VISA
For foreign students wishing to stay in France, the first step is generally to obtain a visa from the French Consulate or Embassy in their country of origin.

There are two types of visas which enable the holder to apply for a residency permit:

• short-stay visas (visas de court séjour) are issued for stays up to 3 months;
• long-stay visas (visas de long séjour) are issued for stays superior of 3 months.

Please note 3 very important pieces of advice:

• A tourist visa cannot be converted into a student visa in France or in any other country of the European Union.
• A “1 Transit Schengen” visa does not allow you to travel through Europe. A “D visa + 1 Transit Schengen” will permit you to transit only once through a European Union country when coming or leaving France.
• International students of all nationalities (except European Union nationals) residing in France for more than 3 months must obtain a student residency permit (which is distinct from a visa), within two months of their arrival in France.

The holders of a long-stay visa must apply for a temporary residency permit card showing the student status within the 2 months following their arrival in France.

Please note that there is a special students' version of the long-stay visa, called also Visa D “séjour pour études”. This is issued as a preliminary step toward issue of a one-year renewable student's residency permit which will be valid from the date of your first application.

 RESIDENCY PERMIT
The procedure concerns only students from outside the EEA (European Economic Area). It does not concern Norway, Switzerland, and Island either.

The temporary residency permit is valid until the expiration date of the applicant's passport or until the date of completion of the applicant's academic program. The permit must be renewed annually.

However, you will be given an official document from the Préfecture du Rhône called “récépissé de demande de carte de séjour”. This document is valid only 3 months and do not allow you to travel outside France.

EMLYON Registrar Office is in charge of collecting the residency permit files of all the foreign students. Those files will be transmitted to the Préfecture du Rhône.
When arriving at EMLYON, you will get a notification, by e-mail, to go to the Registrar Office with the following documents.

Be careful that you will have to provide the original document in addition of a copy of all the documents:

• Valid passport + student long-stay visa.
• Birth certificate: original + one copy stipulating parentage, officially translasted into French.
  It is advisable to get your birth certificate translated before coming to France.
• Marriage certificate, with an official French translation (+ family birth certificate established in France if there are children).
• Proof of address in France less than 3 months:
  - Own home:  electricity bill, telephone bill, home insurance, or rent receipt;
  - Student residence:  attestation established by the residence, mentioning the room number;
  - Home of a private party:  a letter of declaration, signed and dated by the person accomodating you, + electricity or phone (land line) bill.
• Proof of sufficient income -a minimum of € 427.00 per month is required- you will have to provide:
  - Scholarship:  proof or notice of transfer of funds;
  - or Bank attestation;
  - or Notice of transfer of international funds;
  - In case of a solvent third party residing in France takes financial responsibility for your stay in France : 
     > a signed hand-writing letter,
     > + his (her) last 3 pay slips, 
     > + his (her) last income tax notification, 
     > + a copy of his (her) identity card.
• Proof of class registration.
• 3 identical recent passport photographs (size: 33x43 mm), full face, without any head covering, front view, with a plain white background.
   Photocopied or scanned photos will not be accepted.
• ANAEM stamp of € 70.00  (except for EU Citizens and Algerian citizens). It can be bought from any tobacco shop.
• 1 ‘Distinguo Suivi’ envelop (€ 2.21 for 50 gr. - € 2.77 for 100 gr) to buy at the Post Office. This envelop will be duly completed with your name, forname, exact address.
  

All foreign applicants will be invited later in the trimester for a medical check-up by l’ANAEM (Agence Nationale de l’Accueil des Etrangers et des Migrations), 7 Rue Quivogne, 69002 LYON.

 Note: The sooner you get these formalities out of the way,  the smoother and more pleasant your stay will be.