You have just landed in France. Your visa is stamped, your bags are heavy, and your head is spinning. The next 30 days are the most administratively intense period of your entire stay — and getting everything done quickly saves you real money (every day you delay CAF is €3–€10 lost) and prevents legal problems (OFII validation is mandatory within 3 months). This checklist is the exact sequence our team recommends to every Indian student arriving in France. Follow it step by step and you will be fully set up within a month.
The 3 Things You Must NOT Delay
1. OFII visa validation — legally mandatory within 3 months of arrival. Failure to validate can affect your visa renewal and future applications. 2. Bank account — needed for CAF, Sécurité Sociale, salary, and rent. Without it, nothing else moves forward. 3. CAF housing aid application — every month you delay is €100–€300 lost. Apply within your first week of having a lease and bank account. These three things should be your absolute top priority.
Week 1 — Immediate Priorities (Days 1–7)
Day 1–2: Arrive and Settle In
Get to Your Accommodation
Whether it is CROUS, a private residence, Airbnb, or a friend's place — get there, rest, and orient yourself. Buy basic groceries (nearest Carrefour, Lidl, or Aldi). Get familiar with your neighbourhood — locate the nearest boulangerie, pharmacy, and metro/tram stop.
Buy a French SIM Card
Do this on Day 1 or 2 — you need a French number for everything. Best option: Free Mobile (€2/month for calls+texts+50MB data, or €8/month for 110GB data). Buy at Free store, tabac (tobacco shop), or Free vending machines in metro stations. You need your passport. Alternatives: SFR Red (€8/month), Bouygues B&You (€8/month).
Download Essential Apps
Citymapper or local transport app (RATP for Paris, TCL for Lyon, Tisseo for Toulouse), Google Maps (works well in France), Doctolib (doctor appointments), Ameli (health insurance), CAF (housing aid), your bank's app, and WhatsApp (everyone uses it in France). Duolingo for French practice.
Day 3–5: Open a Bank Account
Choose a Bank and Book an Appointment
Student-friendly banks: BNP Paribas (largest, most international-friendly), Société Générale, LCL, Crédit Agricole. Online-only: Boursorama, Fortuneo. Walk into the nearest branch or book online. Some banks let you start the process online before your appointment.
Bring Required Documents
Passport + visa, proof of address (lease/bail, or attestation d'hébergement from your host), university enrollment certificate (certificat de scolarité), and your French phone number. Some banks ask for a student ID card — if you don't have one yet, the enrollment certificate works.
Open the Account and Get Your RIB
The account is typically activated within 1–5 days. You receive a RIB (Relevé d'Identité Bancaire) — a document with your IBAN and bank details. This is essential for CAF, Sécurité Sociale, salary payments, and rent. Your debit card (carte bancaire) arrives by mail in 5–10 days. Most banks offer free student accounts.
Day 5–7: University Enrollment
Complete Administrative Enrollment (Inscription Administrative)
Go to your university's service de scolarité (registrar) with: admission letter, passport + visa, passport photos, and your CVEC certificate (pay €100 on cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr). You receive your certificat de scolarité (enrollment certificate) and carte d'étudiant (student ID card). Keep the enrollment certificate — you need it for everything.
Attend Orientation / Rentrée
Most universities hold orientation sessions (semaine de rentrée) in early September. Attend all sessions — they cover academic expectations, campus resources, library access, FLE (French language) course registration, sports registration (SUAPS), and student association sign-ups. This is also where you meet your classmates.
Register for FLE (French Language) Course
If your university offers free or subsidised French courses (most do), register during orientation week. These fill up fast. Even if your programme is English-taught, taking French courses dramatically improves your daily life and career prospects. See our [French language guide](/blog/french-language-requirements-for-studying-in-france).
Week 2 — Administrative Setup (Days 8–14)
Critical Admin Tasks
Apply for CAF Housing Aid
Go to caf.fr → 'Faire une demande de prestation' → 'Aides au logement'. You need: signed lease (bail), RIB (bank details), passport + visa, enrollment certificate, and birth certificate (translated + apostilled). Processing takes 4–8 weeks, but payments are retroactive. Every month you delay = €100–€300 lost. See our [accommodation guide](/blog/student-accommodation-in-france-for-indian-students) for CAF details.
Register for Sécurité Sociale (Health Insurance)
Go to etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr and create an account. Upload: passport + visa, birth certificate (translated), enrollment certificate, proof of address, RIB. Processing takes 2–8 weeks. You receive a temporary number, then a permanent Numéro de Sécurité Sociale. Your carte Vitale (health card) arrives in 2–4 months. See our [healthcare guide](/blog/healthcare-insurance-in-france-for-indian-students).
