• proof of identity
• proof of US citizenship (birth certificate, naturalization certificate, consular report or certification of birth, or previous passport)
• completed application forms
• photographs (two duplicate color passport-size)
• fee presently $100

On receipt of the passport, check that all information is correct. If not, return it for correction to the office of application; under no circumstances should you correct it yourself. Keep a photocopy of the information on the first two pages of your passport; in case of loss, this information will be very helpful in getting a replacement.

Semester and academic year students must register with CampusFrance before obtaining  their long-term student visa.  Summer students are exempt from this requirement.

To begin the registration process, please refer to the CampusFrance website and look over all of the information provided before commencing your registration. Please refer to the guide for Study Abroad students which will walk you through the various steps to register, complete your online application, and mail the payment and copy of your acceptance letter. Please start this process as soon as possible so you do not risk delaying the arrival of your visa. 

Even though students are not able to apply for their visa at the consulate until the CampusFrance application is complete, students need to schedule an appointment at the consulate ahead of time because these appointments book weeks, sometimes months in advance. This can be done by going to the appropriate French consulate web site (see link at bottom of page to find out which consulate to contact) and making the appointment online. Currently, only the Washington D.C. and L.A. consulates allow some students to mail in their applications but this could soon change and students need to confirm on the consulate web site as they continually make changes and updates to the process. When making the appointment, please leave three weeks for CampusFrance to process your application. Students cannot go to the consulate without their CampusFrance confirmation e-mail.

Second Step - French Consulate

Summer students - ATTENTION!
A short-stay visa is no longer required for American citizens. As of March 23, 2009, U.S. citizens who hold a U.S. passport and who wish to study with IAU during its six-week summer session are no longer required to obtain a short-stay student visa. The passport will suffice for entry into France for 90 days or less.

For citizens of other countries attending the summer term, please visit your country's French consulate website to determine student visa requirements or contact IAU's U.S. Office of Admissions for assistance. The summer visa process for citizens of other countries may take two months so please begin the application process as soon as possible or you risk not receiving your visa in time.

Semester and Academic Year Students
After registering with CampusFrance, students are required to apply for a long-stay visa (90+ days). Students may begin applying for their long-stay visa no more than three months prior to leaving the U.S. However, students may begin the CampusFrance application upon acceptance and it is highly recommended that students do so in order to avoid a delay in the process. Individual French consulates operate autonomously with regard to visa applications and requirements may vary from consulate to consulate or change without notice. Therefore, students are advised to verify the number of accompanying documents currently required by the consulate in question at the time they request an application form, and to be sure to carefully complete the form with precise dates of arrival in and departure from France.

As of June 2009, the visa process has changed. It will now take approximately 2-5 weeks after the appointment at the consulate for American students to receive their visas. This process may be much longer for citizens of other countries. If you are an international student, it could take up to three months so please read all of the information on the consulate web site very carefully. This means that students must schedule their consulate appointments for approximately 5 weeks (more than 5 weeks for international students) before their departure date. Otherwise, students risk not being able to leave on time for the program.

Third Step - Completing the Visa Process Once in France

Once students have their visas and arrive in France, they will need to submit the appropriate documents to the OFII (Office français de l' Immigration et de l'Intégration/French Office of Immigration and Integration). Our staff in France will help students with this process.

Students will need to provide them with:

the completed residence form they submitted for their visa application in the U.S.

a copy of the ID pages of their passport and of the immigration stamp received at the border.

although this is not required, it may be a good idea to have a copy of their birth certificate.

Then, they will need to appear for an interview and medical examination with:

their passport,

a proof of accommodation/residence in France,

one ID picture,

means of payment for the processing fees of 55 €

When the file is complete, a registration stamp will be added to their passport and it will allow them to stay and study for up to one full year.

Non-US Citizens

Depending on their citizenship, non-US citizens may have a much longer visa process and should begin the process immediately after acceptance in order to be able to depart on time. In addition, before arrival in France, non-US citizens must check visa requirements of countries to be visited, and obtain visas necessary for travel within Europe.

TIPS FOR COMPLETING YOUR VISA APPLICATION:

For a long stay visa application:

Download a translation of the long stay application

#10: “Type of Travel Document”: This is requesting information about your US Passport.

#22: “What will your address during your stay be?”: You can just put the institute’s address

For Marchutz, and Aix students:                       For Avignon students:

27 Place de l’Université                                       5 Rue Figuière   
BP 30970                                                           84000 Avignon
13604 Aix-en-Provence CEDEX 1

#23: “Will you be employed during your stay?”: NO. Student visas do not allow you to work.

• US Passport (signed)
• two or more passport-size photographs
• two or more visa application forms (Semester/Academic Year students need the Long-stay form.  Forms can be obtained from the Consulate website), completed and signed
• letter of acceptance or attestation from IAU
• A Notarized Financial Guarantee form, completed and signed by parent or guardian
• residence form
• Present visa application fee is roughly $130 (price fluctuates due to the value of the dollar)

The figure of $500-800 per month suggested on the Financial Guarantee form does not necessarily mean that each student will be spending this amount or that it will actually cost that much to live in France. Rather, this figure approximates expenses such as lunches, travel, and theater, and is a guarantee to the French government that the student will not be stranded in France without funds.

In order to obtain a visa, apply to the French Consulate serving either the student's legal state of residence or the state in which the student's school resides.  France also maintains a consular agent or an honorary consul in many cities in the US. Their addresses can be obtained from the appropriate French Consulate. They can perform certain services, sometimes including visas and sometimes not.

Consulate Contact Information

For a list of consulates, including their address, phone number, and the web address for student visa requirements and application information, go HERE.