VISA

Your first-entry visa is delivered by the French Consulate in your usual country of residence.
The French Consulate will provide you with a visa corresponding to the purpose of your arrival (studies) for the duration of your stay in France.

Important:

You must request a visa if:

-You are a citizen of a country outside the European Union (EU)

-You have a temporary residence permit delivered by another country in the Schengen Area

You do not need a visa if:

- Tou are a citizen of the European Union (UE), the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland or Liechtenstein. Nor do you need to apply for a residence permit once you are in France. All you need is a valid identity card or passport.
- You have an EU Long-Term Resident’s Permit (CRLD-UE). BUT you will have to request a residence card when you arrive in France.
- You have a “student” Residence Card delivered in the context of a mobility program by another European Union State, you must follow the “Notification of the mobility in France of a foreign student authorized to stay in another EU Member State” procedure.

Beware:

Upon arrival in France, you need to obtain the right to stay in France. For that, you must: validate your visa if you have a Long-Stay Visa valid as a Residence Permit (VLS-TS) request a residence permit if you have:
- a Temporary Long-Stay Visa (VLS-T) with the reference “Residence Card to request upon arrival in France”
- a short-term “competitive exam” visa and you have passed the exam for which the visa was delivered to you

It is very important to arrive with the “RIGHT” visa, as once you are in France, you will not be able to request:
- modification of the status of your visa
- a residence permit on the basis of a tourist visa
- an extension of a tourist visa

=> If you arrive in France with a tourist visa and you want to study here, you will have to return to your usual country of residence to request a “student” visa.

Additional information : Foreigners student in France: long-stay visa or residence card | Service-Public.fr