Preparing. for. Departure. The final stage before your arrival in France.

Transcription

1 Preparing for Departure The final stage before your arrival in France. 01

2 01 1 BEFORE YOU LEAVE ONLINE PRIVATE AREA CAMPUS PASS OR WELCOME LEAFLET VISA ACCOMMODATION MONEY CONTACTS

3 Campus France and you 1 BEFORE YOU LEAVE For close on 50 years, Campus France, the leading French agency for the promotion of higher education, reception of students and international mobility, has been dedicated to welcoming and supporting scholarship holders from all over the world, throughout their stay in France. The French government has awarded you a training scholarship and Campus France has been commissioned to prepare, organise and manage this stay abroad which will be so important for your future. For many of you, this visit to France will undoubtedly be your first: the subtleties of the language, the legal and administrative framework, the social and cultural environment are just some of the many aspects you may find new or complicated. This Document Preparing for Departure has been specially designed to help you prepare for your trip to France. It contains a wealth of information you will need to organise your trip and for your reception. Don t worry; we care for you, we care for everything. We look forward to seeing you soon, The Campus France team Departure

4 Internet 2 ONLINE Private Area Campus France has set up your own online Private Area which you can access via our website at In it, you will find: Detailed information on the services provided by Campus France This information will be invaluable at the time of your departure and during your stay in France, and we recommend you read it carefully. Your dossier Your dossier number will be essential whenever you contact us at Campus France. You can also use it to track the payment of your grant and any reimbursements of expenses. Your contacts This page is your permanent point of contact and the simplest way of staying in touch with Campus France. Any questions you have should be directed here, and they will immediately be forwarded to the person in charge of your dossier. Memorise your access codes To log on to your online Private Area, you will need to use the personal, confidential access codes which have been sent to you by . If you have lost or forgotten your codes, simply click on Forgotten your password? and we will issue you with new passwords. Online Information Sheet When you log on to your online Private Area for the first time, you will be asked to complete an online Information Sheet. Your answers will help us to prepare for your arrival and arrange the first payment of your stipend. The Information Sheet is divided into three sections: You Your trip Your accommodation. It would be very helpful if you would complete the form online as soon as possible. Thank you.

5 M., Mme, Melle (Nom : orthographe du passeport) prénom(s) né(e) le lieu de naissance nationalité adresse dans le pays d origine (à compléter par le boursier) code postal... ville a été déclaré(e) boursier(e) du gouvernement français autre bourse : pour une durée de à compter du.. n de dossier Égide date nom et signature Cachet diplomatique, autre instance M., Mme, Melle (Nom : orthographe du passeport) prénom(s)... né(e) le lieu de naissance nationalité a été déclaré(e) boursier(e) du gouvernement français autre bourse :... date... nom et signature Cachet diplomatique autre instance 01 Arrival 3 Campus or the Welcome Leaflet? Before you leave, you will receive one or two documents: the Campus Pass,which will be ed to you by Campus France, the Welcome Leaflet ( Notice d accueil ) which will be issued to you by the Cultural Section of the French Embassy. The Campus Pass This document contains a summary of the details of your stay: reception, accommodation, stipend, any transfers, etc. It is sent to you when your stay is planned well in advance and prepared by Campus France. We recommend that you read it carefully and print out a copy to keep with you at all times when you leave. You may be asked to present it on arrival. The Welcome Leaflet This document contains all the instructions on what to do when you first arrive in France. Once you arrive at your destination airport, follow the instructions carefully; they will explain how to reach your temporary BIENVENUE Égide, chargé de vous accueillir et d assurer la gestion de votre bourse, vous souhaite un agréable séjour en France. Si vous avez reçu votre Pass Égide, suivez uniquement les indications du Pass Égide Si vous n avez pas reçu votre Pass Égide, suivez les indications de cette notice qui vous permettront de rejoindre facilement et gratuitement Égide ou votre lieu d hébergement, quels que soient votre heure et votre lieu d arrivée. ATTENTION Dans tous les cas munissez-vous d un de ces documents (Pass ou notice) pour votre arrivée en France. S E P T E M B R E / S E P T E M B R E VOTRE NOTICE D ACCUEIL On s occupe de vous On s occupe de tout accommodation free of charge, whatever your time or place of arrival. The Welcome Leaflet will be issued to you by the French Embassy if you do not have an Campus Pass. WELCOME Welcome to France from Égide, your scholarship management organisation. If you already have your Égide Pass, only follow the instructions on this pass. If you have not yet received your Égide Pass, please follow the instructions given in this notice which tell you how to easily get to Égide or your accommodation free of charge whatever your time or place of arrival. IMPORTANT Please make sure that you have at least one of these two documents with you (Pass or Notice) when you arrive in France. FEUILLE À CONSERVER PAR LE BOURSIER ET À REMETTRE À ÉGIDE IDENTITY FORM TO BE KEPT BY SCHOLARSHIP - HOLDER FOR SUBMISSION TO ÉGIDE Lettre de présentation Identity form for Égide FEUILLE DÉTACHABLE PAR LES SERVICES DE L AÉROPORT IDENTITY FORM TO BE DETACHED AND KEPT BY ÉGIDE CONTACT AT AIRPORT identification du boursier identity form for airport contact IMPORTANT : If you receive both documents, it is the Campus Pass instructions you should follow on arrival at the airport in France.

