your country. Please note that visa procedure can take weeks.
In France :
OFII : Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration (French Immigration and Integration Office)
– Long Stay Visa, with work permit: students will have to go through the OFII procedure within the first three months of their stay in France.
– Long Stay Visa, with residence card: students will have to go through OFII procedure to apply for their residence card within the first two months of their stay in France.
– Long Stay Visa, with temporary residence permit exemptions: students are not required to do anything when they arrive in France.
OFII procedure :
Once you have a definitive address in France, you must send to the OFII office the following documents by registered post with proof of receipt:
– Your OFII form, dully filled in
– A photocopy of your passport (pages with your photo and ID, the VLS-TS visa and entry stamp in France)
The OFII will first send you a proof of receipt and later on a notice to attend a compulsory medical examination.
Opening a bank account
It is recommended to open a French bank account as it will allow you to :
– Have a bank card and cheque book, which are useful means of payment
– Have a bank account number known as a “Relevé d’Identité Bancaire” (RIB), you will need to receive reimbursements
– Receive automatic payment, rent assistance or medical reimbursement payments into your account
– Pay for rent, electricity, gas and other daily expenses
– Withdraw cash
Documents required :
– Identity card
– Proof of enrolment at university – Proof of housing in France
Insurances
– Health
If, membership to the French social security system is mandatory as soon as you register at the university. For your information, the annual fee for the 2018-2019 was 90 Euros. It must be paid upon enrolment.
Upon arrival in France, you may also subscribe to a student complementary health insurance by contacting insurance companies.
European exchange students already covered by their country’s social security should obtain the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) from their social security services provider before coming to France. This card ensures that students have health insurance in Europe, and also includes health cover for trips within The European Economic Area or Switzerland.
Specific measures apply to students from Quebec. If you are in France as part of the BCI program, you are exempt from the system that applies for French students. All you have to do is to obtain a SE-401-Q-106 form before you leave your country.
– Public Liability
For your accommodation – private or in a student residence – you will be asked to provide a Public liability insurance certificate showing you are protected in the event of, for example, water damage and civil liability. If you are not covered, you can subscribe to a private insurance upon arrival in France by contacting insurance companies.
