Most international students studying in France for more than 90 days receive a VLS-TS (Visa de Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour). This visa type acts as both your entry visa and your initial residence permit. However, it requires validation after you arrive in France or it expires without giving you proper long-term status.

Within three months of your first entry into France, you must validate your VLS-TS online through the ANEF (Administration Numérique des Étrangers en France) platform at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr. This validation is mandatory. Failing to validate within the three-month window means your VLS-TS loses its titre de séjour validity and you would need to apply for a residence card, which is a longer and more complicated process.

To validate online: create an account on ANEF, log in, and select "Validation VLS-TS." You will need your passport, your VLS-TS details, your French address, and a recent photograph in the required format. After successful validation, you receive an email confirmation that confirms your validated status. Print and keep this confirmation along with your original VLS-TS.

Documents you should carry at all times in France: your passport with your VLS-TS visa stamp, and your ANEF validation confirmation. French police and transportation authorities can ask for identity documents and you need to be able to prove your legal status.

If you change your address in France, update it with ANEF. If you travel outside France and re-enter, your VLS-TS still applies for re-entry during its validity period.