Visa Information: France

IMPORTANT: This information provides guidelines about the visa process. Visa regulations often change, and procedures can vary by Consulate and/or Embassy. Students should verify the current visa application procedures with the appropriate Consulate or Embassy before initiating the process. While every effort is made to ensure these guidelines are updated and as accurate as possible, the Office of Global Education and High Point University cannot guarantee that the visa information posted is the most current. The information included only applies to US citizens.

Students studying in France from 4-12 months will apply for a long-stay visa (visa de long séjour).

Semester Students

Step 1: Submit your CampusFrance Application

• USA: Visit the CampusFrance website.
  • Instructions for filling out your CampusFrance application can be found here.
  • An instructional video to filling out your CampusFrance application can be found here.
  • The user guide can be found here.
  • The application cannot be submitted until you have received your official acceptance letter from your host institution

Step 2: Make your appointment at your nearest French Consulate

• Completion of the CampusFrance application will result in your receiving a confirmation e-mail, which you will receive through the CampusFrance messaging system within your CampusFrance application. This confirmation e-mail is needed to appear for your visa appointment at the nearest French Consulate. It is suggested that you start this process early, so you can give yourself enough time to make a timely appointment. Note: No visa will be granted by French Consulates without prior enrollment on the CampusFrance website. 

• Most French Consulates require visa applicants to apply in person. You can find the nearest Consulate in the US by visiting the French Embassy’s map of Consulates.

• Students should be able to apply for their visas at the consulate corresponding tot heir home state or school state. Make sure your address listed on the CampusFrance application reflects the state that corresponds to the consulate where you want to apply for your visa. For your Consulate appointment, you will need the following documents, but you should verify with your appropriate Consulate about the application and documentation requirements:

1. Copy of the student’s official acceptance letter or acknowledgment of enrollment, addressed to the student and mentioning his or her full name, printed on institutional letterhead and specifying the exact dates (day, month, year) of the academic program and including full contact information for the individual issuing the offer or acknowledgment, as well as the full address of the educational institution, and be signed and stamped. Said address may serve as the student’s temporary address in France. This will be the letter that is issued by the student’s host institution.

2. Copy of the e-mail message from CampusFrance (entitled “confirmation e-mail”) informing the student that he or she may begin preparations to apply to the consulate for the visa (make an appointment, collect documents). Attention!: This message should not be confused with the earlier message from CampusFrance notifying the student of the creation of his or her CampusFrance account, or with the message indicating that a receipt for payment was available for download.

3. Copy of the receipt for payment issued by CampusFrance.

4. ORIGINALS of two (2) application forms for an extended-stay visa (downloadable), completed and signed.

5. 2 recent photographs in U.S. passport photo format.

6. ORIGINAL + 1 PHOTOCOPY:
   • U.S. citizens: (i) Passport in good condition, with a date of expiration at least 3 months after the end of the student’s proposed stay in the Schengen area, issued within the past 10 years and containing at least 2 blank pages. (ii) Photocopy of the pages containing the passport holder’s personal data.

7. Visa application and processing fee (nonrefundable) in the U.S. dollar equivalent of €50 (check your local consulate’s Web site as the rate of exchange changes frequently

8. ORIGINAL + 1 PHOTOCOPY: Proof of sufficient means of support
   • Non-scholarship students must prove that they have access to at least $820 per month. Proof may be provided in the form of (i) a bank statement showing a balance of $820 multiplied by the number of months to be spent in France, or (ii) a notarized statement from a guarantor declaring that the guarantor will provide the student applicant with at least $820 per month, accompanied by the guarantor’s most recent bank statement.
   • Scholarship and financial aid students: Letter of scholarship award specifying amount and duration of award, issued by the financial aid office of the student applicant’s home institution. Visa services at the Consulate also need a specific breakdown of the available financial resources (remaining aid) of the student once the tuition fees have been paid for.

9. Airline Ticket or Reservation: An airline reservation showing date of departure or a handwritten and legible statement from the applicant indicating the intended date of departure, as well as a formal commitment not to depart before that date. It is not possible to modify the start date of a visa once the application is made.

10. ORIGINAL + 1 PHOTOCOPY: Positive proof of residence in the geographic area for which the consulate is responsible.
    • Lease or rental agreement in the applicant’s name or a notarized statement from the owner or leaseholder plus a recent (utility) bill in the applicant’s name
    • or the applicant’s driver’s license issued by a state falling within the consulate’s jurisdiction
    • or a valid student ID card (or a statement issued within the past 2 months from the registrar of your university, which must be located in the consulate’s jurisdiction

Remember to keep a copy of all of these documents for your own records.

You should use the student visa application that is provided by your respective French Consulate (usually found on its website). The visa process can take up to eight weeks to process, and varies by Consulate. Therefore, you should begin the procedure at least three months prior to your departure.

Full-Year Students

In addition to the above requirements, students studying in France for a full year also must include the French immigration (OFII) form. The OFII should be filled out by the following students:

• ALL students who will be staying in France for more than six months (180 days)
• Students who will be staying in France for a period of time between four and six months (for a total duration of 91-180 days) who wish to be allowed to work in France while studying
• Students who will be staying in France for a period of time between four and six months (for a total duration of 91-180 days) who wish to be able to extend their visa once they are in France

The French immigration (OFII) form is available online on the Web sites of all French consulates. Students should bring the OFII form to their consulate appointment and should make sure to print their e-mail address very carefully on the form to avoid any risk of confusion or error.