6 Visa 4 Your VISA Before departure Depending on your nationality, you may need to obtain a visa for your stay in France. If so, your visa will be issued by the French Consulate. As the holder of a French government scholarship, the formalities will be made simpler for you, but your status does not give you an automatic right to a visa. We recommend that you start completing the formalities now, if you have not already done so. There are several types of visa, depending on the nature and duration of your stay: a long-stay visa, known as a category D student or scientist visa, for periods of 3 months and upwards, a short-stay visa, known as a category VLS TS visa, for periods of under 3 months. Your visa will be issued before your departure by the French Consulate in your home country, according to the length and nature of your stay, along with an attestation request form from the French Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII). This form MUST be stamped by the Consulate issuing your visa. In the document Day to day details of your stay, you will find all the necessary information about your residence permit, which you will need if making a long stay. For more information about visas and current regulations: see and click on Preparing for Departure Residence permit

7 Student residence 5 ACCOMMODATION If you asked assistance for housing via the Information Sheet in your online Private Area, Campus France will offer you suitable accommodation, depending on the duration of your stay and availability. Our team will do their best to find you accommodation near your place of study, with easy access by public transport. A wide range of accommodation options Campus France works with an extensive network of hotels and halls of residence, both in Paris and around France. The choice of accommodation type depends on the length of your stay and availabilities at the time of your arrival; these may vary according to the time of year and your destination. Useful information during major trade fairs or international conferences, hotel accommodation can be severely limited, at the start of the academic year, student residences fill up quickly and no new places are available before January, as a general rule, we will only be in a position to make you one offer. How to request accommodation? You should make your request via the Information Sheet in your online Private Area. You may request accommodation for one or more nights, several weeks, several months or an entire year, but this period may not exceed the duration of your scholarship. Short stay (under 3 months): Accommodation will in general be in a university hall of residence or private hotel or apartment residence. This is charged at a nightly rate. Your contribution to the cost is deducted from your stipend and will represent a maximum of 33% of your stipend. Campus France will handle the payment of the rent to the hotel or hall of residence. However, you will be responsible for paying for personal expenses, such as minibar or telephone. Hotel residence

8 Accommodation Long stay (over 3 months): Campus France will in general offer you accommodation in university halls of residence or private residences. University halls of residence: These are managed by the CROUS university residence service, and are reserved exclusively for students. Priority is given to students completing a full year of study. Located close to the university campus, libraries and the university restaurant, they offer furnished single rooms or self-contained studio apartments. Rents are much lower than in private residences (under 200 per month for a standard room), but vacancies in this type of accommodation are very rare. Thanks to Campus France, your dealings with CROUS would be much simpler. You will be requested to pay your rent each month at your hall of residence. NB: the number of available rooms is limited, particularly in Paris. It is therefore important that you submit your request as soon as possible. From October onwards the rooms are already occupied and it becomes much more difficult to locate free rooms. Private student residences: These consist mainly of fully furnished self-contained studio (one-room) apartments, and sometimes single rooms. Rents vary considerably (from a minimum of 350 / 400 per month and up to 850 / 900 in Paris). As a holder of a French government scholarship, however, you will only be required to pay part of this cost, amounting to around one third of your stipend. Some residences may also require you to pay certain charges directly: electricity, insurance, and subscriptions to services such as telephone or television. A refundable deposit may also be required before moving into the apartment. If you arrange your own accommodation: You will have to negotiate the contractual conditions (reservation, lease as required) and financial terms (payment of rent and deposit) with your landlord. Rent

9 Accommodation Useful information What is a security deposit? This is a sum of money which you pay to the landlord at the beginning of your rental period. This sum is refunded at the end of your rental after an inventory to ensure that you have left the property in good condition. In the event of any damage to the property or its furnishings, part or all of the deposit may be withheld by the landlord. What is collateral security? The owner of your apartment will no doubt ask you to find a person who undertakes to paying in your place if you can no longer pay your rent. This person is often referred to as a guarantor. Landlords generally demand that the guarantor be someone resident in France. There is a public collateral security scheme designed for students who cannot find a guarantor in France. For more information see Rent

10 Residence 6 MONEY Your stipend The scholarship you have been awarded may be: a training scholarship (in French : bourse de stage ), for non-degree training or for research works, or a study scholarship (in French: bourse d études ) leading to a formal university or engineering/business school (in French: grande école ) degree. or a Social Security grant The amount of your stipend is set by the French government. The Cultural Section of the French Embassy in your country determines this amount, which cannot be modified. For more details on the amount of your grant, please consult our detailed guide on study grants, course grants and social security grants. These are available in your online Private Area. Payment of your stipend First payment: If you provide us with enough advance notice of the date of your arrival in France and your flight number, we can arrange for the first payment of your stipend to be made available for you in cash at the airport in Paris, at one of the Travelex Bureau de Change. If you are staying for less than 45 days, the full amount of your grant will be paid to you at the airport Travelex counter. Important: Please take great care of the money you receive, since Campus France cannot reimburse you if it is lost or stolen. Useful information In the first days following your arrival in France, you will need to cover the following expenses from your own pocket: food and transport costs, membership of a supplementary health insurance scheme (in French: mutuelle complémentaire santé ) if you are a student, and possibly a security deposit on your accommodation, comprehensive home insurance, depending on the type of accommodation. Bring along with you a minimum amount of cash before you leave. 80 should cover your first expenses.

11 Practical guide 7 CONTACTS How to contact Campus France? We have provided a contact form on your online Private Area on the Campus France website: Use the form to submit any questions you might have, and these will be forwarded directly to the Campus France staff member handling your dossier. Campus France stays in touch with you Once you have arrived in France, your online Private Area will give you access to the document entitled Day to day details of your stay. This contains information about residence permits, how your stipend will be paid, your insurance, cultural activities, etc. You will also have access to full and detailed information, should you wish, on the regulations governing French government scholarships and on accommodation. Remember At any time, you can check your dossier and detailed information about the services provided by Campus France by logging on to your online Private Area: Contacts