Sitemap: study and life in France

A complete guide from the education system to visas, housing and official resources

The Bac, Licence, Master and Doctorat structure

Direct application, Campus France and understanding the French education system

What documents you need and what language level is required

Interview structure, the kinds of questions, and real language-course examples

Approximate amounts, required documents and how it links to the Campus France file

Real files from language courses, university programs and art/architecture fields

From dorms and Studapart to guarantors, deposits and home insurance

Main Campus France, Études en France, CROUS, Studapart sites and catalogs

Work, startups, internships, arts and freelancing

A complete, realistic guide to the first days and weeks after arrival

A complete guide to applying for a Master's in France via monmaster.gouv.fr

Campus France, VFS, the embassy, translators, OFII/visa validation, insurance, CAF, housing guarantees and residence terms

Register with Ameli, follow your affiliation and get your Carte Vitale.

Understand mutuelle and C2S, apply and keep your cover active.

Check your visa, validate through ANEF and save the confirmation.

Prepare academic evidence, submit your file and follow the decision.

Request an attestation d’accueil at your town hall and send it to your visitor.

Check foreign-licence validity, exchange rules and French driving tests.

Choose a bank or neobank, gather documents, and know the free droit au compte route if you're refused.

Pick a classic or no-commitment operator, gather the documents, and check coverage first.

Build your rental file, arrange a guarantor or Visale, and get mandatory home insurance before key handover.

The 2026 eligibility change for non-EU students, the documents needed, and how to apply online.

The difference between the main and supplementary rounds, and how international students apply on the CROUS platform.

The annual hour cap that needs no separate authorisation, what the employer must do, and the main exceptions.

Who still needs the medical visit, how the invitation works, and its link to the republican integration contract (CIR).

The student discount, how it differs by French region, and tips on paying for annual or monthly cards.

From your first health cover to renewing your residence permit. Take it one step at a time.

The Ain department is located in southeastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, bordering Switzerland to the east near the city of Geneva. Its…

The Aisne department is located in northern France, in the Hauts-de-France region, and its center is the quiet city of Laon. The department is mainly…

The Allier department is located in central France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and its center is the city of Moulins, though its better-known…

The Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department is located in southeastern France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, and its center is Digne-les-Bains.…

The Hautes-Alpes department is located in southeastern France, at the heart of the French Alps and on the border with Italy, and its center is the city…

The Alpes-Maritimes department is located in southeastern France, along the French Riviera (Côte d'Azur), and its center is Nice, France's fifth-largest…

The Ardèche department is located in southeastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and its administrative center is Privas. It is well known…

The Ardennes department is located in northeastern France on the border with Belgium, and its center is Charleville-Mézières. A large part of the…

The Ariège department lies on the northern slopes of the Pyrenees mountains in southern France, and its center is the small town of Foix. It is known for…

The Aube department is located in northeastern France, in the Grand Est region, and its center is Troyes, one of France's important medieval historic…

The Aude department is located in southern France, in the Occitanie region, near the Mediterranean coast, and its center is the historic city of…

The Aveyron department is located in south-central France, in the Occitanie region, in the heart of the mountainous plateaus of the Massif Central, and…

The Bouches-du-Rhône department is located in southern France, on the Mediterranean coast at the mouth of the Rhône river, and its center is Marseille,…

The Calvados department is located in northwestern France, in the Normandy region, along the English Channel, and its center is the city of Caen. It is…

The Cantal department is located in central France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and its center is the small town of Aurillac. It lies in the…

The Charente department is located in southwestern France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and its center is Angoulême, which hosts France's largest…

The Charente-Maritime department is located on the Atlantic coast in southwestern France, and its center is the beautiful port city of La Rochelle. With…

Cher department is located in central France, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, and its capital is the city of Bourges, whose Gothic cathedral is a…

Corrèze department is located in south-central France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, on the slopes of the Massif Central plateau, and its capital is…

Corse-du-Sud department is located in the southern part of the island of Corsica in the Mediterranean, and its capital is the coastal city of Ajaccio,…

Haute-Corse department is located in the northern part of the island of Corsica, and its capital is the port city of Bastia. It includes the Cap Corse…

Côte-d'Or department is located in eastern France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, and its capital is the historic city of Dijon. The department…

Côtes-d'Armor department is located in the north of the Brittany peninsula, on the English Channel coast, and its capital is the city of Saint-Brieuc.…

Creuse department is located in central France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and its capital is the small city of Guéret. It is one of the least…

Dordogne department is located in southwestern France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and its capital is the city of Périgueux. Also known by its…

Doubs department is located in eastern France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, on the Swiss border, and its capital is the city of Besançon. The…

Drôme department is located in southeastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, along the Rhône river, and its capital is the city of Valence.…

Eure department is located in northern France, in the Normandy region, between Paris and Rouen, and its capital is the city of Évreux. The department is…

