Are you arriving in France or extending your stay here?

If you are not a citizen of a European country or Andorra, or an Algerian student:

Your long-stay visa must be validated by the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII).

The French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) helps people who have just arrived in France. It regularizes applications for residence permits, welcomes immigrants who have just arrived and supports their integration. It is an essential service for foreigners wishing to stay in France for a long time.

The documents that must be provided within three months of arriving in France are:

• The completed “OFII application form” with your contact details so you can be called for an appointment at the OFII. On this form, you should write the postal address to which mail can be sent over the following months. You can only contact the OFII by post.
• Photocopies of your passport:
  • Information regarding your identity (first page)
  • Visa
  • Your entry stamp for France or the European Union.

• PBy post to OFII, 7 rue Quivogne, 69002 Lyon, France
•  In person at the Students Welcome Desk (during opening times)

The OFII will send you two letters:

• The first letter: a “certificate of application” a few weeks after you submit your application. This is a confirmation of receipt confirming the successful receipt of your application at the OFII. You must keep hold of this certificate of application, as you will need it to prove that you have begun the regularization procedure.
• The second letter: a “call for an appointment at the OFII”

During this appointment, the OFII will make a record of your personal details and place the OFII stamp in your passport.
This stamp allows you to stay in France whilst your visa is valid. You will need to bring several documents to this appointment (originals and copies):

• Your passport
• Photo identification
• Proof of address
• Tax stamp indicating the amount of tax paid to the OFII. This can be purchased at: www.ofii.fr OU www.timbresofii.fr

If you are a student with Algerian nationality:

You do not need to contact the OFII. You must contact the Préfecture directly. Within two months of arriving, you must apply for your residence permit by submitting the following application:

• A valid passport;
• A valid visa;
• Proof of address less than three months old:
  • Water, electricity, landline or internet utility bill/proof of residence/rent receipt stamped by your housing agency. PLEASE NOTE: documents from private individuals and mobile phone bills will not be accepted.
  • If your tenancy is from a third party: signed proof of accommodation less than three months old + an ID card or a valid residence permit from the accommodation provider + a proof of address less than three months old stating the name of the accommodation provider..
• An original birth certificate with a translation completed in France by a sworn expert translator of the Court of Appeal. If the birth certificate was issued in French, that is all you need;
• 3 identical identification photos compliant with the ISO/ICE 19794-5 :2005 standard, less than six months old, 35x45 mm, against a light background, bare-headed, of your full head and uncropped.
• Your proof of student status for the current academic year (please note: enrollment certificates and pre-enrollment certificates do not count);
• Proof of funds: this should be no less than €615/month (proof that you have opened a bank account, deposit receipt, statement of financial responsibility from a third party, etc.)

Have you lived in France for a year (or longer) and wish to extend your stay? If you are studying and/or residing in Rhône, you must complete this procedure at the Préfecture du Rhône.
The renewal application comprises a section for everyone called the “core section” and a section that varies according to your situation.
You must provide the ORIGINAL and a PHOTOCOPY of each document.

• 3 identical identity photographs compliant with the ISO/ICE 19794-5 :2005 standard, less than six months old, 35x45 mm, against a light background, bare-headed, of your full head and uncropped.
• Your old residence permit or your visa stamped by the OFII
• All annotated pages of your passport (ID, OFII, old visa and entry stamp for France)
• If this is your first renewal (you do not yet have the residence permit, just the OFII stamp): your original birth certificate or a birth certificate with a translation completed in France by a sworn expert translator of the Court of Appeal.
• Proof of address less than three months old:
  • Water, electricity, landline or internet utility bill/proof of residence/rent receipt stamped by your housing agency. PLEASE NOTE: documents from private individuals and mobile phone bills will not be accepted.
  • If your tenancy is from a third party: signed proof of accommodation less than three months old + an ID card or a valid residence permit from the accommodation provider + a proof of address less than three months old stating the name of the accommodation provider.

• Proof of student status for the new academic year (not proof of pre-enrolment)
• Academic transcripts for both semesters last year (or all semesters taken since you have had your permit if you had a “multi-year” permit)
• Certificate of attendance for the previous year with the following line: “a été assidu en cours et s’est présenté aux examens” (“has attended classes and taken the examinations”)
• Proof of funds: this should be no less than €615/month (last three bank statements/ bank transfer attestation/ last three pay slips).
• You do not need to have €615 in your account when you apply but you must prove that you have an account in France that is operating normally.
• If a third party has financial responsibility: statement of their financial responsibility + ID + their last three payslips.
• Proof of social security cover: if you are under 28 years old, you must become a member of SMERRA or LMDE (student social security centers in France). If the words “affilié SMERRA/LMDE” (“member of SMERRA/LMDE”) appear on your proof of student status, you do not need to provide any further documentation. If not, you must provide a valid certificate as proof of your membership. Students over 28 years must join the general scheme and complete the necessary procedures through the Sickness Insurance Primary Fund (CPAM). An employment contract does not count as proof of your membership.

• Your hosting agreement signed by the host institution and the Préfecture officer.
• Go to Espace Ulys (http://www.espace-ulys.fr/) for support to guide you through the process!

• A cover letter detailing your professional career plans (optional)
• A pass certificate for your diploma if you already have it when you apply. If you have not yet received it, the Préfecture will request it at a later date.

A temporary residence permit (APS) is a document given to holders of a higher education diploma (a professional bachelor degree or Master’s) that enables them to reside in France for one year whilst they look for work related to their training.
PLEASE NOTE: you can only request an APS if:

• You received your diploma (professional bachelor degree or Master’s) the same year;
• You have a valid residence permit and have not yet finished your course (you still have to take your thesis defense or complete a work placement, etc.)

Where can you submit the application?

• Throughout the year at the Préfecture du Rhône (the “student” office is open Monday to Friday mornings from 8:45am);
• At the Students Welcome Desk (depending on the date and opening times) if your application is complete. You must submit incomplete applications at the Préfecture.

Please note: you must submit your application in person and provide originals and copies of all the requested documents.

Issue of the receipt

Once your renewal request has been filed (at the Students Welcome Desk or the Préfecture), the Préfecture will issue a receipt for your residence permit request. This document, which is valid for three months, proves that you have completed the administrative process in order to extend your stay in France. It enables you to travel and regularizes your situation whilst you are waiting for your residence permit to be made and issued by the Préfecture.
PLEASE NOTE: receipts, whatever they are for, are only valid with your old residence permit and a valid passport.

Issue of your residence permit

Residence permits are made by the Préfecture six to eight weeks after receiving your application. You can only collect it from the Préfecture if you provide your passport, your old residence permit and photo identification for a tax stamp fee that varies according to the residence permit requested. The Préfecture will send a text to the mobile number provided when you submitted the application to tell you that the permit is ready and to remind you of the amount you need to pay.