My ultimate checklist
Before your arrival
- Identify your contacts in your PSL institution/school.
- Check if you need to apply for a visa. If so, reach out to the Campus France office of your country, at least three months before your expected departure. Complete the online Etudes en France pre-consular procedure. Gather all the documents needed to apply for your visa; then schedule a meeting with the French consulate.
- Look for accommodation. Gather all the information you need on PSL website's Housing section.
- Sign up on the Online Welcome Desk (the registration link and your access code have been sent to your by email);
- Sign up for a “Welcome Event”, organized either by your institution/school or by the PSL Welcome Desk (“Welcome Days”).
- Sign up for a "Buddy Program" (either from your institution or from PSL Partner@psl – if interested write an email to partner@psl.eu).
- If you have to pay the CVEC fee (and your credit card is accepted on the etudiant.gouv.fr platform), remember to pay the 91€ and to download the CVEC certificate.
- Register with a health/travel insurance plan to cover the period between your arrival in France until your registration at your institution/school.
- As soon as you receive the visa, book your flight (if your visa has not yet been granted, book a flight with flexible dates that enables you to change your departure date).
- If needed, sign up on VISALE.fr For more information, visit the Campus France page dedicated to VISALE.
- Send all the information related to your arrival to your "Buddy", your accommodation contact and the PSL Welcome Desk and your institution/school contact.
After your arrival
- If you couldn’t pay the CVEC before your arrival, make the payment (you cannot enroll in PSL without the CVEC certificate).
- Proceed to your enrollment in PSL (ask the administrative support officer of your study program what the enrollment process is) and get your enrollment certificate.
- Complete your application for VISALE by uploading the enrollment certificate.
- Visit the PSL Welcome Desk to discuss the paperwork you need to get done next.
- Attend a “Welcome Event”.
- If French is not your native language, sign up for a French class. If there is no French class available in your PSL’s institution/school, write an email to FLE
- Ask your "Buddy" to show you nice spots in Paris and give you a tour of the PSL campus.
- Open a bank account.
- Subscribe to a housing insurance scheme & civil liability insurance.
- If you have come to France on a “student” VLS-TS visa ("Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour") or a visa VLS-TS ("passeport talent chercheur") valid for less than 12 months, get your visa validated on the OFII platform.
- Make a request for a transportation card ImagineR or Navigo.
- If you are entitled to it, join the general French Social Security on the Ameli platform
- Make a simulation on the CAF website to check if you are entitled to financial support and submit an application to receive a housing allowance.
A few weeks after your arrival
- Find out about the PSL student organizations, the PSL orchestra and choir, the PSL Sport registration and the PSL Welcome Desk activities.
- As soon as you receive your student ID, activate your Izly chip in order to pay for lunch at the university cafeteria (CROUS).
- Stop by the PSL Welcome Desk to have a chat and enjoy coffee with the team!
- Reach out to the embassy of your home country in Paris / subscribe to their newsletter to stay tuned with the events they organize, and meet other students.
- Obtain your temporary Social Security number. From now on you can get medical expenses repaid.
During the year
- Receive your permanent Social Security number: you can now create your AMELI account, choose a primary care doctor and order your Carte Vitale.
- Renew your Titre de séjour 3 months before it expires via the ANEF portal.