Eure-et-Loir department is located in central France, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, and its capital is the city of Chartres, whose Gothic cathedral…

Finistère department is located at the westernmost point of the Brittany peninsula, on the Atlantic coast, and its capital is the port city of Brest. The…

Gard department is located in southern France, in the Occitanie region, near the Mediterranean coast, and its capital is the ancient city of Nîmes, which…

Haute-Garonne department is located in southwestern France, in the Occitanie region, and its capital is Toulouse, France's fourth-largest city and the…

The Gers department is in southwestern France, in the Occitanie region, at the heart of Gascony, and its capital is the small town of Auch. This is a…

The Gironde department is in southwestern France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, along the Atlantic coast and the Gironde estuary, and its capital is…

The Hérault department is in southern France, in the Occitanie region, on the Mediterranean coast, and its capital is Montpellier, one of France's…

The Ille-et-Vilaine department is in eastern Brittany, and its capital is Rennes, one of France's most dynamic student and technology cities. This…

The Indre department is in central France, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, and its capital is the city of Châteauroux. This is a rural, sparsely…

The Indre-et-Loire department is in central France, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, and its capital is the historic city of Tours. Located at the…

The Isère department is in southeastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and its capital is Grenoble, a university city and one of France's…

The Jura department is in eastern France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, along the Jura mountains and the Swiss border, and its capital is the…

The Landes department is in southwestern France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, along the Atlantic coast, and its capital is the small town of…

The Loir-et-Cher department is in central France, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, and its capital is the city of Blois. Located at the heart of the…

The Loire department is in southeastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and its capital is Saint-Étienne, a city with a strong industrial and…

The Haute-Loire department is in central France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, in volcanic mountain highlands, and its capital is the small,…

The Loire-Atlantique department is in western France, at the mouth of the Loire river and on the Atlantic coast, and its capital is Nantes, a city that…

The Loiret department is in central France, in the Centre-Val de Loire region, and its capital is Orléans, a city with deep historical ties to Joan of…

The Lot department is in southwestern France, in the Occitanie region, and its capital is the city of Cahors, whose historic bridge (Pont Valentré) is…

The Lot-et-Garonne department is in southwestern France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and its capital is the city of Agen, known for producing dried…

The Lozère department is in southern France, in the Occitanie region, in the northern part of the Cévennes mountain range, and its capital is Mende, the…

Maine-et-Loire is located in western France, in the Pays de la Loire region, with Angers as its capital, whose historic black castle is one of the major…

Manche is located in northwestern France, in the Normandy region, on the Cotentin Peninsula, with Cherbourg-en-Cotentin as its capital. The department is…

Marne is located in northeastern France, in the Grand Est region, with Reims as its capital, whose historic cathedral was the coronation site of the…

Haute-Marne is located in northeastern France, in the Grand Est region, with the small town of Chaumont as its capital. It is a sparsely populated, rural…

Mayenne is located in western France, in the Pays de la Loire region, with Laval as its capital. The department is rural and agricultural, with livestock…

Meurthe-et-Moselle is located in northeastern France, in the Grand Est region, with Nancy as its capital, a city known for its Art Nouveau architecture…

Meuse is located in northeastern France, in the Grand Est region, with the small town of Bar-le-Duc as its capital. The department holds worldwide…

Morbihan is located in the south of the Brittany peninsula, on the Atlantic coast, with Vannes as its capital. The department is world-famous for the…

Moselle is located in northeastern France, in the Grand Est region, on the border with Germany and Luxembourg, with Metz as its capital. The department…

Nièvre is located in central France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, with Nevers as its capital. It is a sparsely populated, rural department,…

Nord is located in the north of France, in the Hauts-de-France region, on the border with Belgium, with Lille, France's fourth-largest metropolitan area,…

Oise is located in the north of France, in the Hauts-de-France region, near Paris, with Beauvais as its capital. The department is known for the royal…

Orne is located in northwestern France, in the Normandy region, with Alençon as its capital. It is a rural, sparsely populated department, with a…

Pas-de-Calais is located at the northernmost point of France, in the Hauts-de-France region, with Arras as its capital. The department is the closest…

Puy-de-Dôme is located in central France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, with Clermont-Ferrand, an industrial-academic city and birthplace of the…

Pyrénées-Atlantiques is located in southwestern France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, on the border with Spain and the Atlantic coast, with Pau as…

Hautes-Pyrénées is located in southwestern France, deep in the Pyrenees mountains and on the border with Spain, with Tarbes as its capital. The…

Pyrénées-Orientales is located at the southernmost point of France, on the border with Spain and the Mediterranean coast, with Perpignan as its capital.…

Bas-Rhin department is located at the easternmost point of France, in the Grand Est region, on the border with Germany, and its capital is Strasbourg,…

Haut-Rhin department is located in eastern France, in the Grand Est region, on the border with Germany and Switzerland, and its capital is the colorful…

