All non-EU citizens must secure a visa to study in France for the freshman year for a “Long Stay” Student visa (of more than 90 days).
Read below for an overview of the steps you need to follow to secure the visa. For additional information and forms, please refer to the Global Programs website. (While geared toward US-citizens it will be useful for others as well.)
Step 1: Make Sure Your Passport is Up to Date.
We recommend your passport is valid until November 2014 (though each student should check with their local consulate on guidelines). If you need a passport or need to renew your passport, do so immediately! NYU can supply you with a letter to expedite the passport if necessary (e-mail ls.abroad@nyu.edu).
Step 2: Submit your citizenship and other immigration information and gather your documentation.
NYU will use the visa information submitted on May 10, 2013 (via this form) to produce official documentation (registration attestations from Paris III and housing attestations) that will be included in your welcome packets. This is just part of the documentation you will need to get your visa.
A starter list of documentation necessary for you can be found here. Supplemental information will be on your local consular website. A sample Long Stay student visa application (through the New York consulate) can be found here.
Step 3: Register with CampusFrance [by May 24, 2013]
Nearly 30 countries use CampusFrance, an online application procedure for the visa. Students from these countries must use CampusFrance to obtain the student visa. Though the Campus France instructions are geared toward US students, students have told us they are parallel to the instructions for non-US citizens who need to use CampusFrance.
Students in some countries may need to make a CampusFrance appointment in addition to their consular appointment. Please refer to your local consulate, as well as the CampusFrance instructions.
Do not lose your login information! We cannot help you retrieve it, and you will need it again.
IMPORTANT: Students should use Internet Explorer or Firefox with CampusFrance. Other web browsers do not work. In addition, students should use a PC (for whatever reason, it does not like Macs).
Equally important, you should make sure to read the instructions first for the Campus France application. It is difficult to change your answers once you’ve begun the application. Also, for more detailed instructions take a look at the CampusFrance Video Guide. When you are ready to create your account and begin the process go to Campus France Instructions.
The CampusFrance fee is now $100, up from what used to be $70.
Step 4: Schedule an appointment with your local consulate for no earlier than June 15, 2013 and no later than July 31, 2013.
In most cases, you will need to go to the consulate, in person, to secure your visa. Please refer to your local consulate for details. Because your visa documentation will not be mailed until late May/early June, you should not schedule an appointment for any earlier than June 15, 2013 nor any later than July 31, 2013. You may also need to make a biometrics appointment, according to local consular rules.
You must print out your appointment confirmation to bring to the consulate.
Students from other countries not listed, should refer to their local consulate for application procedures.
Step 5: Get Your Visa
Processing for long-stay visas, take a minimum of one week, and many times longer, depending on consular processing times. You should be in touch with your local consular officials on how far in advance you should make your visa appointment. For US-citizens, this should be no later than early August 2013. (Be sure to keep in mind the mandatory arrival date in Paris of September 3, 2013.)
