Our help desk

Average living costs in Paris are around 800 € /month if you live in a student residence.

Depending on your home university, and the scholarship you might be a recipient of, you have to pay tuition fees or not (total exemption, or moral rarely partial exemption are possible for students who have been awarded an Eiffel scholarship or a French governmental grant, BGF). Please check the relevant country page to check what rate applies in your case.

All students, French  or foreign (with the exception of scholarship holders), have to pay the Student and Campus Life Contribution – CVEC (less than 100€ a year). The school cannot pay this contribution for you, or reimburse it.

If you need some financial support to study in France, our schools can help you. Several types of scholarship are available.

Learning French is essential to be fully integrated into the school, to look for an internship in a company, and to enter the professional world in France.

You will have to prove that you have a B1 level in French when applying for a visa. If it is not the case when you are admitted at a ParisTech school, you must learn French and pass a test in your home country before applying for a visa.

To find suitable French lessons’ providers, you can contact the Office of international relations in your home university. If your university does not provide French classes, you can register at the nearest Alliance Française.

There are also a lot of online resources available to further your French studies e.g.:

• Live in France: you don’t speak French at all (Vivre en France: vous ne parlez pas du tout français, objective: level A1)
• Live in France: for beginners (Vivre en France: pour débutants (objective: level A2)
• Live in France: elementary level (Vivre en France: si vous avez un niveau élémentaire (objective: level B1)

If you wish to improve your scientific French, some resources are also available online:

• For mathematics: MicMaths, quantum computing, UNISCIEL
• For physics: quantum entanglement, the series Manip# of Institut d’Optique, UNISCIEL
• For engineering and technology: UNIT
• For agricultural and environmental sciences: molecular gastronomy with AgroParisTech, podcasts of AgroParisTech, videos of AgroParisTech, UVED
• For human and social sciences: risks with Mines Paris – PSL

Do not forget that improving your scientific English will also be very useful, you can also find online resources to do so (e.g. with Professor Leonard in mathematics).

ParisTech schools will give you the opportunity to participate in an intensive French course during several weeks in the summer before your arrival – at your expense in some schools. Attending this course is strongly recommended, particularly for students who began learning French just after their admission at a ParisTech school.

You will also benefit from French language courses during your stay at school, and extracurricular activities will be offered (ex. conversation meetings led by French students at Chimie ParisTech – PSL, « Café Langues » at Arts et Métiers, tandems at Ecole des Ponts ParisTech; intercultural training at AgroParisTech).

You will have to pass the B2 level test to graduate from our schools.

Find more information about life in France here.

You have to obtain a long-stay student visa (visa long séjour – titre de séjour, VLS-TS). The visa should be renewed each year.

The long-stay student visa allows you to stay in France from four months to one year to pursue higher education studies. It entitles the holder to travel freely in all the Schengen Area countries, and to work 964 hours per year (i.e. 20 hours per week), to supplement their financial resources. You can also extend your stay beyond the period of validity of the issued residence permit.

Holders of a multiple-entry VLS-TS student visa (VLS-TS "étudiant" à entrées multiples) are entitled to travel outside of France and in the entire world whenever they wish. Please be aware, however, that to do so, you must validate your visa within the three months following your arrival in France:

• During the first three months after your arrival in France, you are authorised to travel freely outside of France and in the entire world with your visa, even if you have not validated it.
• After these three months, however, if you have not validated your visa and you travel outside of France, you will be required to apply for a new visa to return to France.

If you were admitted through the ParisTech International Admission Program, you will benefit from a streamlined procedure to obtain the VLS-TS visa for student through the platform Etudes en France.

As soon as you arrive in France, you must validate your visa within 3 months. All information here. The process is entirely digital.

Most schools have accommodations on their campus with affordable rents (around 380 € /month). 

If you hold a VLS-TS student visa, you can:

• Benefit from the VISALE, a security deposit for free,
• Obtain a housing allowance from the CAF.

You will have the opportunity in most of the ParisTech schools to live in a residence with French students, and thus be introduced to your school’s and class student life.

• Health insurance

You have access to health insurance as a student in France. You must be affiliated with the French social security. Registering is free and mandatory, and can be done online. It is valuable for partial reimbursement of your health expenses (visits to the doctor, medical check-ups, etc.).

If you want to be fully reimbursed for your health expenses, you have to subscribe to a complementary health insurance; you have to pay for it. It can be particularly useful for eye, vision or dental care. Complementary health insurance companies advertise a lot on campuses at the beginning of the academic year: you can decide if you want to register or not after your arrival in France.

• Bank account

You have to open a bank account in France to pay for everything necessary.

Chimie ParisTech – PSL, ESPCI Paris – PSL and Mines Paris – PSL’ students will get support from PSL University’s Welcome Desk.

Students at AgroParisTech and Institut d’Optique will get support from GATE at University Paris-Saclay, and students of AgroParisTech who live at the Cité universitaire internationale de Paris can be supported by its Welcome Desk or the access service.

Students at Ecole des Ponts ParisTech are supported with their administrative procedures (visa before arrival, registration to social security, choice of complementary health insurances, transport, phone, bank account, etc.) by Feel Français, a partner of the school.

ParisTech schools – staff and students – implement several types of activity to facilitate your integration.

• Welcome on Board!

The school you are admitted at will give you all useful and practical information before arrival in France. You can find a lot of information on the relevant school’s website too.

The schools give international students a specific welcome at the start of the year, in order to explain them all they need to know about the school’s organization (exams, time schedule…) and administrative procedures (e.g. Welcome at Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, Welcome Week Arts et Métiers, Welcome Days for University PSL’s member schools – Chimie ParisTech, ESPCI Paris, Mines Paris).

