Incoming Students
Information
Academic year
Autumn semester : September 7, 2023 — December 22, 2023
Spring semester 2023: January 5, 2023 – May 5, 2023
Spring Semester 2024: January 9, 2024 — May 3, 2024
Holidays (Paris zone C)
Deadline for application (Erasmus +, exchanges and classe internationale only)
Autumn semester and whole year : June 1
Spring semester : November 5
Courses
Costs (studying and living)
Erasmus + and exchange students do not pay any fees.
Living expenses in Paris are about 1200€ per month, including rent, transportation, food and materials.
Social security
You must have social security cover if you intend to stay in France for more than three months. Students from the European Union must be in possession of a European Health Insurance Card. If you are a non-European Union student and you are going to be staying for more than three months in France, follow the link below and use the code 75015:
click here
Applying as an Erasmus + or exchange student
Ensaama has bilateral agreements with several institutions in Europe (Erasmus +) and outside Europe.
If you are a student in one of our partner institutions, you can apply as an exchange student.
Students with disabilities may apply and get an Erasmus + Disability Supplement. For more information, contact your home institution.
To check if there is a student exchange programme with your university, please visit the “partners” section on this website.
Deadline for application
| Autumn semester and whole year: | June 1 |
| Spring semester: | November 5 |
You need to send by email to: relations-internationales@ensaama.net
- An Erasmus+/Exchange application form
- A CV
- A cover letter /personal statement
- An online portfolio
Please note that the balance between inbound and outbound students with our partner institutions may be taken into account in the selection process depending on the number of applications.
Contact : relations-internationales@ensaama.net
If your school is not one of our partners but you still wish to study at our institution, you may apply in the first year of DNMADE through Parcoursup or in DSAA through Candidature DSAA.
Assess your level in French
The Common European Framework of Reference for languages defines the levels of language users.
| There are six levels : | |
|---|---|
| Basic User | A1 and A2 |
| Independent User | B1 and B2 |
| Proficient User | C1 and C2 |
Language Policy
Level
To make the best of a study period at Ensaama, it is highly recommended to have some knowledge of French, at least the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
Please note that we may accept Erasmus + students or exchange students with basic knowledge of French, as we also offer some courses in English and French as a foreign language. Credits are allotted to these courses when included in the students’ learning agreement.
In a self-taught approach, students can register at esp@ce langues, Cité internationale universitaire for about 30€ a year to improve their French.
Self-assessment at Europass
Students can also choose to participate in language exchange events for native French and English speakers: www.franglish and on Facebook Franglish — Paris
Credit Transfer Policy
All courses at ENSAAMA are both assessed with a local mark and ECTS credits.
During a study period at ENSAAMA, exchange students are assessed like French students. The courses they take are all part of a learning agreement signed at the beginning of the study period. The very first days of the study period are dedicated to the elaboration of the students’ timetables as exchange students do not generally follow all courses (though they can if they want to). Please note that some courses (especially theoretical ones) cannot be followed but with a very good command of French.
At the end of the period, students receive a transcript of records stating all courses taken with local marks, comments and credits.
Passport
All visitors coming to France must be in possession of a valid passport issued by their home country; or a valid identity card if they are from a European Union country. The passport must be valid for at least the duration of the study period.
Visa
If you come from a European Union country (Germany, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungaria, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Rumania, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden) or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Swizerland, Monaco or Andorra you do not need a visa to come and study in France.
Visas are issued by the French Consulate in your home country. Students will be given a long visa as a student which will give you the right to obtain a one-year renewable student residence permit.
To get your visa you must fill in an application form at the French Consulate in your home country and provide the following:
- a valid passport,
- proof that you have sufficient resources to live in France (on average €500 a month),
- proof of social security cover,
- your acceptance letter from Ensaama,
- a valid travel document.
More information at CIUP — Service Access
Residence permit and OFII medicals — Long-stay visa
If you are going to be staying in France for more than three months, you must apply in France for a temporary student residence permit at the local police headquarters – Préfecture – of the area where you are living. This does not apply if you have been issued with a valid visa that clearly states you do not need to apply for a temporary residence permit.
People with student visas called “visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour” for longer than three months are exempt from requesting temporary residence permits for the 1st year of their stay in France.
You are a student and you have this new type of visa: you still need to contact the Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration (OFII) upon your arrival to take a medical and have your visa approved as a residence permit.
More information at CIUP — Service Access
If you have another student visa or a visa “concours études”, you need to apply for a “titre de séjour” (residence permit) at Préfecture de Police de Paris. Click here to get to the Préfecture de Paris website.
Students from European Union Member States, the European Economic Area and Switzerland do not need to apply for a residence permit.
However, students from Romania and Bulgaria will need a residence permit if they intend working.
Social security
You must have social security cover if you intend staying in France for more than three months unless you are
- a student from the European Union and have your European Health Insurance Card. Click here for more information.
If you are a student from outside Europe, follow the link: ameli.fr
- more than 28 years old and you are not a citizen from a European Union Country; You must take out a private insurance or, if your income is low and if you’ve been living in France for more than three months, you can apply for the CMU (Universal Health Coverage). Registration at the CMU is made at the CPAM (Health Insurance Offices) of the district of Paris where you live. CPAM’s addresses are available on the website of AMeli ““Assurance Maladie en ligne““
Non-European Union students
If you are going to be staying for more than three months in France, you must take out a student social security scheme, even if you have already subscribed to a foreign public scheme or have French or other private insurance.
