You are arriving in France on a student visa (students of non-EU nationality)
When you arrive in France, you must validate your long stay visa (VLS).
This will convert your visa into a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS).
You have three months to complete this compulsory procedure, which entails a fee (€50).
The validation process is done entirely online.
- Validation of the VLS visa within 3 months of your arrival in France is compulsory.
- This compulsory step allows you to remain in compliance with French law for the duration of your visa’s validity.
- This compulsory step allows you to leave France, after the 3 months following your arrival, without needing a “return visa”.
Your questions
What do I need to validate my long stay visa (VLS)?
- A valid email address,
- the information on your visa,
- you have to indicate your arrival date in France,
- you have to indicate 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 will need to enter online when validating your long stay visa (VLS).
Campus France explains how to validate the long stay visa in detail on they website.
Leaving France without having validated your VLS
During the first 3 months following your arrival, you can freely leave France and return, even without having validated your long stay visa (VLS).
After the first 3 months of your arrival, if you haven’t validated your long stay visa (VLS), you must apply for a return visa to reenter France.
The special case of minor
Students who hold a “Mineur scolarisé (school-going minor)” visa do not have to take any steps on arrival in France.
As soon as they reach the age of legal majority, their visa loses its validity. They must consequently apply online for their first student residence permit.
Please note that the procedure for the first application for a student residence permit will change in the near future.
The student has 3 months following the date of their 18th birthday to make their first application for a residence permit.
The renewal of this first residence permit will be done on “I would like to apply or renew a residence my permit“.
if you are still a minor when your “Mineur scolarisé” visa expires, you will need to return to your country to obtain a new visa.
Contact bienvenue @ contact.univ-angers.fr for further information.
Renewing your residence permit in France
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 application 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.
If you are abroad when you apply for a renewal of your residence permit, please note that some applications allows you to obtain a digital identity photo (ephoto).
Une question ?
Contact the Prefecture of Maine et Loire
Site Hanneloup
7 bis rue Hanneloup
Angers
Foreign Office
pref-ide-etrangers@maine-et-loire.gouv.fr