Rhône department is located in southeastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, and its capital is Lyon, France's third-largest city and the…

Haute-Saône department is located in eastern France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, and its capital is the small town of Vesoul. The department…

Saône-et-Loire department is located in eastern France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, and its capital is the town of Mâcon. The department is…

Sarthe department is located in western France, in the Pays de la Loire region, and its capital is Le Mans, the city best known to motorsport fans for…

Savoie department is located in southeastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, at the heart of the French Alps, and its capital is Chambéry.…

Haute-Savoie department is located in southeastern France, in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, on the border with Switzerland and Italy, and its capital…

Paris is the capital of France and the smallest but most densely populated department in the country, being at once a department and a single…

Seine-Maritime department is located in northern France, in the Normandy region, at the mouth of the Seine River on the English Channel coast, and its…

Seine-et-Marne department is located east of Paris, in the Ile-de-France region, and its capital is the town of Meaux. It is the largest department in…

Yvelines department is located west of Paris, in the Ile-de-France region, and its capital is the town of Versailles, whose famous royal palace is one of…

Deux-Sèvres department is located in western France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, and its capital is the town of Niort. The department is rural and…

Somme department is located in northern France, in the Hauts-de-France region, on the English Channel coast, and its capital is the city of Amiens, home…

The Tarn department is located in southern France, in the Occitanie region, with its capital in Albi, whose massive brick cathedral and historic urban…

The Tarn-et-Garonne department is located in southwestern France, in the Occitanie region, with its capital in Montauban, known for the pink brick of its…

The Var department is located in southeastern France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, on the Mediterranean coast, with its capital in Toulon,…

The Vaucluse department is located in southeastern France, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, with its capital in the historic city of Avignon,…

The Vendée department is located in western France, in the Pays de la Loire region, on the Atlantic coast, with its capital in La Roche-sur-Yon. Known…

The Vienne department is located in western France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, with its capital in Poitiers, one of France's oldest university…

The Haute-Vienne department is located in south-central France, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, with its capital in Limoges, world-famous for its…

The Vosges department is located in eastern France, in the Grand Est region, on the slopes of the Vosges mountains, with its capital in Épinal. The…

The Yonne department is located in central France, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, with its capital in Auxerre. The department is part of the…

The Territoire de Belfort is the smallest department in mainland France, located in the east of the country, in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, near…

The Essonne department is located south of Paris, in the Île-de-France region, with its capital in Évry-Courcouronnes. The department combines…

The Hauts-de-Seine department is located west of Paris, in the Île-de-France region, with its capital in Nanterre. This small but densely populated…

The Seine-Saint-Denis department is located north of Paris, in the Île-de-France region, with its capital in Bobigny. It is one of France's youngest and…

The Val-de-Marne department is located southeast of Paris, in the Île-de-France region, with its capital in Créteil. The department combines dense…

The Val-d'Oise department is located north of Paris, in the Île-de-France region, with its capital in Cergy. The department combines newer suburbs such…

Click any region on the map to see details about that city or department.

The 5 most common mistakes Iranian students make when choosing a university and programme in France — from over-relying on rankings to underestimating…

A realistic estimate of monthly student living costs in France in 2026 — housing, insurance, food and transport — comparing Paris with other cities.

Seven practical tips for your Campus France interview, from preparing your answer to "Why France?" to talking about your study plan and future career.

Guides and practical tips for applying, interviews and life in France

Guides for studying in France: universities by department, Campus France, visa, housing and life after arrival - in English, Persian and French.

Pick a package and your preferred time; once paid, the session time will appear in your member panel.

Pick a package, upload your document, and get written expert feedback in your member panel.

A one-time 30-day bundle with exam credits, a resume-review discount and consultation priority

From your first exercise to exam readiness. Build your own learning path.

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A marketplace for students' and immigrants' items in France

Educational videos from the Apply France YouTube channel — streamed directly from YouTube, not hosted on our servers

Housing notice board for students and immigrants

A guide to the different immigration paths to France

Search a French podcast, follow along with the transcript, and click any word to translate and save it.

From learning methods to novels and comics — find French books by level, category and learning goal.

A curated collection of movies and series for practicing French — from family animations to serious dramas and engaging French series.

Find student jobs and doctoral opportunities. Read the full details and apply on the publisher’s website.

The core idea is simple: bring everything you need to build a life in France together in one place; clear, trustworthy, and in your own language.

Write to us, and let's figure out the next step of your life and studies in France together.

Introduce your services to people planning to study, work and live in France. Choose a placement and create your advertisement.

This policy explains what personal data Vivre France collects, why, how long it is kept and how to exercise your rights, under the EU General Data…

These terms govern the use of vivrefrance.com and the purchase of its services. By creating an account you accept them. The French version prevails in…

Information required by article 6 of the French law of 21 June 2004 on confidence in the digital economy (LCEN).