Visas and Permissions

Outlined in the Getting Here page, below you will find more detailed information on the immigration process for Non-EU Nationals arriving in Paris for their graduate studies at AUP.

First-Year Graduate Students: From Visa to Residency Permit Application

Graduate students must obtain a long-term student visa from the French Consulate in their country of residence in order to legally enter France. Once on French soil, the next stage involves applying for your residency permit. This requires the submission of additional documents to both Student Immigration Services and the French Authorities (listed at the end of this page).

Legal residency during your Master studies at AUP is a requirement for all graduate students. EU citizens enjoy a simplified process, needing only to showcase their EU passport or National ID during Orientation, exempt from further visa requirements. Non-European Union students, however, commence with applying for a student visa, the Visa D-Long Séjour-Ceseda R311-3 6°, a prerequisite for legal residency in France. Upon acceptance to AUP, detailed instructions and necessary documents for the student residence permit (VLS-TS Titre de Séjour) application are provided. Ensure that your passport remains valid for at least six months beyond the application period.

The New Residency Procedure

A notable change in the residency procedure for NON-EU students is that the OFII visit is no longer required. French Authorities have entrusted selected schools/universities in Paris, including AUP, to manage the residency procedure for a more streamlined service. Our Immigration Office (SIS) guides graduate students through the residency application, overseeing the issuance of the residency permit. This new process is applicable to both incoming and returning graduate students with a new long stay student visa post a Leave of Absence.

Arrival in France

Fall Orientation/ Spring Orientation

Upon arrival at Orientation, you'll engage with a member of the Student Immigration Services team. We'll verify that we have collected essential documents, including a copy of your passport information page, student visa, and entrance stamp or boarding pass. In the week following Orientation, SIS will reach out to schedule a mandatory appointment for your residency permit application. Attendance is crucial, as missing this appointment results in the cancellation of both the visa and residency application and can ultimately jeopardize your legal stay in France.

Summer Orientation

For NON EU Graduate students joining AUP for Summer sessions ahead of the Fall semester, meeting with SIS within the initial week of arrival is mandatory. This ensures a timely application for the residency permit.

Late Arrivals/Late Acceptance

Even for those arriving after Orientation, NON EU Graduate students with a long stay student visa must meet with SIS within the first week of their arrival to initiate the residency permit application. Delays beyond this timeframe may impact the legal standing of your stay in France.

Required Documents for the Residency Meeting

This meeting serves to validate the student visa with SIS to obtain the residency permit. There is a mandatory administrative fee, a tax stamp, to pay to legally study and live in France.

The passport
The long stay student visa
The entrance stamp or the boarding pass (which confirms the day the NON EU student entered France/ EU)
A valid housing address in France (in Paris or outside Paris)
A valid email address: The Graduate student can either use the AUP email address or their private email address (they can choose which email they would like the information about their residency permit be sent to)
A valid payment card in order to buy the tax stamp online (Note: AMEX NOT ACCEPTED)

The Procedure

The Graduate student is scheduled an appointment to meet with SIS/ sent a list of requirements before the appointment takes place
The appointment takes 20-30 minutes
On the day of the appointment, SIS helps the student to complete the residency procedure on line (to fill out the necessary documents, to buy the tax stamp, to obtain the residency permit)
SIS issues the residency permit “Confirmation de la validation de l’Enregistrement de votre Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour”
SIS confirms the Graduate student their reference/ file number
SIS updates the Graduate student residency records in the University database
SIS informs the Graduate student about the residency renewal