Read the pdf here to learn what you should do.
Opening a bank account
To find advice as to how to open a bank account, visit expatica — open a bank account information
Working in France
You may be planning to work during your stay in France to help finance your studies. Work regulations for foreign students in France can vary from one situation to another. Visit work-in-france to learn about the regulations that apply in each case.
Public transport in Paris
Paris public transport is operated by the RATP and includes the métro subway system, RER trains, buses, night buses, Montmartrobus, and the Montmartre funicular railway, all of which accept the same tickets and passes (but see also RER trains below). You can purchase individual tickets, booklets of ten tickets or a pas offering unlimited travel.
» RATP [public transport in Paris]
The Metro
The Paris métro system is a marvel of efficiency, providing safe and fast transportation for more than nine million passengers each day. It comprises over 200 kilometers of track and 370 stations. Métro lines are numbered from 1 to 15, while the direction of trains is indicated by the name of the last station on the line. For example, eastbound Line 1 trains are labeled Chateau de Vincennes, while westbound Line 1 trains are labeled La Défense. A map of the métro system is available here.
Métro trains begin running at about 05h30, continuing until about 00h30 (half past midnight). Free maps of the métro system are available at each station.
RER trains
Regional commuter trains extend the reach of public transport into the Paris suburbs. Called the RER, the five train lines are identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E. There is an online map of the RER system available here. Like the métro, RER trains run from about 5:30am to about 0:30am (half past midnight).
Outside the Paris area special RER fares and tickets apply, including while travelling to or from the airports, Versailles, and Disneyland© Paris.
Paris buses
Paris bus routes are numbered, and begin operation at 6:30am. The last bus usually leaves the terminal between 8:30pm and 9:30pm, but a few lines run until half past midnight, as indicated by signs at the bus stops. There are also night buses, called Noctambus, which operate hourly between Chatelet and the main gates of Paris from 1am to 5am. The night routes are labeled with letters rather than numbers.
Maps of the bus routes can be found in bus shelters and inside the buses. Most shelters display the name of the stop to help you keep track of where you are. If only a few people are waiting for the bus, signal the driver to stop.
Vélib’
The Mairie de Paris (City Hall) operates a “Vélib’” rental programme with thousands of three-speed unisex bikes at hundreds of stations or “service points” around the city.
To visit the Vélib’ website, clik here.
For information on fares and travel cards, click here.
Accommodation
Short stays, long stays, the different types of accommodation, websites for students,… you’ll find information that will help you on Campus France, The City of Paris International University and Accommodation in Paris.
Housing benefits
International students are entitled to social housing benefit. This aid is granted by the family allowance fund (Caisse d’allocations familiales — CAF) according to certain criteria. These aids come in two forms: The APL (Aide Personnalisée au Logement — individual housing aid) and the ALS (Allocation Logement à caractère social – social-housing allowance).
For information and application forms click here.
You might also visit the Cnous/Crous website, the institutional portal for student life.
At the head of the national network of the CROUS, the CNOUS aims to improve students’ lives in many ways, including food services, housing, grants, social and cultural activities, and international mobility.
Renting accommodation
Before renting a room or a flat, several steps must be completed by both the tenant and the landlord.
If you are renting from a private owner, it is compulsory to draw-up a lease agreement.
You will generally be asked for a third-party guarantor (who will normally be your parents) and two months rent in advance. This will act as a deposit to be returned to you when you leave, providing no damage has been done.
A certificate of insurance may also be required.
Be aware that before signing the lease, an inventory of the property must be carried out, taking note of all the imperfections/problems/faults visible in the apartment. You have to leave the accommodation in the state in which you found it.
Ask for a receipt with each rent payment. This will serve as proof that you have paid your share. Please note that before signing any contract, it is necessary to determine exactly what is included in the rent and find out if bills (caretaker service, cleaning and maintenance) are included in the price of the rent. Generally speaking, heating and electricity bills are not included.
If you share your landlord’s flat, you must make sure you are allowed to have visitors.
Before leaving, you must submit a notice of termination to the landlord, usually one to three months in advance, by sending a recorded-delivery letter notifying your departure.
If you stay for longer than a month at one address, you will have to pay a local tax.
Home insurance is compulsory and it is up to the tenant to arrange for it. The amount to be paid for insurance will vary according to the size of the flat and the risks covered.
University restaurants
While you can use the school’s restaurant at lunchtime, you might want to try the university restaurants, run by the CNOUS and CROUS for dinner. There are several in Paris. They offer a variety of options: food to go, snacks and brasserie, traditional meals, cafeterias… Each of these restaurants is a centre of student life where you can share a good meal with your friends for a low price.
For more information, click here.
Sports, PUC and Cité internationale universitaire de Paris
The Cité internationale is a partner of the Paris Université Club (PUC) association and provides sports facilities for students. Whether for leisure or competition, you will surely find the sports you like at www.puc.asso.fr. There are special prices for students.