Student residence card "mobility program"

Verified 03 October 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you are a foreigner student, you can do part of your studies within the the European Union under mobility. You must meet certain conditions. They are different depending on whether your studies are in France or in another European Union member country. We are taking stock of the regulations.

Studies in France

You can ask for the student residence card “mobility program” if the 2 following conditions the following shall be combined:

  • Come study in France
  • Be part of a European Union (EU) program, a multilateral program involving mobility measures in one or more EU Member States or an agreement between at least 2 higher education institutions located in at least 2 EU Member States.

You must apply for your residence card at the earliest 4 months and at the latest 2 months before the end of validity of your residence document (visa, VLS-TS or title).

The process is done online only:

Apply for a student residence permit

When you apply for a residence permit on the Internet, you immediately get a dematerialized certificate deposit.

You can check the status of your case at any time. You can also respond to any requests for additional information and take note of the decisions taken.

It may be necessary to go to the prefecture for a fingerprint (if it has not already been taken).

You must submit the following documents:

  • Long-stay visa or valid residence permit
  • If you are married and come from a country that allows polygamy : declaration on the honor of non-polygamy in France
  • Registration produced by the educational institution (which may be a public or private higher education institution) or pre-registration
  • Any documents produced by the institution justifying that your course is part of an EU mobility program
  • Transcripts from the previous year
  • Last degree obtained in France
  • Certificate of achievement issued by the institution
  • Proof of your resources (unless you have a short-stay visa "student contest") which must be at least €615 per month:
    • If you are a French government scholar or a beneficiary of European programs: justification for this situation
    • If you are a fellow in your country of origin: certificate from the paying agency of the country of origin specifying the amount and duration of the grant
    • If you work: your last 3 payslips
    • If you are taken care of by a third party: proof of identity of the third party + bank certificates of the planning of regular transfers (or certificate on the honor of payment of the sums enabling the amount of €615 / month)
    • If you have sufficient resources: bank attestation of sufficient credit balance

    In case of multiple resources, you must attach the proof of each resource.
  • If you do not have a valid long-stay visa or residence permit:
    • Full copy of birth certificate with the most recent entries
    • Passport (pages concerning civil status, validity dates, entry stamps and visas) or, if not, other supporting documents (consular certificate, identity card, consular card, etc.)

FYI  

Civil status documents must be accompanied by their translation into French by an accredited interpreter.

At the end of your case investigation, you will be in either of these situations :

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Your request is accepted

If your application is accepted, you are summoned to the prefecture for the issue of the title.

The card is given to you by the prefecture (or sub-prefecture) of your home.

Your request is denied

If the prefect has notified you of the refusal

The decision of the prefect is yours notified by reasoned letter (explicit decision). Except in exceptional circumstances, such refusal may be accompanied by a obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) setting the country to which you will be returned.

You can form a litigation before the administrative court (within 48 hours, 15 days or 30 days depending on the type of OQTF). You don't have to have a lawyer.

Who shall I contact
No reply from the prefect on your request

If the prefecture has not replied within 90 days, it's an implicit refusal.

You can then train within 2 months from such refusal :

Who shall I contact

You have to pay €75 by tax stamps.

The period of validity of the residence card varies according to the duration of the mobility program:

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The mobility program or agreement is less than 2 years

You receive a temporary residence card student mobility program valid for 1 year. It shall be renewable.

The mobility program or agreement is more than 2 years

You receive a multi-year residence card student mobility program valid for the duration of the program or agreement and for at least two years.

The student residence card “mobility program” allows its holder to work maximum 60% the annual working time (964 hours). The employer is dispensed to apply for a work permit.

Studies in another Member State

If you are studying in another EU country, you can stay in France under the mobility scheme.

The conditions to be fulfilled to stay in France under the mobility scheme are as follows:

  • Have a residence permit issued by another EU Member State
  • Be registered in a mobility programme
  • Have at least €615 /month.

The host institution in France must notify your mobility project to the minister responsible for immigration in France.

Project Notification

Mobility notification can be made:

  • When the application for a residence permit is lodged in 1er Member State, where mobility is already envisaged at this stage
  • Or after the issue of the residence permit within 1er Member country, as soon as the plan for mobility to France is known.

Documents to be attached to the file

The host institution shall notify the mobility by means of a form:

Request for mobility in France of a student authorized to stay in Europe

It must be accompanied by the following documents concerning you:

  • Copy of travel document
  • Copy of residence permit issued by 1er member country
  • Proof of sufficient resources (at least €615 per month)
  • Proof of health insurance
  • Proof that you are continuing your studies under a Union or multilateral program involving mobility measures, or an agreement between two or more higher education institutions
  • Proof that you have been accepted by a higher education institution in France.

Transmission of the dossier

The host institution shall send the form and the supporting documents by electronic means to the email address indicated on the form.

On receipt of the form and all the required documents, the Minister responsible for immigration shall register the notification. He then has 30 days to refuse the request for mobility.

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The request for mobility is accepted

Without explicit decision of refusal of mobility within the 30-day period, your request for mobility is accepted. You then have the right to reside on French territory with your residence permit issued by the 1er member country. You do not have to ask for a residence card in France.

You can come at any time during the period declared during the notification.

In the event of a change in the period of mobility, the host body must inform the Minister responsible for immigration.

The residence permit shall end on the date of the end of the mobility declared at the time of notification.

Mobility lasts up to 360 days.

The request for mobility is refused

The Minister responsible for immigration has 30 days to refuse the request for mobility from the time of registration of the notification.

Your request for mobility may be refused on one of the following grounds:

  • You do not have a valid travel document
  • You do not have a residence permit issued by the 1er Member State (or it does not cover the envisaged mobility period)
  • You don't have health insurance
  • You don't have enough resources
  • You are not enrolled in a higher education institution in France
  • Your host institution has been set up with the main purpose of facilitating the entry of foreigners
  • There is sufficient evidence to establish that you wish to stay in France for purposes other than those for which you are applying for admission
  • You're a threat to public order, public safety or public health.

The Minister responsible for immigration shall inform without delay and in writing on 1er Member State and the host institution of the refusal of mobility.

If your mobility request is accepted, you can work at maximum 60% the annual working time (964 hours). The employer is exempt from applying for a work permit.

Mobility can end in 2 different ways.

General case

The authorization to stay in France shall end on the date of the end of the mobility period declared to the Minister responsible for immigration.

The maximum duration of mobility is 360 days.

Withdrawal of the mobility authorization

The Minister responsible for immigration may withdraw the authorization to exercise mobility on any of the following grounds:

  • You do not have a valid travel document
  • You do not have a residence permit issued by the 1er Member State (or it does not cover the envisaged mobility period)
  • You don't have health insurance
  • You don't have enough resources
  • You are not enrolled in a higher education institution in France
  • Your host institution has been set up with the main purpose of facilitating the entry of foreigners
  • There is sufficient evidence to establish that you wish to stay in France for purposes other than those for which you are applying for admission
  • You're a threat to public order, public security or public health
  • You did not respect the limit of the annual working time allowed.

The Minister responsible for immigration shall inform without delay and in writing on 1er Member State and the host institution of the withdrawal from the exercise of mobility.