The Roadmap For France

The Roadmap: How to get settled in 8 steps

1. Find your home: Start with the housing platforms below to secure your studio.

- Non-EU Students: Landlords will strictly require a copy of your passport, your VLS-TS long-stay visa, and proof of financial self-sufficiency (usually a bank statement showing a minimum of €615/month)

2. Get your Guarantee: If you don't have a French guarantor, use the services listed to get your certificate in 24h.

- Non-EU Students: State-sponsored free guarantees (like Visale) are very difficult to obtain initially for Non-EU citizens. It is highly recommended to use paid private guarantor services like Garantme or SmartGarant.

3. Mandatory Insurance: Once you have your rental, don't forget to get your Assurance Habitation.

4. A French phone number is mandatory for 2 reasons:

- SMS activation codes

French online banks send you a verification code via SMS to confirm that it’s you. Without a +33 number, you can’t complete the account opening.

- Security and 2FA

Once you have your account, all large payments and settings changes require confirmation via SMS. The banking app won’t work without it.

5. Open your Bank Account: Necessary for your rent, salary, and—most importantly—to receive your CAF housing aid.

- Tip for Non-EU Students (Nickel Solution): Traditional French banks often reject Non-EU Students who do not have permanent documents.
To solve this, click on our official button [Get your RIB instantly with Nickel] right here to start the online application from France. It only takes 5 minutes.
You will need your biometric passport, a French phone number and a temporary postal address in France.
- How to get the card: After submitting the online form, you will receive a 5-digit code via SMS. Simply walk into any local tobacconist (Bureau de Tabac) in France, show them the SMS code and your passport, pay the annual card fee of 25 EUR and you will walk out instantly with your physical Mastercard and French RIB card!
- Crucial: Use a secure postal address (friend, temporary hotel, or student residence) because Nickel will mail a security activation code there within days to permanently validate your account.

6. Apply for CAF & CROUS: Once you have a bank account and a rental contract, apply for CAF for your monthly rent subsidy.

- CRITICAL 2026 UPDATE FOR NON-EU STUDENTS: Following recent French budget laws effective from July 1, 2026, self-funded Non-EU students are NO LONGER eligible for CAF housing benefits (APL/ALS).Who is still eligible? You can only get CAF if you are an EU/EEA citizen, OR if you are a Non-EU student holding an officially recognized scholarship (such as a French Government Scholarship or a CROUS social scholarship).

- If you do have a scholarship: You must officially validate your VLS-TS visa and pay the residence tax stamp within your first 3 months on the official ANEF Portal to release your CAF payouts. Expect severe financial pressure if you are self-funded, as you must pay 100% of your rent out of pocket.

7. Public Transport

8. Social Integration - Join ESN France or student orgs, language cafes, and events to make France feel like home.

- Non-EU Students (Working Rights): If you plan to work part-time, your student visa limits you legally to a maximum of 964 hours per year (60% of a standard full-time annual job).
- Mandatory Health Step: While integrating, you must urgently register for free French healthcare (Sécurité Sociale) on the official portal for international students: Ameli Étudiants Internationaux. Use your passport, validated visa, student certificate, and Nickel RIB to get your Carte Vitale medical card.