Getting Your French Visa: Don't Do What I Did

Congratulations! If you clicked this link you survived the first round of paperwork from your consulate appointment, and the journey to your French residency card has begun. There are many myths and legends about the mishaps of non-EU students around the mandatory appointments. Some slept through the OFII, others forgot to renew their old residency card and others are just straight up #visafree. 

AUP's Student Immigration Services (SIS) will soon receive your convocation for the OFII medical exam and send it to your AUP email, letting you know to pick it up. However, don't be fooled: This is the simplest step to legalizing your stay in France. In order to avoid the stress, I have provided a testament of the "dos" and the "don'ts" on the critical first step to obtaining your long-term visa: the OFII appointment. 

"Don't do what I did and take your pictures an hour before the appointment. The photo of my eyeballs popping out of my sockets was not chic. Quelle horreur!"

DO: Check your AUP email regularly. The SIS office will email essential information regarding the process to make your stay in France legal. Though SIS emails are overwhelming and easy to ignore, your life will become much more complicated if you miss that all-important message.

DON'T: Read the SIS emails a day before the OFII appointment like I did. That left me just a day to prepare the necessary documents, and I found out that AUP buildings do not have 24 hour access. Do not waste your time running to an acquaintance's apartment arriving with bloody blisters to use their printer. They're not worth procrastination.

DO: Take your four portrait photos a few days before the appointment. The Paris metro has photo booths as well as a "Labostar service" photo outlet on 26, Rue Jean Nicot 75007.

DON'T: Do what I did and take your pictures an hour before the appointment. The photo of my eyeballs popping out of my sockets was not chic. Quelle horreur! 

DO: Remember to buy 58 Euros of Timbre Fiscaux (tax stamps) in a timely manner from you local tabac (cigarette store) or online.

DON'T: Do what I did and search for the stamps at each tabac within 20 minutes of closing. They sell out fast! (Side note: Yes, the tax stamp sounds and looks like a postage stamp. No, do not go to the post office).

DO: Make a scan and copy of each document: convocation and birth certificate. You can scan the documents from your smartphone by downloading the Scanner Pro app.

DON'T: Do what I did and lose the convocation without an extra copy. 

DO: Check how long it will take to get to the OFII office (48, Rue de la Roquette).

DON'T: Do what I did and wait to check. 30 minutes to the OFII office from campus by metro and Uber, ladies and gents. 

DO: Go to your OFII appointment even if you are missing a document or over slept. If you are missing a document, go the appointment and bring the document later that day.

DON'T: Do what I did and miss your appointment (ugh). Rescheduling is not guaranteed.

DO: Check that you are issued a medical certificate and an OFII sticker inside your passport after the OFII. The sticker confirms your student visa AND legalizes your stay in France. So make sure you present the documents and the sticker given by the OFII to the SIS as soon as possible.

DON'T: Do what I did and wait to update the records. This will only slow down the renewal process for the Residency Card.

DO: Contact SIS when you are confused. The SIS office wants you stay in France and will answer questions avec plaisir.

DON'T: Do what I did and relieve your stress with wine, even though it's the French way.

In sum, I made every mistake possible so that you don't have to. Remember that the journey to your residency permit is complex, so speak with someone at the SIS office or your advisor if need be -- no question is too bête. Bonne chance!