You have your letter of preliminary admission into the French school, as well as the documents required to enter the country. Plan to arrive in France some weeks before the official beginning of the program. You need some time to deal with various administrative procedures, to refresh your knowledge of French, to discover your new home.

The first step you will have to take upon your arrival is: report to your university or school and register for classes.

REGISTRATION

- University registration has two parts:

The administrative registration; you pay the tuition fees. It confers the student status and allows you to obtain the student card.

The pedagogical registration allows you to set your timetable, to register into required and elective courses, and to attend classes.

- “Grandes Écoles” or specialized schools registration

The registration procedures might differ from university registration. The student is informed before arriving in France.

!! A sound piece of advice !!
Complete carefully the registration file, do not miss the deadlines, bring with you all the documents required (originals and certified translations), and keep copies of all the documents you have produced or received.

Apply for student residency permit (carte de séjour) if you are staying in France for more than 3 months.

Apply for your residency permit within 2 months after arriving in France. Apply to the administrative centre (préfecture) of the area you are living in. You will need to provide various documents; they vary from a department to another, but all documents have to be in French or certified translations.

WORTH KNOWING: The residency permit allows you to apply for financial assistance for housing.