The Student Visa and the Residence Permit (Titre de Séjour)

All non-EU nationals intending to enroll at AUP must obtain either a long term student visa (VLS-TS – “Visa Long Séjour”) or a short stay visa (“Long Séjour Temporaire – Dispense Temporaire de Carte de Séjour”) to study in France before leaving their country of origin. 

Long stay student visas are issued to non-EU students who plan to study in France more than one semester, whereas non-EU “Visiting” students who will stay only one semester must be issued a short stay visa. “Visiting” students who plan to stay at AUP more than one semester must be issued a long stay visa. 

Student visas can only be issued from the local French Consulate in the student’s country of residence. No student visa can be issued in France. The information about obtaining the correct visa is sent from the Office of Admissions to all accepted students. 

Once students arrive in France, they must meet with AUP’s Office of Student Immigration Services (SIS), at which time students will be required to begin their residency application. 

ALL entering students who need to apply for a residency permit in France are required to provide the following: 

• A copy of their passport; 
• A copy of their student visa bearing the entrance stamp from the boarder; 
• The OFII (Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégraton) Form, which is provided by the French Consulate (to the non-EU students who have been issued a long stay visa. The non-EU students who stay only one semester and have been issued a short stay visa are exempted from doing the OFII procedure and will not need to be issued the OFII form); and 
• A copy of their unabridged birth certificate (in English), mentioning both parents’ names. (Note that the birth certificate is only required from the non-EU students who will be issued a long stay student visa.) 

The SIS Office helps all non-EU full-time students comply with these requirements. After the SIS Office submits the required documents to the Préfecture, students will be scheduled a mandatory appointment at the OFII in order to validate their long stay student visa, in order to legalize their stay in France under a student status. (Note that a medical exam is no longer part of the residency procedure.) 

IMPORTANT: Note that it is illegal to enter France under a tourist visa (or with no visa at all) with the intention of studying in France. When registered at a school students hold “student” status, not “tourist” status. Students who live in France without the proper documents are subject to deportation proceedings. This illegal situation can result in serious penalties by the French Authorities in France (Préfecture de Police) as well as the French Authorities abroad (French Consulates). 

Additional information is available online. 

Questions or concerns about the “Titre de Sejour” procedure and its renewal (entering or returning students) should be sent to the Office of Student Immigration Services (sis@aup.edu).