Student guide to France

Long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) via Campus France for Indian applicants. Financial requirement €615/month. After arrival, validate visa within 3 months at OFII. Talent-Recherche-Emploi post-study residence permit allows up to 12 months job search after master's; 4 years renewable for PhD.

Numéro fiscal issued after first tax declaration. Tax-free threshold €11,294 (2026). CVEC (Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus) €100/year mandatory regardless of nationality. Travel and meal-voucher subsidies (CROUS) available for low-income students.

Eiffel Excellence Scholarships (MEAE-funded, master's and doctoral, prestigious). Charpak Scholarship (French Embassy in India, undergraduate). Make Our Planet Great Again (climate research, doctoral). Grandes Écoles often have own scholarships (HEC Foundation, Sciences Po Émile-Boutmy).

BNP Paribas, Crédit Agricole, Société Générale, La Banque Postale, plus digital N26, Revolut, Boursorama. RIB (account details) required for almost everything in France — get yours within first month. SEPA transfers free across EU.

CROUS (state-run) student housing application via messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr — opens January for September. Cité Universitaire (Paris) is iconic but very competitive. Private platforms: Studapart, Lokaviz, Studensit. CAF (housing allowance) available to international students — significant rebate (€100-€200/month).

Sécurité Sociale (free for students under 28) covers ~70% of healthcare costs. Mutuelle (top-up) recommended — LMDE, SMEREP, Heyme are student-focused providers. Médecin traitant (designated GP) declaration improves reimbursement rate. Pharmacy reimbursement requires Carte Vitale.

Public-university programmes typically French-medium — DELF B2 or TCF or TEF accepted. Grandes Écoles increasingly offer English-medium master's — IELTS 6.5+/TOEFL iBT 90+. French language improves dramatically with full immersion regardless of programme medium.

Indian groceries in Paris (La Chapelle, Gare du Nord area), Lyon (Place du Pont), Strasbourg, Marseille. Halal-certified butchers in all major cities. CROUS canteen meals €3.30 standard, €1 for grant-recipients. Cooking from market/supermarket: €150-€250/month.

Major cities have specific neighbourhood considerations — Paris north (18th, 19th arrondissements late) and Marseille north. Universities post safety guides. Pickpocketing on Metro (especially Châtelet, Gare du Nord) is the most common crime — wear bags forward.

Indian-origin community in Paris, Île-de-France, Strasbourg. Indian Embassy in Paris + Consulate in Saint-Denis (Réunion). Diwali celebrations at Gare du Nord. Cricket clubs in Paris suburbs. Tamil community particularly strong in some Paris neighbourhoods.