Get Home Insurance (Assurance Habitation)
Legally required for all renters in France. Your landlord will ask for proof. Cost: €30–€80/year. Providers: LMDE, HEYME, MAIF, ADH (student-specific). Subscribe online — takes 10 minutes. You receive an attestation d'assurance immediately by email. Give a copy to your landlord.
Start OFII Visa Validation Process
Your VLS-TS (long-stay student visa) must be validated with OFII (Office Français de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration) within 3 months of arrival. Go to administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr and follow the process. You need: passport, visa, proof of address, enrollment certificate, and 3 e-photos. Pay the €60 tax stamp (timbre fiscal) online. This makes your visa equivalent to a titre de séjour (residence permit).
Weeks 3–4 — Settle In and Optimize (Days 15–30)
Quality of Life Setup
Get a Transport Pass
Paris: Imagine R (annual student pass, ~€40/month for unlimited metro/bus/RER). Lyon: TCL student pass (~€32/month). Toulouse: Tisseo student pass (~€10/month — yes, that cheap). Grenoble: TAG student pass (~€15–€25/month). Most cities offer heavily discounted student transport. Sign up at the transport office with your student card.
Declare a Médecin Traitant (GP)
Book a GP appointment on Doctolib.fr. At your first visit, ask the doctor to declare them as your médecin traitant (primary care doctor). This ensures you get maximum reimbursement (70%) on all future medical visits and specialist referrals. Cost: €26.50 — reimbursed at 70% once your Sécurité Sociale is active.
Apply for CSS (Free Mutuelle) If Eligible
CSS (Complémentaire Santé Solidaire) is free or nearly-free complementary health insurance for low-income individuals — most Indian students qualify. Apply on ameli.fr after your Sécurité Sociale is activated. If approved, your healthcare becomes 100% covered with zero copay. See our [healthcare guide](/blog/healthcare-insurance-in-france-for-indian-students).
Set Up Internet (If Not Included in Rent)
If your accommodation does not include internet: Free (Freebox) or SFR offer student-friendly broadband from €16–€20/month. Some CROUS and private residences include WiFi. For the first weeks, your phone's data plan (Free Mobile €8/month for 110GB) is more than enough.
Explore Your City
Visit your campus, library (BU), CROUS restaurant (RU), local market, and nearest Indian grocery store. Walk your neighbourhood. Use weekends to explore the city — museums are often free or reduced for students. Join a student association or sports club. This is when France starts feeling like home.
Master Checklist — Print This
Complete 30-Day Arrival Checklist
- ✓Day 1–2: Arrive, settle in, buy French SIM card (Free Mobile €2–€8/month)
- ✓Day 3–5: Open French bank account (BNP Paribas / SG / LCL) — get RIB
- ✓Day 5–7: Complete university enrollment — get certificat de scolarité + student card
- ✓Day 5–7: Pay CVEC (€100) on cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr
- ✓Day 5–7: Attend orientation / rentrée, register for FLE French courses and sports
- ✓Day 7–10: Apply for CAF housing aid on caf.fr (need lease + RIB + enrollment certificate)
- ✓Day 7–10: Register for Sécurité Sociale on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr
- ✓Day 7–10: Get assurance habitation (home insurance, €30–€80/year) — give attestation to landlord
- ✓Day 10–14: Start OFII visa validation online (mandatory within 3 months)
- ✓Day 14–21: Get a transport pass (student-discounted monthly/annual)
- ✓Day 14–21: Book GP on Doctolib.fr, declare médecin traitant
- ✓Day 21–30: Apply for CSS (free mutuelle) on ameli.fr if eligible
- ✓Day 21–30: Set up internet if not included in accommodation
- ✓Day 21–30: Explore your city, join associations, settle into routine
- ✓Ongoing: Start learning French (FLE courses + apps + daily practice)
Documents to Bring From India
Many of the tasks above require specific documents. If you arrive without them, getting replacements from India takes weeks. Bring everything on this list — originals plus 3 photocopies each.
Essential Documents Checklist
Copies Needed
3 copies
Where You Need It
Everything — bank, university, OFII, CAF, housing
Notes
Keep original safe. Carry a copy daily.
