This issue concerns students who come from non-European countries. While applying to our university for an exchange, you must contact the French Embassy of your country and the Centre pour les Etudes en France (CEF) if you have one in your country.

The vast majority of exchange program students is now getting a visa worth a residence permit allowing unlimited entries to France during the period of validity (validity ranging from 4 to 12 months). This visa combined residence permit is called VLS-TS (« Visa Long Séjour Valant premier Titre de Séjour »).

When the visa is delivered, the consulate also provides a stamped document labelled demande d'attestation OFII (Office Français de l'Immigration et de l'Intégration) and its explanation.

Even if holders of this visa type no longer need to get a renewable stay permit from the Préfecture within two-months of their arrival in France, they must nonetheless go through a number of formalities at the OFII.

Immediately upon your arrival in France, you must send the OFII by registered letter (lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception):

• The stamped OFII document provided by the consulate when the visa was delivered
  
• A photocopy of the passport pages with the applicant's ID and the entry stamp for France or the Schengen community

The OFII offices in Grenoble are located at:

OFII de Grenoble :
Parc de l'Alliance
76 rue des Alliés
38100 GRENOBLE
grenoble@ofii.fr
+33 (0)4 76 40 95 45

As soon as these documents have been received, the OFII will send through regular postal mail to the address provided by the applicant, a letter of acknowledgement of receipt of the document (attestation de reception du document). In this letter, the applicant will be invited to come to either a medical visit (if one has not been done in the country of origin) or to a welcome session.

In either case, a 55 euros fee will be charged.
This fee can be paid by means of a tax-stamp labelled OMI or ANAEM which can be bought:

• Online at www.timbresofii.fr
• At some tobacco shop
• At the revenue services.

NOTE: Students from Algeria requiring an initial one-year stay-permit must pay this fee, however as they are not concerned with the long stay visa for residency, they cannot buy the digital tax stamp from the website but will require a paper form stamp.