Administrative formalities in France

CVEC (Contribution to Student and Campus Life)

All students enrolled in a higher education establishment in France must pay the CVEC, which amounts to103 euros (2024-2025 rate), before enrolling. This contribution is used to fund student services (access to health services, mobility aids, etc.). You can pay this contribution on the official website.

The following students do not have to pay the CVEC:

Exchange students(*) who spend a period of mobility in France do not have to pay or register for the CVEC. This applies to Erasmus students.
(*) International exchange: you are staying in France during the academic year under an agreement between your higher education institution and a higher education institution in France.
French government scholarship holders (CROUS), refugees, beneficiaries of subsidiary protection or asylum seekers are exempt: However, they must complete the online procedure on the website to obtain an acknowledgement of payment by exoneration.

The following are not exempt from the CVEC:

Foreign government scholarship holders (BGE)
Scholarship holders from a private organisation (e.g. foundation).

Step by step on how to register

Paying the CVEC online

Please note: once you have done this, you must send your proof of payment of the fee when you register with your school.

How do I find my CVEC code?

The CVEC code can be found on your CVEC payment certificate (under the heading “Certificate no.”). Once the payment has been made, you must download the payment certificate from your online administrative registration and enter your CVEC code. The document can be downloaded as many times as you like from the CVEC page.

What is my INE number?

Your personal INE number can be found on your French baccalauréat transcript or on your enrolment certificate from the previous year if you studied in France.
You do not have an INE number if this is your first enrolment in higher education in France and you come from abroad or have not been educated in the French national education system. CROUS will provide you with a provisional number, which will be replaced by the INE number allocated by your establishment.

I am registered at several universities. Do I have to pay the CVEC for each one?

No. You only have to pay the CVEC once a year. Confirmation of payment must be presented to each university in which you are registered.

I am a foreign student. Do I have to pay the CVEC?

Yes, if you pay university fees in France or if you obtain your degree in France.
No, if you are part of an exchange agreement(*) (e.g. Erasmus), you do not have to pay or register for CVEC.
(*) International exchange: you are still enrolled at the institution in your home country, but you are studying in France under an agreement between your higher education institution and a higher education institution in France.

I have a student grant. Do I have to pay the CVEC?

You do not have to pay the CVEC if you are:
– a scholarship student on social criteria managed by the CROUS
– a scholarship student from the French government (scholarship holders from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministries of Higher Education, Culture or Agriculture),
– a scholarship student financed by the regions for paramedical, health and social training.
However, even if you are exempt, you must complete the procedure online via the website in order to obtain an acknowledgement of payment by exemption. (See p. 20 for a step-by-step guide to the registration procedure).

The following people are not exempt from the CVEC:
– Scholarship holders from a private organisation (e.g. a foundation),
– Scholarship holders from a foreign government (BGE).

Visas and residence permits

Validation of the VLS-TS student visa

Holders of a VLS-TS (Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour) validate their visa online via the Administration Numérique des Étrangers en France (ANEF) platform. On this portal, holders of a VLS-TS validate their visa electronically and pay a €50 fee (Taxe de Première Délivrance). Once paid, the visa is validated and the holder can download a confirmation certificate, which can be printed and kept in the passport. Once payment has been made, the visa will be validated and the holder will be able to download a validation confirmation certificate, which can be printed and kept in the passport.
Click here to consult the guide to validating your VLS-TS visa on ANEF.

Algerian student

You hold a one-year Long Stay “D” visa, marked “Residence permit to be applied for within 2 months of arrival in France”.
You must apply for an Algerian residence permit on the Administration Numérique des Étrangers en France ANEF platform > “I am applying for or renewing a residence permit” > “Myself (aged 16 and over”) > “I only hold a long-stay visa”.

Minors attending school (long-stay visa)

Minors cannot validate their visa on the ANEF website. Within 2 months of reaching the age of majority (18), you must request an appointment at the Préfecture du Rhône at https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/premiere-demande-titre-sejour-prefecture-rhone to submit your application for a residence permit.

Renewal of residence permit

If you hold a residence permit that is due to expire and you wish to continue your studies at one of the IPL establishments, you must apply to renew your residence permit between 4 months and 2 months before your current permit expires. The application is made online, on the ANEF platform dedicated to foreigners in France.

Good to know

If your course of study includes a semester of mobility in a Member State of the European Union, when you apply for the issue or renewal of your “student” residence permit, and provided you meet all the conditions, attach a certificate from your educational establishment stating that your course of study is part of a mobility programme within the EU and indicate your specific request in the comments.

New

Since 16 July 2024, anyone applying for a residence permit must print and sign a “contract of commitment to respect the principles of the Republic” and add it to their application. This is compulsory, except for Algerian nationals, for whom it remains optional. If this contract is not sent to the prefecture, the processing time may be extended. We recommend that you upload this signed document to the “Domicile” section, which allows you to attach up to three documents.

Agreement to respect the principles of the Republic

Incoming students

Administrative formalities in France

CVEC (Contribution to Student and Campus Life)

How do I find my CVEC code?

What is my INE number?

I am registered at several universities. Do I have to pay the CVEC for each one?

I am a foreign student. Do I have to pay the CVEC?

I have a student grant. Do I have to pay the CVEC?

Visas and residence permits

Validation of the VLS-TS student visa

Algerian student

Minors attending school (long-stay visa)

Renewal of residence permit

Good to know

New

Lyon Polytechnic Institute

Our 4 schools

Administrative formalities in France

CVEC (Contribution to Student and Campus Life)

How do I find my CVEC code?

What is my INE number?

I am registered at several universities. Do I have to pay the CVEC for each one?

I am a foreign student. Do I have to pay the CVEC?

I have a student grant. Do I have to pay the CVEC?

Visas and residence permits

Validation of the VLS-TS student visa

Algerian student

Minors attending school (long-stay visa)

Renewal of residence permit

Good to know

New

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Lyon Polytechnic Institute

Our 4 schools