How to renew your residence permit (Titre de séjour)

Long-stay visa valid as a residence permit (VLS-TS, visa long séjour valant titre de séjour) 

If you would like to stay in France to continue your studies but your VLS-TS visa will expire soon, you may renew your residence permit by applying for a multi-annual residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle). The application is not free. The first multi-annual residence permit that is issued to you under certain conditions will have a period of validity that corresponds to the number of years remaining in the study programme in which you are enrolled.

For example, if you have finished the first year of your undergraduate degree (licence) in France, you could receive a multi-annual residence permit valid for two years, i.e. until the end of the third year of the undergraduate degree. If you are studying at a Grande École, your renewed residence permit will be valid until you obtain your diploma.
 

Multi-annual residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle)

If you would like to remain in France to continue your studies but your multi-annual residence permit will expire soon, you may apply for it to be renewed. The application is not free. The new multi-annual residence permit issued to you under certain conditions will have a period of validity that corresponds to the number of years of the next study programme in which you will enrol.

For example, if you have just finished an undergraduate degree (licence) in France and you have applied for a new residence permit to continue your studies at postgraduate level (Master), it will be valid for two years.

The conditions of having your residence permit renewed are the same as those that apply to a first-time application, namely:

• be enrolled in a French institution of higher education;
• receive monthly resources of at least 615 euros.

In the case of renewal applications, you will also need to demonstrate the serious nature of your studies in France (attendance, exam results, diplomas obtained, etc.). Repeating a year does not in itself bring into question the serious nature of your studies.
 

What supporting documents should be included in your renewal application?

You will need to bring the following documents with you to the prefecture:

• your passport with your residence permit,
• a short birth certificate including the names of your parents (or a full copy of your birth certificate),
• a certificate of enrolment for the coming year,
• an academic transcript from the previous year;
• a document certifying that you have the financial resources necessary to continue your studies in France (i.e. 615 euros per month),
• proof of address dated within the last 3 months (e.g. electricity bill or lease),
• proof of health insurance (justificatif d’assurance maladie; this is a document issued by your local sickness insurance fund, the Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie, which you can download from your account on ameli.fr),
• 3 passport-size photographs.