VISA Procedure
NO VISA
If you are citizen of the EU, EEE or Switzerland, regardless of the length of the program you choose at Gastronomicom.
THE SHORT STAY VISA type “C “(less than 90 days)
If you are not citizen of the EU, EEE or Switzerland, depending on your nationality, you may need obtain a visa to study in France even if your stay is less than 3 months. Note that nationals from certain non-European countries are not required to have a visa if their stay does not exceed 90 days in 6 months (for example: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, USA…). For more information on this, refer to campusfrance.org
THE LONG STAY STUDENT VISA type “D” (more than 90 days)
If you are not citizen of the EU, EEE or Switzerland, you must request a student long stay visa to study and do an internship in France for more than 3 months. This visa allows you to remain in France for one year without needing to request a residency permit. You will still have to have your visa approved on arrival. Make sure to apply for a long LONG STAY STUDENT VISA type “D”.
Source: www.campusfrance.org/en
VISA NEEDED DEPENDING ON THE COUNTRY
| COUNTRY / AREA (non-exhaustive list) | SHORT.STAY (Less than 90 days) | LONG.STAY (More than 90 days) |
| EU, EEE Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Swiss, United Kingdom | NO VISA NEEDED | NO VISA NEEDED |
| Albania, Andorra, Antigua, Argentina, Australia, Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Montenegro, Nicaragua, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, South Korea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint-Martin, Saint Siège, Serbia, Seychelles, Seychelles, Singapore, Taiwan, Uruguay, USA, Venezuela | NO VISA NEEDED | VISA NEEDED |
| ALL OTHER COUNTRIES | VISA NEEDED | VISA NEEDED |
This information may change. Please check with your Embassy.
How to apply ?
After the payment of the enrolment fees + 40% of the tuition fees, GASTRONOMICOM will provide you the 4 letters necessary to apply for the student visa at the French Embassy.
First you will have to register with Campus France, completing the first interview for the Embassy or Consulate. This procedure takes around 2 months. They will check your level of English comprehension (because lessons are conducted in English in our school), your goal, why you want to come to France to study and your financial option for staying in France. If all this is ok, your visa should be approved without issue. A strong interest in gastronomy is important for them as well as for us!
In the letters GASTRONOMICOM will provide you to support your visa application, we explain that our classes are conducted in English and that you will have French lessons onsite so they only test your English to be sure that you can follow the lessons. Don’t worry about being tested on your French, most of our students are beginners when they arrive!
The file:
Your application must include all required documents. The documentation requirements often vary from one country to another; there is no predefined international list. You can usually download the list from the embassy or consulate website. You will also be required to pay for the administration costs. It is important to note that a file with missing documents will be systematically rejected, so remember to provide all the requested documentation.
For long-term visas, waiting times vary from one country to another. It is therefore essential to make the application at least 2 months before the departure date to anticipate delays and other problems you may encounter.
Once your application is accepted, a sticker will be placed in your passport to prove possession of a visa. In case of refusal, you can challenge the decision (refusal of visa) to the Board of appeal, but you must also present a new visa application: Commission des Recours contre les décisions de Refus de visa BP 83609 44036 Nantes Cedex 01
Once in France:
Within 3 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your long-stay visa (student visa).
The process is now completely online. To start the validation procedure for your visa, go to the following website: https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/#/
GASTRONOMICOM will accompany you every step of the way.
We strongly recommend that you contact Campus France for additional information: www.campusfrance.org/en
Download our “Visa procedure” document.
