Applying for a foreign student residence permit

You are a student from the European Union 

You do not need to apply for a visa to travel to France or a residence permit.

You are a student outside the European Union who holds a Long Stay Visa equivalent to a Residence Permit (Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour - VLSTS)* 

You must apply for a visa on the  Études en France site

When you arrive in France:

• Students with a VLS - TS must validate their visas electronically and pay the issuance tax (Taxe de la Première Délivrance - TPD).
  TPD amount: 50€
• The visa will be validated after payment of the TPD
• You will then be able to download a certificate confirming that you have completed your online procedures
• Validate your visa online

Once these formalities have been completed (Passport with validated visa), you will be authorised to stay legally in France, during the visa validity period.

If you do not complete these formalities within two months following your arrival in France, you risk committing an illegal residence offence.

*this procedure does not apply to students who are Algerian nationals

You are a student who does not hold a VLSTS but holds a Long Stay D Visa for one year

You must apply for a residence permit within two months following your arrival in France

Within two months following their arrival in France, Algerian students must apply for a "first application for foreign residence permit" (première demande de titre de séjour d’étranger):

• The international student reception service, Mission d'Accueil des Publics Internationaux (MAPI), will give you an application form with the list of supporting documents needed to apply.

• After you have duly completed your application and it has been examined, the MAPI submits it to the services of the Prefecture of Loire in Saint-Étienne:
  Préfecture de la Loire
  Direction de la Citoyenneté et des Libertés Publiques – Section des Titres de Séjour
  Bureau de l’Immigration
  2 rue Charles de Gaulle
  42022 Saint-Étienne Cedex 1

• If your application is complete and accepted by the Services of the Prefecture, you will be summoned to the Prefecture where a receipt will be given to you.
  When attending this appointment, you will need to bring the original documents you used when making your application.

• Your residence permit will be issued to you according to the Prefecture's time scale.

The renewal of a foreign residence permit with the mention "student"

Since September 2020, a national electronic platform will be set up for applications for renewal of residence permits for "students".

Only students with a:

• A long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS),
• Valid residence permit.

Steps to be taken during the last three months before the expiry of the visa's validity.

Failure to comply with this deadline would oblige the Student to return to his/her country of residence in order to apply for a new visa from the consular authorities. www.administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr

For all other cases, students will request an appointment on the Prefecture's website to submit their application : www.rdv.loire.gouv.fr/

At this appointment, the student will have to bring his or her file with him or her.

Prefecture of the Loire
Direction de la Citoyenneté et des libertés publiques - Section des Titres de Séjour
2 rue Charles de Gaulle
42022 Saint-Etienne Cedex 1

Contact

From the 26th of August to the 7th of October
Tuesdays from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm or Thursdays from 11:00 am to 6:30 pm

La Comète, Espace Info Jeunes, 7 avenue Président Emile Loubet, 42000 Saint-Etienne
Permanences organized in your registration establishments. For more informations, contact your school or University

On facebook @SWDsaint-etienne
Or by email : welcome-student @ univ-st-etienne.fr (welcome-student @ univ-st-etienne.fr)
Or call the hotline at 04 37 28 07 07 (from 6/09 to 29/10 from 9am to 4:30pm without interruption)