Find accommodation for your first weeks
It also serves as proof of accommodation for the visa.
How to do it
Visale requires a student VLS-TS visa that has already been issued: you cannot use it as proof of accommodation for the visa. Plan a temporary solution in the meantime.
- 1As soon as your admission is confirmed, contact the housing office or international office of your future institution: some keep rooms for international students.
- 2Create your account on messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr, then keep an eye on trouverunlogement.lescrous.fr: as an international student, you can apply for Crous housing during the complementary phase, for the remaining places.
- 3Prepare your proof of accommodation for the visa: a lease, a hotel booking, a certificate from the person or institution hosting you, or failing that a letter explaining how you plan to find housing.
- 4As soon as your student VLS-TS visa is issued, create your account on visale.fr and apply for the Visale guarantee: it is free and can replace a guarantor in France.
- 5Wait until you have your Visale certificate before signing the lease, then send it to the landlord or the Crous with your rental file.
What you need
- Passport
- Admission or pre-registration certificate
- Student VLS-TS visa (for the Visale application)
- Proof of student status (for Visale)
- Accommodation certificate signed by your host, if someone is hosting you
- Visale certificate or guarantor agreement for the rental file
Tips
- Crous residences are the cheapest option, but places are allocated by social priority: always keep a fallback for your first weeks.
- Staying with a relative or a temporary booking is enough for the visa: you can look for stable housing once you are in France.
- Be wary of listings that ask for a bank transfer before any viewing or signed contract.
A question about this step?
“Find accommodation for your first weeks”: ask Mbeng, the answer comes from the guides and official sources.