Prepare your stay

Prepare your stay

France: love, gastronomy, haute-couture and… paperwork!

It’s easy to get lost in the many administrative steps to take before and after your arrival at UNICAEN.

In order to enjoy your stay as serenely as possible, follow the guide:

Before your arrival

Application

There are three options to come and study at université de Caen Normandie :

Degree-seeking students (free-movers)

Études en France, Espaces Campus France, Parcoursup, E-candidat, prodécure DAP… There are many different ways to apply to UNICAEN, depending on your country of origin and of your prior level of studies.
To find out which procedure applies to your personal situation, you can have a look at the dedicated page (in French).

Application for master’s degrees

Applications for the UNICAEN Master’s degree in 2023/2024 will no longer be made via Études en France. The courses listed on the platform are open but will be subject to a parallel application procedure on eCandidat with a campaign scheduled to begin in March 2023. Once admitted, you must submit a pre-consular application through Campus France.

Exchange students (Erasmus+, OFNEC, ISEP, …)

Contact your university’s International relations department to find out if you are eligible for an international mobility program with UNICAEN.

Study French

Find out how to register for the University Diploma of French Studies (DUEF) on the course page.

Scholarship/Financial aid

UNICAEN does not offer scholarships to international students. However, you may be eligible for other types of funding.

Applications for scholarships should be made prior to your arrival and not once in France.

Student visa and residence permit

Once you have received your nominative letter of admission (which can be downloaded on your online profile for students following the Etudes en France procedure), you must apply for a student visa, using your online Etudes en France profile.

If your country of residence is not connected to the Campus France network, you must then contact the French consular authorities of your country of residence to submit your visa application.

The France-Visas simulator “Do I need a visa?” helps you know if you need a visa, what type, and what procedure you need to follow in order to apply.

Long Stay Student Visa valid as residence permit (VLS-TS étudiant)

It allows you to study in France for a period of four months to a year. When it expires, you must apply for a residence permit to stay in France.

It gives you the right to:

  • travel freely in all countries of the Schengen area
  • work 964 hours a year
  • receive housing benefits (VISALE, CAF etc.) and social security
  • extend your stay beyond the validity of your visa by applying for a residence permit at the local Préfecture

As a visa cannot be amended once in France, it is very important to apply for a visa fitted to your projects in France (studies, internship, competition etc.) before your departure.

If your programme involves compulsory mobility within the European Union, you must present a mobility certificate from the university to the consular services in order to obtain a student mobility visa. This visa will allow you to study in the European Union without having to apply for a visa for the country where you will be study in.

Final registration to the University of Caen Normandie

Face-to-face registration only* from July 04 to July 20 and August 16 to September 30. You must make an appointment beforehand: https://gest.unicaen.fr/rdv/accueil_deve.php

On the day of the appointment, don’t forget to bring along the necessary document, including the CVEC certificate!

The University’s Board of Directors has voted to partially exempt international students from the differentiated fees. However, these students are still required to pay registration fees at the rates applied to EU students (bachelor’s degree: 170€, master’s degree: 243€, doctorate: 380€, engineering degree: 601€ – 2022/2023 rates) as well as the CVEC of €100

*The terms of your registration at the University of Caen Normandy may vary according to your status and the application process you followed. In you have any doubt, contact the registation office: deve.inscriptions@unicaen.fr

In order to register, you must have previously applied and received a registration authorization.

Students in supervised mobility (Erasmus +, inter-university partnerships, OFNEC, etc.) and DUEF students are not concerned by these registration procedures.

Contact

International Support Service / Pôle support aux publics internationaux

Caen, Campus 1, Building i
Espace AAPI, 2nd floor, room li242
Tél. +33 (0)2 31 56 61 75 / +33 (0)2 61 56 59 54
intl.spi@unicaen.fr

Open from Monday to Thursday from 9am to 5:30pm and Friday from 9am to 5pm.
Outside these times, please contact us by email.