Back to school 2020: Visa and residence permits FAQ

To secure the stay of foreign students in France, the French government has extended the validity period of residence documents that expired between March 16 and June 15, 2020.

If you have a residence permit, acknowledgment of receipt (récépissé), temporary residence permit or long-stay visa that expired between March 16 and June 15, 2020, you are now considered to have proper residency status for an additional 6 months after the expiration date.

You do not have to take any action with regard to your right to stay before September at the earliest.

All of your social rights are extended in the same way. To exercise your rights, you can obtain general information from the Ministry of the Interior confirming the extension of residency documents that expire between March 16 and June 15. You can download this document, available in French and English, on the website of the Ministry of the Interior

The right to work has also been extended to a maximum of 80% of the annual work time up to the actual resumption of classes. This exemption applies to students holding a temporary residence permit for “students” and who are present in the country as of March 16, 2020. Please note that this provision does not apply to Algerian students.

Your residence permit, long-stay visa, residence permit or acknowledgment of receipt (récépissé) expired between March 16 and June 15, 2020.

You benefit from an extension of validity for a period of 6 months. You may complete the procedures for renewal two months before the expiration of this new term.

Your residence permit (or your acknowledgment of receipt (récépissé) for the permit application) expired before March 16 or after June 15 and you were not able to be seen at the prefecture for the renewal process. 

Your residence permit does not qualify for the extension measures but you are part of the priority groups that are being seen at the prefecture since reopening on June 15.

While waiting for this appointment, you can stay in the territory and no removal measures can be taken as long as you have the right to stay.

You are a student in France and wish to return to your home country for the summer holidays.

If the return to your home country is possible, before your departure you must ensure that your residence permit will still be valid on the date of your return (this validity takes into account the extension of the period of validity of permits expiring between March 16 and June 15, 2020).

As a reminder, an acknowledgment of receipt (récépissé) for the first application for a residence permit does not allow you to return from abroad.

You left French territory and you need to return to France to continue your studies and/or renew your residence permit.

The steps for your return to France depend on the validity date of your residence permit.

Depending on the validity date of your residence permit, there are three possible situations: 

1- Your residence permit has an expiration date that is not exceeded at the time of your return to France

You will be able to cross the borders and return using this document. Your situation is included among the exceptions provided for in the Directive of May 12, 2020 regarding border crossings.

You must obtain the exceptional international travel certificate and mark the reason as "Third country national having their main residence in France… holders of a French or European residence permit or valid long-stay visa."

2- Your residence permit has an expiration date that has passed but is included in the measure that extends the period of validity

You will present your residence permit along with general information from the Ministry of the Interior confirming the extension of residence permits that expire between March 16 and June 15.

You can download this document, available in French and English, from the website of the Ministry of the Interior.

You must present it with your expired residence document.

To return to France, it is recommended not to go through another country in the Schengen Area.

When a direct return to France is impossible, you may contact the consulate services in order to request a consular return visa. You will present your residence permit along with the general information from the Ministry of the Interior. In view of the exceptional situation, this return visa will be issued free of charge.
 

3- Your residence permit has expired and is not included in the measure that extends the validity of the permits

You must contact the consulate to apply for a visa allowing you to access national territory in the following cases:

• If the purpose of your return to France is to take steps related to your completed year of study without planning on continuing your schooling, a simple short-stay visa may be issued to you.

• If the purpose of your return to France is to continue your university studies, you will need to apply for a consular return visa, allowing you to return to France. When you arrive in France, you must apply for the renewal of the student residence permit for the duration of your academic cycle.

• If the purpose of your return to France is to seek employment under the job seeker or new business creator residence permit, you must apply for the appropriate long-stay visa through the consulate.

You have a valid VLS-TS but it has not been validated within the three months following your arrival in France.

You can return to France using this document as long as its expiration date has not passed. Once you arrive in France, you must proceed, as soon as possible, with the online validation of your VLS-TS on the dedicated portal.

You must apply for a short-stay study visa through the consulate of your country of residence.

If you fall under a visa exemption, you will need to bring a certain number of documents to present at border control, which you will find on the France visas website.

Your end-of-study internship is postponed until the fall of 2020 or even early 2021

You have returned to your home country and you must complete this internship in order to complete your academic program in France. Two situations may be applicable:

1- Your residence permit is valid at the time of your planned date of return to France (taking into account the exceptional extension of validity)

You can return to France when the time comes with your residence permit and general information regarding the extension of residence permits. This document can be downloaded in French and English from the website of the Ministry of the Interior.

If the period of validity of your permit does not cover the entire duration of the internship, you may request its renewal free of charge at the prefecture.

2- Your residence permit expires prior to the date you expect to return to France

You may request the issuance of a temporary long-stay visa (VLS-T) free of charge from the consulate.

To obtain this VLS-T, you will present your expired residence permit, accompanied by a certificate from the head of the higher education institution confirming the postponement of the internship period.

Once in France, you can go to the prefecture in order to register it in the AGDREF application, thereby making it possible for you to maintain your social rights and, if necessary, initiate the procedures to renew your right to stay at the end of your internship if you wish to remain in France.

You want to apply for a VLS-TS or a VLS through the consulate for the upcoming academic year (2020/2021).

Students and researchers are among the priorities identified by French embassies and consulates.

Examing and issuing VLS-TS or VLS for new students is one of the priorities for consulates.

Since August 18, consulates can resume visa delivery : long-stay visas for studies or internships, short-stay visas for studies or internships, long-stay visas "Passeport talent".

You are enrolled in an educational institution in France but you cannot provide your proof of accommodation. Can your visa application be considered before the issuance of this document?

The visa application process remains unchanged. The conditions relating to the housing certificate were clarified and relaxed in 2019. You will therefore have to declare an address, even if temporary, for your arrival in France.

In several countries, exams will be postponed for a few weeks or even months. If the issuance of your diploma is delayed in your home country due to the health crisis, will it be possible for you to review your visa application before you graduate?

Enrollment in a French university institution is contingent upon obtaining a specific diploma or equivalence. Therefore, the decision regarding the issuance of the visa is subject to evidence of the required level. Consequently, even if the processing can be carried out at an earlier stage by the visa service, obtaining the diploma is a mandatory prerequisite.

If it is impossible to enter French territory by the official start date, is it possible to issue a visa to a student who is duly registered at an institution located in French territory, even if they cannot enter national territory for several months, so that they may enter France as soon as the borders open?

The visa application procedures are open before the reopening of the borders in order to allow for your final registration.

Implementation of an online service for the renewal of acknowledgments of receipt (récépissé), requests for duplicates, change of address and Request for a Travel document for alien minors (DCEM).

In order to facilitate the necessary procedures, certain requests can be made online as of June 15, 2020. This online service includes:

• Requests for renewal of acknowledgments of receipt (récépissé)

• Requests for duplicates

• Requests for change of address

• Requests for travel document for alien minors (DCEM).

Future implementation of a new online service for applying for a "student" residence permit at the start of the school year.

To facilitate the procedures for students, an online service for the collection and processing of applications for student residence permits will be launched in September 2020.