Student residence permits and VLS-TS renewals must be submitted online using the new ANEF (Digital administration for foreigners in France) platform. Students are no longer required to make an appointment with the Préfecture to submit their file.
Upon your arrival in France
Once in France, you must take certain steps to make sure that your stay in France is legal throughout your studies. These steps are different for each type of visa :
You have a Long Stay Student Visa valid as residence permit (VLS-TS étudiant)
Even if this visa is in itself a residence permit, you must validate it online within the first 3 months of your arrival in France.
The procedure is entirely digital: you can do everything remotely, at home, on your computer.
In order to do so you must connect to the ANEF platform and follow the procedure.
You will need to provide the following pieces of information:
- valid email address
- visa details
- entry date in France
- your postal address in France
You will also need a debit/credit card to pay the online tax of 60€ (check the portal for other payment terms).
You have a Long Stay Student Visa with an exemption of residence permit (VLST: “Visa Long Séjour Temporaire avec dispense de carte de séjour”)
You do not need to validate your residence permit with the Préfecture or follow the OFII procedure.
You are an Algerian citizen
You must apply for a residence permit upon your arrival in France. You must not validate yout visa online but submit a residence permit (titre de séjour) application using the ANEF platform.
You are under 18 and have a “mineur scolarisé” visa
You must submit an online application for a residence permit on the ANEF platform 2 to 3 months after your 18th birthday.
You have a Visa “Concours”
You must get in touch with your local Préfecture: Pref-etrangers@calvados.gouv.fr / Pref-etrangers@manche.gouv.fr / Pref-etrangers@orne.gouv.fr
You are a doctorate student with a Long Stay Visa “passeport talent – chercheur”
You must contact the UNICAEN Euraxess coordinator to inquire about the appropriate steps to take.
Renewal of a resident permit /first submission for Algerian students and students with a “mineur scolarisé” visa
Who can use the ANEF platform ?
- Renewing a residence permit– students with a valid residence permit (VLS-TS student visa or carte de séjour étudiant) ⇒ the file must be submitted no longer than 2 to 3 months before the expiration of the residence permit.
- Asking for a residence permit for the first time
- Algerian citizens with a long stay student visa ⇒ the file must be submitted upon arrival in France
- Students with a “Mineur scolarisé” visa ⇒ an online application for a residence permit must be submitted after the student’s 18th birthday.
This is the same website as the one you have used to validate your VLS-TS (also called OFII procedure). If you have validated your visa on this website, you already have an account. If you don’t already have an account, you must create one using the instructions on the welcome page.
ATTENTION: if your permit (visa or card) expired more than 6 months ago, you will not be able to use the platform. You must submit your application on the following website (for students living in Calvados only) : https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/pref14-sejour-etudiant-autre-etablissement
Students from Cherbourg/Alençon/Saint Lô: if your permit expired more than 6 months ago, get in touch with your local Préfecture.
The receipt (récépissé) has been replaced with a digital document called “Attestation de décision favorable”. This new digital document gives you the same rights as the récépissé. You will receive it on your ANEF account once your application has been processed. It is only a temporary document; when your residence permit (carte de séjour) is ready, you will be summoned by the Préfecture.
Reminder: processing and delivering residence permits are prerogatives of the Ministère de l’intérieur, represented locally by the préfecture. The University of Caen Normandie does not play any part in this process and cannot interfere with préfecture operations.
You have questions on how to build up your application? Send us an email: intl.titresdesejour@unicaen.fr
You have technical difficulties with the ANEF platform? Ask the assistance team for help through the “Nous contacter” tab.