Welcome to ESC Pau Business School

It is not always easy to find student accommodation when you are in another country. However, the housing solutions are many and varied.
One piece of advice: start your search several weeks before you apply for a visa so that you can include your lease agreement or proof of your future address in France (if required) in your visa application, and do not hesitate to contact us if you need advice.

Before you start your search, you should know what your budget is and what type of accommodation you are looking for: studio, apartment, house, flat share or lodging with a home owner...

We strongly advise you to look for furnished accommodation. The prices may be a little higher, but you will have everything you need to settle in straight away: bed, chairs, table, fridge, sometimes a few dishes or a microwave… Read the description of what is offered very carefully.

Be careful when signing a contract. Once you have signed, you are legally obliged to meet the payments. Most of the time, the minimum rental period is one school year, i.e. 9 months. In case of visa refusal, you will have to pay the rent due even if you didn’t move into your accommodation or get the keys. To be released from the lease, inform your landlord at least 1 month in advance and pay the rent until the end of the notice period.

How do you go about renting in France?

How do I find a guarantor regarding housing?

If you deal with a private owner or a real estate agency, you will need financial guarantees, i.e. someone to act as a guarantor for you and who will pay the rent if you do not. Your guarantor can be one of your parents, a family member or someone close to you. Anyone who has fixed incomes in France or abroad and earns at least 3 times your rent.

If this is not possible, you can get a guarantee externally:

• Free of charge with VISALE (visale.fr). Open to all young people between 18 and 30 years old.
• For a fee with Studapart or Garantme. Fees represent 3.5% of the rent, including charges, over the entire duration of the lease.

Where to look?

ESC Pau BS has an accommodation platform that will enable you to find somewhere to live in Pau.

The procedure for reserving accommodation remotely is simple and does not require you to supply lots of documents as proof of your parents’ or your guarantor’s income. Simply upload a copy of your passport/ID and the letter of acceptance from the School.

You will be asked to pay a processing fee, however. The amount depends on the length of your stay in the accommodation. You will find details of the cost that corresponds to your situation directly on the platform, when you consult the available offers.

In addition to these costs, you must also pay the first month’s rent in advance and pay the security deposit directly to the landlord when the keys are handed over. The reservation is confirmed by an online payment by credit card, after getting the go-ahead from the landlord.

More information about Studapart

You can also look at property hunting websites and contact the landlords or agencies directly, by e-mail or phone (For the moment, most of these websites are only in French!):

Le Bon Coin, Logic-immo, Seloger or Immojeune, Bienici

Am I eligible for any benefits?

You can get help to pay your rent from the Family Allowance Fund (CAF): this allowance is called Personal Housing Benefit (Aide Personnalisée au Logement - APL).

This monthly allowance depends on certain conditions: income, type of accommodation, etc. Do a simulation to find out the approximate amount!

WARNING: To claim this benefit, you should apply as soon as you enter the accommodation. The first instalment is usually paid two or three months after the claim is made and no allowance is paid for the first month of renting.

How do I obtain a Visa?

If you are not a European Union national, you must obtain a long-stay visa (visa de long séjour), issued by French consulates.

This long-stay visa is a valid residence permit for students, abbreviated to VLS-TS "étudiant”, and allows you to stay in France for four months to one year to follow a higher education course. This entitles you to:

• travel freely in all Schengen Area countries,
• work 964 hours per year to supplement your income,
• use VISALE, the free security deposit scheme for student accommodation rentals,
• receive housing benefit from the CAF, the family allowance fund,
• extend your stay beyond the period of validity of the residence permit you have been issued.

You can find all the information you need on Campus France.

Where to apply?

1/ On the Etudes en France website, if your country of origin is eligible

Which countries are affected by the “Etudes en France” procedure?

This platform is entirely paper-free, so you can deal with all your enrolment procedures for a higher education institution online, including applying for a visa. Simply create a personal online account and follow the instructions.

Etudes en France website

If Campus France validates your form, you will have to pay an application fee and have an individual interview to discuss your study / professional projects and your motivation.

• Have I choosen the right studies for my professional project?
• What is the objective of the program? Does the training correspond to my aspirations?
• Does the pedagogical concept reflect my interests? Does it fit my requirements?
• What is the duration of the training? Are the internships obligatory? Can I do an apprenticeship?
• How much does it cost? Do I have the financial means?
• Is the school recognized by the French State?

You should also prepare your arrival in France by thinking about housing, means of subsistence to live in France, the study costs etc.

Ask yourself the right questions!

Once Campus France has given its prior approval, you can apply for a visa. Thanks to Etudes en France, your application will be automatically transmitted to the French consular authorities of your country of residence.

Check the box "I agree to receive information about my files on my personal email address" to receive the follow-up messages on your email address.

We advise you to contact the local office of Campus France in your country of residence to obtain further information.

2/ Or directly to the French consular authorities in your country of residence

What supporting documents are required?

As well as the usual documents (photograph, passport/ID, latest transcripts and/or diplomas, letter of acceptance from the school), you must provide proof of an address in Pau and sufficient means of subsistence to live in France.

How to find accommodation?

It is not always easy to find student accommodation when you are in another country. However, the housing solutions are many and varied.
One piece of advice: start your search several weeks before you apply for a visa so that you can include your lease agreement or proof of your future address in France (if required) in your visa application, and do not hesitate to contact us if you need advice.

Before you start your search, you should know what your budget is and what type of accommodation you are looking for: studio, apartment, house, flat share or lodging with a home owner...

