Unfortunately, the Master’s cannot take care of visa formalities for the applicants.
Do I need a visa?
- If you are from the EEA (European Economic Area), you should not need one, only a valid identity card or passport works, but do check.
- If you are non-European or not from the EEA, you must have one. We will be able to provide you with an admission letter, which should help you with the procedure.
If you need a visa, then apply for a student visa with a long stay (short stay works only if you stay less than 90 days). This way, you will be able to stay for a year. It also allows you to work should you wish to, under conditions (see our job page).
Please contact or visit the website of the French consulate to inquire on whether you need a visa.
If you come from the following countries, you must go through Campus France to apply for a student visa: Algeria, Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, Peru, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, United States of America, Vietnam.
If you need a visa, start the process early. Otherwise, you may not be able to attend our classes.
OFII: application for certification
When you receive your visa, the French embassy or consulate should also deliver an application for certification (= une demande d’attestation) that must be sent in the three months following your arrival in France to l’OFII (= l’Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration, in charge of immigration matters). The destination address will be given to you on the back of the application. You will have to pay a tax of 60€ (timbre électronique = electronic stamp) on a specific website: https://timbres.impots.gouv.fr/ Please wait until they ask you to do it, do not pay in advance.
Here is a step by step guide on how to pay for the electronic stamp.
You will then be summoned by the OFII to go through registration formalities.
This step is mandatory and must be done in the three months following your arrival in France, or you will be considered in irregular situation.
Article written September 2020