Do you benefit from a study or internerhip scholarship managed by Campus France? Campus France can provide with accommodation during your studies in France. Our teams will offer you a solution adapted to the duration of your stay and your resources. You can ask us for accommodation for one or more nights, a few weeks, several months or a whole academic year.
Long stays in a student residence
For long-term stays, i.e. longer than three months, Campus France offers you University Residences or Student Residences as a priority. If you are between 18 and 30 years old, Campus France will ask you to subscribe to the VISALE guarantee. You will receive more information about this scheme before you arrive in France.
University residences (public)
They consist either of so-called “traditional” rooms of 9 m2 (some of them are quite old and have not yet been renovated), with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities, or more spacious and comfortable rooms, similar to a studio.
Rents are much lower than in private accommodation, but it is very difficult to get a place. Campus France has a number of rooms in the main university cities, which are available in September depending on availability, with priority given to long stays; rent often has to be paid for 10 months by the student, regardless of the actual dates of stay.
University Residences require comprehensive home insurance.
The solutions offered by Campus France
Campus France works in Paris and in the regions with a large network of accommodation providers, in particular the university residences managed by the CROUS (Regional Centres for University and School Works, in English).
The choice of the type of accommodation is primarily linked to the duration of your stay, but also to the actual availability. These vary greatly depending on the type of accommodation, the time of year and the city.
For stays longer than 3 months, we do not have an unlimited offer.
Student residences (private)
They offer fully-equipped rooms or studios from 9 to 20 m², meeting the standards of comfort expected by all students today. In this type of accommodation, you will be completely independent and will rarely have access to communal areas, such as a cafeteria, reading room or sports hall. Rent is calculated on a monthly basis and your acceptance of this type of accommodation is binding for the duration of your stay.
Regardless of the type of residence, you will have to pay extra charges which you will pay directly:
- Electricity: you may have to sign a contract with the electricity company - EDF- and pay their bills directly.
- Insurance: it is mandatory to subscribe to a comprehensive home insurance policy, unless it is included in the rent of the residence, but it will not cover your personal belongings and computer equipment for which you must subscribe to a specific insurance.
- Miscellaneous subscriptions: television, telephone and Internet.
Early departures are possible as long as you respect the rules of notice that will have been given to you according to the type of accommodation, especially for long stays.
Short stays in hotels, youth hostels or hotel residences
In these establishments, the rate, and therefore your financial contribution, is calculated per night. In case of early departure, we will tell you the amount of the financial contribution that can be refunded to you. (In any case, you will not be able to get the full amount back)
For short stays, which means, for up to about three months, Campus France will give priority to hotels and hotel residences.
Hotels
The selected hotels are two-star establishments or youth hostels, in shared rooms. The hotels are primarily intended for stays of less than a week.
The service includes overnight stay, breakfast and tourist tax.
A hotel room is generally available from 14.00 on the day of arrival and must be vacated by 11.00 on the day of departure. You must pay for all personal expenses (use of the bar, telephone, pay-per-view TV) upon departure and when handing over the keys.
Hotel residences
Hotel residences offer fully-equipped studios or two-room flats, in which you have complete autonomy since you have a kitchen. These are 2- and 3-star establishments primarily intended for internships lasting more than one month, or for certain educational programmes for high- level researchers and administrative executives. Breakfast is generally not included.
The studios are available from 15:00 or 16:00 on the day of arrival, and must be vacated before 10:00 on the day of departure.
Your rent
In a public university residence
If you are a student and you get accommodation in a university residence, rent is between €200 and €300 for a standard room, €600 for a studio. You will pay your rent directly to your residence and will be asked to pay around €80 reservation fee once Campus France has given you the address of your residence.
In a hotel, in a hotel residence or in a (private) student residence
Rents are higher than in a student residence, but thanks to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, you will only pay a portion.
If you have a social security grant, you are not entitled to have part of your rent paid.
Aid from the CAF (Caisse d'allocations familiales)
If you are a student living in a public university residence or a private student residence, you may be eligible for social housing benefits which are managed by the Family Allowance Fund (CAF). Depending on the type of accommodation you live in, you may receive money directly to help you pay your rent. In this case, you receive the ALS (Social Housing Allowance). In some cases, your landlord receives this aid and reduces your rent by the same amount.
You can find all the information on the website caf.fr, as well as calculations on the amount you can receive. The amount depends on the city in which you live and the amount of resources you have. You must apply to the Family Allowance Fund if you wish to receive this assistance.
Phone: 0810 29 29 29
What you are commited to?
You will have to respect the obligations and rules required by the residence.
These include access to your accommodation, insurance, respect and maintenance of the room or flat, deposit and payment of damages.
In addition, you will have to pay any housing taxes you may owe directly to the tax office. These only concern long stays and certain categories of accommodation. Our teams will always be available to help you with your administrative procedures.
If you decide to look for accommodation without the help of Campus France, the owner of your flat will probably ask you to provide a “joint and several guarantee”. This means that you will have to find someone to pay for you if you cannot pay your rent.
This person is often called a “guarantor”. Landlords usually require the guarantor to live in France. There is a public guarantee scheme for foreign students who cannot find a guarantor: VISALE (Rental Deposit).
More information can be found at visale.fr
We strongly recommend that you apply before your arrival in France.