• A valid email address,
• The information on your current visa,
• Your arrival date in France,
• The address at which you live in France,
• A bank card to pay the electronic fiscal stamp online.

If you don’t have a credit card you can pay for an electronic fiscal stamp (timbre fiscal – titre étranger) in cash at a tabac shop. 

You will get a receipt of payment to keep. It will have a reference number that you must enter online when validating your long-stay visa (VLS).

Campus France explains how to validate the long stay visa in detail on they website.

During the first 3 months following your arrival, you can freely leave France and return, even without validating your long-stay visa (VLS).

After the first 3 months of your arrival, if you have not validated your long-stay visa (VLS), you must apply for a return visa to reenter France.

If you hold a “Mineur scolarisé” (school-going minor) visa, you do not have to take any steps when arriving in France.

As soon as you reach the age of 18 (the age of legal majority under French law), the visa loses its validity and you must apply online for your first student residence permit.
This step is mandatory.

Please note that the procedure for the first application for a student residence permit will change in the near future.

You have 2 months following your 18th birthday to apply for the first student residence permit with the Prefecture.

The Prefecture will issue a student resident permit.

Attention!
When applying for the first student residence permit (called ”titre de séjour étudiant”), the Prefecture will first issue a receipt of first application for a residence permit (called ”récépissé de première demande de carte de séjour”). This document allows you to legally stay in France until you receive your residence permit (”titre de séjour”).

This receipt of first application for a residence permit (”récépissé de première demande de carte de séjour”) does not allow you to leave French territory. If you leave France with this first receipt (”récépissé”) and before having received your first residence permit (”titre de séjour”), you will not be allowed to re-enter France. 

This first residence permit must be renewed on the webpage: “I would like to apply or renew a residence my permit“.

If you are still a minor when the “Mineur scolarisé” visa expires, you must return to your country to obtain a new visa.
Contact bienvenue@univ-angers.fr for further information.

If you wish to stay in France to continue your studies beyond the validity of your long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS), you must apply for a renewal of your residence permit. Renewal applications must be made 2 to 4 months before the previous residence permit expires.

Campus France explains how to renew your residence permit on their website.

The procedures for renewing your residence permit are not always the same, depending on the type of permit you hold. It is essential to be properly informed.

If you have any doubts, questions or problems, please contact the International Office:

• Exchange students:echange.international@univ-angers.fr
• Non-exchange students:bienvenue@univ-angers.fr
• Researchers and EurAxess helpdesk:chercheursetrangers@univ-angers.fr
• Make an appointment for individualized support, in person or remotely (Teams)

The enrolment certificate is one of the supporting documents you will need to provide when applying for renewal. However, it will only be available once your administrative registration has been completed at the faculty. Even if you do not yet have your certificate, submit your application on ANEF.
– You will need to provide a set of documents proving that you have maintained your student status (enrolment certificate, transcripts, letter from your school authorising your re-enrolment subject to your results, etc.).
– In the “A l’attention de l’administration” section, you must indicate that you are requesting an extension of your rights until you can produce your enrolment certificate (attestation de prolongation des droits).
– You will then receive an extension certificate allowing you to stay in France for a further three months until you can produce your enrolment certificate for the following year and your results for the current year.

If you are abroad when you apply to renew your residence permit, please note that some applications allow you to obtain a digital identity photo (ephoto).