Chinese students will be warmly welcome by the Association Amicale Franco-Chinoise de ParisTech (AFCP) when they arrive (welcome at the airport, integration week). The Association offers activities throughout the year: festive meetings like the moon gala for Chinese New Year, or activities related to your professional future like Forum Horizon China, where you can meet hiring companies.

Watch AFCP’s video.  

• Individual follow-up

Each school implement an individual follow-up during your stay in France:

                       - Mentoring by a student of the school (e.g., Chimie ParisTech – PSL, Ecole des Ponts ParisTech, AgroBienvenue at AgroParisTech, buddy program of University Paris-Saclay for AgroParisTech and Institut d’Optique, Mines Paris – PSL)

                       - Mentoring by an alumna / alumnus (e.g., Parrainage Ponts Alumni)

                       - Psychological support.

If you experience any difficulty during the year, and you need to talk to someone, English-speaking psychologists are available in each school. Students also have set up a Nightline for students.

• Studies’ follow-up

You will follow courses like your French fellow students. Academic staff will regularly build working groups and teams, mixing French and international students. This will be an opportunity for you to learn how French students work and study by getting advice from them, and consequently be integrated into the class. Depending on the school, you can also benefit from tutoring by other students if you need some help on specific issues.

The deans of studies and all academic staff will support you in your studies. The schools provide help when you are looking for an internship.

The Office of international relations of each school will meet you regularly during your stay at our schools.

ParisTech schools regularly organize breakfasts or lunches with international students.

You will be able to participate to the very rich association life through the unmissable Student’s office (Bureau des élèves, BDE), the Student’s art office (Bureau des arts, BDA), the Student’s sport office (Bureau des sport, BDS) and a lot of other associations (junior enterprises, associations dedicated to inclusion, gala, trips…). You can begin your stay with the « week-end d’intégration » (WEI) and then attend student activities and their unique events throughout the year (school gala, graduation ceremony…). You will have a lot of opportunities to make new friends, practice your French and gain new skills:

• AgroParisTech 
• Arts et Métiers
• Chimie ParisTech – PSL
• ESPCI Paris – PSL
• Institut d’Optique Graduate School
• Mines Paris - PSL

French students will be happy to learn more about your country during activities organized by international students (e.g. Club international at Chimie ParisTech – PSL, international days, thematic meals…).

Watch the testimonials of international students admitted by ParisTech schools on YouTube or Bilibili. 

When you near the end of your studies, you will start looking for a job. Don’t worry! The « diplôme d’ingénieur » of a ParisTech school will allow you to get a job very quickly.

During your studies, you will have the opportunity to regularly meet companies, to participate in your school’s Job Fair, to discover new jobs. Internships are a wonderful opportunity to develop competences while discovering the companies.

If you don’t have any, don’t forget to create your LinkedIn profile when you arrive at your school to connect with companies, your school, the Student’s office, alumni.

You will have a privileged access to your school’s alumni network. With alumni working in MNCs, SMEs, start-ups or in the public administration in different sectors, this will help you in your job search before or upon graduation.

You can also pursue a PhD in one of the  ParisTech schools’ labs… (or elsewhere): identify the lab you are interested in, do a research internship in one of the labs... There are many ways to prepare for your PhD. Young women are welcome in the labs!

… or last, you can create your own company in France, maybe after an entrepreneurship track during your studies!

Success is at the end of the road in:

• AgroParisTech : 57% of the students are hired before graduation and 83% of graduated are hired less than 2 months after the end of studies. 8% pursue a PhD. 14% of graduates work in agricultural professional organizations, 14% in food industry, development and planning and 11% in consulting. 26% are consultants, 21% are project managers in France or worldwide, and 12% work in R&D sector. Their average gross salary is 38 000 euros per year.
• Arts et Métiers : 93% of students are hired, pursue their studies or a PhD within four months after graduation. 34% work in the consulting sector and engineering services, 13% in transport (aeronautics, automotive, railway) and 10% in construction. 34% work for production and quality management, 21% in R&D and 18% as a consultant. Their annual average gross salary is 43 000 euros.
• Chimie ParisTech – PSL : 90% of students are hired before graduation. 40% pursue a PhD, 35% work in a company and 18% pursue their studies. 32% work as consultant, 22% in cosmetics and 14% in pharma industry, and then in the energy sector, biomedical and chemistry. Their annual average gross salary is 40 000 euros.
• ESPCI Paris – PSL : 100% of the students are hired within a month after graduation. A fourth of the graduates work abroad. 70% pursue a PhD. 80% work in R&D. Their average starting gross salary is 45 000 euros per year.
• Institut d’Optique Graduate School : All Students are hired less than two weeks after graduation. More than 50% work in the private sector, a third pursue a PhD. Young graduates work essentially in the following sectors: optics, electronics and ICT, consulting in engineering and ICT, transport and mobility, aerospace, defense and security. 50% are engineers, 25% managers and 12% scientists. Their annual gross salary is 38 000 euros.
• Mines Paris – PSL : More than 60% of students are hired before graduation. 36% pursue their studies. 20% begin to work abroad. Their annual starting gross salary is 43 500 euros per year. 35% of graduates work in big companies, 34% in SMEs and 13% in startups. 23% work in ICT, 19% in consulting and 19% in energy.

After graduation, keep in touch with your school, become a member of its alumni association!

Stay informed about your school, its foundation… and of course ParisTech and/or ParisTech Asia through Internet and social networks.

Testify of your experience in a ParisTech school and pass the torch to future engineers. Contact us!