We strongly advise you to look for furnished accommodation. The prices may be a little higher, but you will have everything you need to settle in straight away: bed, chairs, table, fridge, sometimes a few dishes or a microwave… Read the description of what is offered very carefully.

Be careful, booking an accommodation commits you to a landlord. You sign a contract. Most of the time, the minimum rental period is one school year, i.e. 9 months. In case of visa refusal, you will have to pay the rent due even if you didn’t move to your accommodation and get the keys. To be released from the lease, inform your landlord at least 1 month in advance and pay the rent until the end of the notice period.

How do you go about renting in France?

How do I find a guarantor regarding housing?

If you deal with a private owner or a real estate agency, you will need financial guarantees, i.e. someone to act as a guarantor for you and who will pay the rent if you do not. Your guarantor can be one of your parents, a family member or someone close to you. Anyone who has fixed incomes in France or abroad and earns at least 3 times your rent.

If this is not possible, you can get a guarantee externally:

• Free of charge with VISALE (visale.fr). Open to all young people between 18 and 30 years old.
• For a fee with Studapart or Garantme. Fees represent 3.5% of the rent, including charges, over the entire duration of the lease.

Where to look?

ESC Pau BS has an accommodation platform that will enable you to find somewhere to live in Pau.

The procedure for reserving accommodation remotely is simple and does not require you to supply lots of documents as proof of your parents’ or your guarantor’s income. Simply upload a copy of your passport/ID and the letter of acceptance from the School.

You will be asked to pay a processing fee, however. The amount depends on the length of your stay in the accommodation. You will find details of the cost that corresponds to your situation directly on the platform, when you consult the available offers.

In addition to these costs, you must also pay the first month’s rent in advance and pay the security deposit directly to the landlord when the keys are handed over. The reservation is confirmed by an online payment by credit card, after getting the go-ahead from the landlord.

More information about Studapart

You can also look at property hunting websites and contact the landlords or agencies directly, by e-mail or phone (For the moment, most of these websites are only in French!):

Le Bon Coin, Logic-immo, Seloger or Immojeune, Bienici

Am I eligible for any benefits?

You can get help to pay your rent from the Family Allowance Fund (CAF): this allowance is called Personal Housing Benefit (Aide Personnalisée au Logement - APL).

This monthly allowance depends on certain conditions: income, type of accommodation, etc. Do a simulation to find out the approximate amount!

WARNING: To claim this benefit, you should apply as soon as you enter the accommodation. The first instalment is usually paid two or three months after the claim is made and no allowance is paid for the first month of renting.

Visa validation

As soon as you arrive in France, you must validate your visa on the site of the French Office of Immigration and Integration:

You will need:

• a valid e-mail address
• the information shown on your visa
• the date you entered France
• your accommodation address in France
• a credit card to pay the tax for the residence permit online

This simple procedure is compulsory and it is your responsibility to carry it out within 3 months of your arrival. If you fail to comply, you will no longer be a legal resident and you will not be able to re-enter the Schengen Area or request a residence permit the following year to continue your studies at ESC Pau BS.

Download and Keep a copy of the confirmation of the validation. You will be asked for it at a later date.

Bank; account, phone contract

Opening a bank account in France will make everyday life easier for you, especially when paying bills (electricity, phone, rent), for most of your expenses, for receiving reimbursements for your health costs and to avoid carrying too much cash and with your bank account identification (RIB)….

And with your bank account identification (RIB), you can easily set up direct debits for your various subscriptions.

When you arrive in Pau, you can open an account in any bank, by appointment. Compare the offers from the different banks. The cost of a cash withdrawal card, bank charges, international transfers and withdrawals abroad can vary considerably from one bank to another.

If you want to save time and complete this formality remotely, ESC Pau BS can open an account for you in a partner bank, before you arrive. The same for the phone subscription with Internet, we do all we can to simplify things for you!

Registration at the school

In order to finalize your registration at the school, you will need to provide us these 2 documents:

Payment certificate of the CVEC

CVEC is the Student and Campus Life Contribution (Contribution Vie Etudiante et de Campus). It costs €100 and payment is compulsory for all students enrolling in a higher education institution.

It was introduced in March 2018, and its purpose is to improve student life, welcome students more effectively, provide support in social, health and cultural issues and fund specific events.

You can pay it online as soon as you get your visa or in cash when you arrive by going to a French Post Office.

• First register on the website messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr
• Then log in to the dedicated website cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr

Find Département 64 for ESC Pau BS and click on “Je n’ai pas de numéro INE.” (I have no Student Identification Number).

Public liability insurance certificate

This insurance protects you in the event of any damage that you cause to another person in everyday life and you must show proof of cover when you enrol at the School.

It is included in home insurance, but if you don’t have this, then you should contact a private insurer.

If your file is not complete, we will not be able to give you your student card, the access codes to your personal ESC Pau BS account, nor the certificate of education, needed to finalize some procedures.

Health

1/ Health insurance

Affiliation to the General Health Insurance Scheme is free and compulsory. You should register as soon as you have enrolled at School to entitle you to be reimbursed for part of your healthcare costs (65%). Register online by logging on to etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr.

You will then be able to track your reimbursements and get lots of useful information when you create your account on ameli.fr.

2/ Complementary health insurance or "mutuelle" in French

We strongly recommend that you take out top-up health insurance so that virtually all your expenses can be covered, especially in the event of hospitalisation. These policies are optional but can be very useful. Without this additional cover, the cost that you are left to pay can be high.

Make enquiries from a student mutuelle or other body and ask for a quote that corresponds to your situation and needs.

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