Getting my visa
I am a citizen of a country member of the European Union, the EEA or of Switzerland
Citizens from the European Union (1), the EEA (2) and Switzerland are exempted from the visa procedure. You can enter and stay in France with a national identity card or a valid passport.
(1) Germany – Austria – Belgium – Denmark – Spain – Finland – Greece – Ireland – Italy – Luxembourg – The Netherlands – Portugal – Sweden – Estonia – Latvia – Lithuania – Poland – Czech Republic – Slovakia – Slovenia –Hungary – Malta – Cyprus – Romania – Bulgaria – Croatia
(2) UE members + Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway
I am a citizen of a country not listed above
Before leaving your country, you must contact the French Consulate of your country to obtain a long-stay visa (for any stay in France exceeding 90 days). A tourist visa is not sufficient and students will face being expelled from France after 90 days and any diplomas or credits obtained will not be recognised.
You need to have received Université Catholique de Lille acceptance letter (“lettre d’invitation”) before starting the visa application (the original letter is sent to your home university).
For students of the following nationalities :
Algeria, Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, the Republic of the Congo, South Korea, Ivory Coast, Egypt, United States, Gabon, Guinea, Haïti, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mexico, Niger, Peru, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, Taiwan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey and Vietnam.
You must enrol to your degree program through the online application procedure “Studying in France” before applying to a visa. Set up by the Ministry of Foreing Affairs, the procedure is completely dematerialised and manages all of the enrolment procedures for an institute of higher education up until the visa request. Following the “Studying in France” online application is mandatory to obtain a student visa.
For students from any other nationality :
Please check with the French Consulate which is the closest to your home. It will give the process and the list of required documents to get a visa.
For further information on visa requirement, you may also visit Campus France local office in your country.
Arriving in France
You need to have your passport stamped with the date of your arrival by the Border Police. If you come in France through a Schengen country, the stamp should be put on your passport by the authorities of the country you arrive in first.
For students with visa CESEDA ("Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour VLS-TS")
When you arrive in France, you will have to validate your VLS-TS Long Stay on the Ministère de l’Intérieur website. More information : please contact the International Office of your host school or faculty.
For students with visa "carte de séjour à solliciter"
You will have to apply for a resident permit on the Ministère de l’Intérieur website.
For more information please contact the International Office of your host school or faculty.
For further information on resident permits, please watch the video below:
