Student residence card "mobility program"

Verified 01 May 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

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

Studies in France

You can apply for the student residence card “mobility program” if the 2 following conditions are met:

  • Study or come to study in France
  • A European Union (EU) program, a multilateral program with 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 no earlier than 4 months and no later than 2 months before the expiry of your residence document (visa, VLS-TS or title).

The process is done only on the internet :

Apply for a student residence permit

When you submit your application for a residence permit on the internet, you will immediately receive a dematerialized certificate of deposit.

You can check the status of your file 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 fingerprinting (if it has not already been done).

You must submit the following documents:

  • Long-stay visa or valid residence permit
  • Proof of address less than 6 months old
  • Registration produced by the educational institution (which may be a public or private institution of higher education) or pre-registration
  • Any document produced by the institution justifying that your course is part of a mobility program within the European Union.
  • Transcripts of the previous year or attendance certificate
  • Last diploma obtained in France or 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 scholarship recipient or a beneficiary of European programs: proof of this situation
    • If you are a scholarship holder in your home country: certificate from the paying agency of the home country specifying the amount and duration of the scholarship
    • If you work: your last 3 payslips
    • If you are covered by a third party: proof of identity of the third party + bank certificates of the programming of regular transfers (or certificate on the honor of payment of sums allowing to reach the amount of €615 / month)
    • If you have sufficient resources: bank certificate of sufficient credit balance
    • In case of multiple resources, you must attach proof of each resource
  • Statement on the honor of no polygamy in France if you are married and are a national of a country that allows it

FYI  

Civil status documents in a foreign language must be accompanied by their translation into french by a certified translator/interpreter.

If you do not have a valid long-stay visa or residence permit:

  • Full copy of birth certificate with the most recent information
  • Passport (pages concerning civil status, dates of validity, entry stamps and visas) or, if not, other supporting documents (consular certificate, identity card, consular card, etc.).

At the end of the investigation of your file, 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 issuance of the title.

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

Your request is denied

The prefect notified you of the refusal

The prefect's decision is yours notified by reasoned letter (explicit decision). Unless otherwise specified, such refusal may be accompanied by a obligation to leave French territory (OQTF) determining 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). The use of a lawyer is not mandatory.

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

If the prefecture has not replied within 90 days, this is an implied refusal.

You can then train within 2 months from this refusal :

Who shall I contact

You have to pay €150 by tax stamps.

The validity period 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 1 year. It is renewable.

The mobility program or agreement is longer than 2 years

You receive a multi-year residence card student-mobility program valid for the duration of the program or agreement, of a minimum duration of 2 years.

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

Studies in another Member State

If you are studying in another EU member state, you can stay in France for up to 1 year under mobility.

The conditions to be met to stay in France for the purposes of mobility are as follows:

  • Have a student residence permit “mobility program” issued by another EU member country
  • Be registered in a mobility program
  • Have resources of at least €615  per month.

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

Project notification

The mobility notification may be made:

  • At the time of application for a residence permit in the 1er Member State, where mobility is already envisaged at this stage
  • Or after the issuance of the residence permit in the 1er Member country, as soon as the project of mobility to France is known.

Documents to be attached to the file

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

Application for mobility in France from a student authorized to stay in Europe

It must be accompanied by the following documents concerning you:

  • Copy of travel document
  • Copy of the residence permit issued by the 1er member country
  • Proof of sufficient resources (at least €615 per month)
  • Proof of health insurance
  • Proof of continuing studies in the framework of a Union program or a multilateral program with mobility measures, or of an agreement between two or more higher education institutions
  • Proof of acceptance in a higher education institution in France.

Transmission of the file

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

Upon 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 If you refuse mobility within 30 days, your request for mobility is accepted. You then have the right to stay on French territory with your residence permit issued by the 1er member country. You do not have to apply 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 entity 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 is for a maximum of 360 days.

The request for mobility is refused

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

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

  • Do not have a valid travel document
  • Do not have a residence permit issued by the 1er Member State (or does not cover the envisaged mobility period)
  • Not having health insurance
  • Not having sufficient resources
  • Not be enrolled in a higher education institution in France
  • Creation of the host institution with the main purpose of facilitating the entry of foreigners
  • Sufficient evidence to establish that you wish to stay in France for purposes other than those for which you are applying for admission
  • To be 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 country and the host institution of the refusal of mobility.

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

Mobility can end in 2 different ways:

General case

The authorization to stay in France ends 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 mobility authorization

The Minister responsible for immigration may withdraw the authorization to exercise mobility for one of the following reasons:

  • Do not have a valid travel document
  • Do not have a residence permit issued by the 1er Member State (or does not cover the envisaged mobility period)
  • Not having health insurance
  • Not having sufficient resources
  • Not be enrolled in a higher education institution in France
  • Creation of the host institution with the main purpose of facilitating the entry of foreigners
  • Sufficient evidence to establish that you wish to stay in France for purposes other than those for which you are applying for admission
  • To be a threat to public order, public safety or public health
  • Failure to comply with the limit on the annual authorized working time.

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