Copies Needed
3 copies
Where You Need It
CAF, Sécurité Sociale, OFII
Notes
Get sworn translation (traduction assermentée) in India — cheaper than France
Copies Needed
2 copies
Where You Need It
University enrollment, visa validation
Notes
Also keep the digital version
Copies Needed
2 copies
Where You Need It
University enrollment
Notes
Originals + attested copies
Copies Needed
10 photos
Where You Need It
University, OFII, transport pass, various admin
Notes
French photo format — get them at Indian photo studios before departure
Copies Needed
2 copies
Where You Need It
OFII, potentially préfecture
Notes
Bank statements showing €7,380+
Copies Needed
2 copies
Where You Need It
First 3 months until Sécurité Sociale activates
Notes
Required for visa — keep it active
Copies Needed
2 copies
Where You Need It
Bank, CAF, OFII
Notes
Signed lease (bail) or Airbnb confirmation
Copies Needed
1 copy
Where You Need It
University reference
Notes
Keep for records
Copies Needed
1 copy
Where You Need It
University enrollment (if required)
Notes
Original + copy
Common First-Month Mistakes
Do This
- ✓Open your bank account in the first 5 days — everything depends on it
- ✓Apply for CAF within 1 week of signing your lease — retroactive but you still lose month 1
- ✓Validate your visa with OFII as soon as possible — don't wait until the 3-month deadline
- ✓Keep every document and receipt — French bureaucracy asks for things you forgot about
- ✓Join at least 1 student association or sport club in the first 2 weeks — this fights isolation
- ✓Download the Ameli app and Doctolib app immediately — you will need them
- ✓Say 'Bonjour' before every interaction — it changes how people treat you in France
Avoid This
- ✗Don't delay the bank account — without a RIB, CAF and Sécurité Sociale cannot process your applications
- ✗Don't forget OFII validation — missing the 3-month deadline creates legal problems for visa renewal
- ✗Don't skip home insurance (assurance habitation) — your landlord can terminate your lease without it
- ✗Don't assume your Indian bank card works everywhere — French payment terminals sometimes reject non-European cards
- ✗Don't leave your passport unprotected — theft/loss in France means a trip to the Indian consulate + weeks of delay
- ✗Don't isolate yourself in the first weeks — homesickness gets worse in isolation, better with connection
- ✗Don't skip orientation week — you miss critical admin info and the easiest opportunity to meet classmates
Frequently Asked Questions
Bring €300–€500 in cash (buy euros in India before departure — SBI/Thomas Cook/BookMyForex offer competitive rates). This covers your first 3–5 days before your French bank account is active: SIM card, groceries, transport tickets, small expenses. Don't carry more than €500 in cash — your Indian debit card (Visa/Mastercard) works at French ATMs for emergency withdrawals (check international fees with your bank). Once your French bank account is active (Day 3–5), transfer funds from India via Wise (formerly TransferWise) for the best exchange rate — much cheaper than bank wire transfers.
Yes, but with caveats. Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted. RuPay cards do NOT work in France. Some French payment terminals (especially at small shops, parking meters, and toll booths) require chip-and-PIN with a European card and may reject Indian cards. ATM withdrawals work but charge fees (₹200–₹500 per withdrawal + forex markup). For daily use, get your French bank card as fast as possible. Keep your Indian card as backup. Inform your Indian bank before departure that you are moving to France — otherwise they may block transactions as 'suspicious activity'.
Book temporary accommodation: Airbnb (€30–€60/night for a room), youth hostel (€20–€35/night — Generator, St Christopher's, HI hostels), or short-term Studapart listing. Many Indian students arriving in September book 1–2 weeks of Airbnb and search for permanent housing in person. This is completely normal. Some universities offer temporary housing for international students during the first weeks — contact your university's Service des Relations Internationales before arrival to ask.
The online process (administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr) takes 15–30 minutes to complete. After submitting, you pay the €60 timbre fiscal online. You then receive a confirmation that your visa is validated — this serves as your titre de séjour equivalent. In some cases, you may be called for an OFII appointment (medical check, integration interview) — this is at an OFII office and takes 2–3 hours. The entire validation process should be completed within 3 months of arrival. Start it within your first 2 weeks.
CVEC (Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus) is a mandatory €100 annual contribution that funds student services: health, sport, culture, and campus life. ALL students in France must pay it — no exemptions for international students. Pay on cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr. You receive an attestation (certificate) — your university requires this for enrollment. Pay it before going to the university for enrollment. Scholarship holders (Eiffel, French government scholarships) are exempt — check if your scholarship covers CVEC.
Arriving in France Soon?
The first 30 days can be overwhelming — bank accounts, OFII, CAF, Sécurité Sociale, CVEC, and a dozen other admin tasks. Our team has helped hundreds of Indian students through this exact process. We offer pre-departure briefings and arrival support to make your transition smooth. Book a free consultation.
