Dual BA New Student Guide Fall 2018

Dual BA Program New Student Guide Advice for Students Preparing to Live in France for the First Time

Dual BA Program New Student Guide

Contents Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Chapter 1: Visas ................................................................................................................................................. 5 Before You Go: Travel Documents ........................................................................................................... 5 Completing Your OFII Paperwork ............................................................................................................ 6 What to Expect from Your OFII Visit in France ..................................................................................... 8 Renewing Your Student Visa: Where to Go, and How and When to Make an Appointment .......... 9 Renewing Your Carte de Séjour ....................................................................................................................10 Chapter 2: Housing & Living in France .......................................................................................................13 Are You Eligible for CAF Rental Assistance? .........................................................................................13 How to Apply for Rental Assistance (CAF) in France ..........................................................................14 How to Do an État des Lieux......................................................................................................................16 What Counts as a Justificatif de Domicile and Why Do You Need One for Everything? .....................18 Where to find CROUS Student Restaurants ...........................................................................................19 Chapter 3: Medical Insurance.........................................................................................................................23 Before You Go: Health Care .....................................................................................................................23 How to Choose a Social Security Regime (LMDE or SMEREP) ........................................................24 What is a Mutelle or a Complémentaire Santé in French Healthcare? ........................................................26 Can I Get Health Coverage in France if I’m a Student Over 28? ........................................................27 Documents Required to Get the Carte Vitale (and How to Get it as Soon as Possible) ...................29 How to Find a Medical Professional in Your City..................................................................................32 Four Steps to Getting Reimbursed for Your Doctor’s Visit in France ...............................................33 Places to Visit/Contact in a Health Emergency .....................................................................................34 911: Program These Emergency Numbers into Your French Cell Phone Now ...............................36 Useful Emergency Numbers ......................................................................................................................37 Chapter 4: Internships .....................................................................................................................................38 Is it Possible to Get a Paid Internship in France? ..................................................................................38 List of Resources for Finding Internships in France..............................................................................40 Ten Things You Should Know About Your Rights and Responsibilities as an Intern in France ...40 The Complete Guide to Your Convention de Stage ....................................................................................42 Internship Rules in Effect as of December 1, 2014 ...............................................................................44

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Chapter 5: Practical Living .............................................................................................................................46 Before You Go: Currency and Banking ...................................................................................................46 The Language of Business ..........................................................................................................................46 Opening a Bank Account in France..........................................................................................................46 Renter’s Insurance and Responsabilité Civile ...............................................................................................50 Public Transportation Passes .....................................................................................................................51 Should You File a French Tax Return? ....................................................................................................52 Sending Mail Recommandé avec Accusé de Réception ......................................................................................53 Which Documents to Get Certified French Translations of and Where to Have it Done ..............56 Power of Attorney and Apostilles .............................................................................................................57 Culture Shock ...............................................................................................................................................58 Appendix: Before You Go .............................................................................................................................60 New Student Timeline ................................................................................................................................60

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Introduction This New Student Guide is intended for newly admitted Dual BA Program students and their parents as they prepare to begin their studies at Sciences Po in years one and two of the program.

We hope that this guide will be a useful starting point for many of the day-to-day and administrative aspects of your transition, and we have worked closely with Allison Lounes of Paris Unraveled to present articles on the Visa process, housing and living in France, medical insurance, French language instruction, internships, and other practical living information for your time in France. In addition to being a Columbia University alumna, Ms. Lounes has lived in Paris since 2009 and is an expert in helping students make the transition to studying in France.

Disclaimer Although we hope that you will find this guide instructive and helpful, it is important to note that the information contained here is based on personal experience, research, and expertise and should not be considered official legal advice. Students and their families should consult with officials from the Dual BA Program, their local French consulate, or their family lawyers for questions that require more definitive responses than those that are offered in this book.

FĂŠlicitations once again on your admission to the Dual BA Program!

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Chapter 1: Visas Before You Go: Travel Documents Passport  



If you do not have a passport, please apply for one immediately as the process can be a lengthy one.

Ensure your passport is valid for six months from your date of departure. Some countries require that you have a passport valid for several months past the end of the program date.

Please check the consulate of your host country if your passport expires within three months after the end of the program.

For information on how to apply for a passport, check travel.state.gov for more information.

Pay specific attention to the timelines of both passport processing and visa processing to ensure that you give yourself enough time.

Visas 



Review the information in your acceptance packet and on the Dual BA Program website to understand the type of visa you will need for your experience and how far in advance you will need to begin the visa application process which can vary by country, ranging from a few days to several months If you are planning additional travel outside of France, visit the consulate’s website for the country you will be traveling to, to understand if a visa will be needed for entry/tourism.

Review your destination’s consulate website for lists of nationalities that may not be granted visas to that country.

Other Documents 

Bring photocopies of the following items for yourself and leave a copy with a family member/contact at home: o Passport o Visa o Health insurance card o Flight information o Hotel/lodging information o Emergency contact information and other important phone numbers, including the ISOS phone number and membership number

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Completing Your OFII Paperwork IMPORTANT NOTE: The information below is intended to help you understand the steps you will follow to complete your OFII paperwork. However, the guidance that you will receive from your campus directors should always take precedence, and we recommend against attempting to complete these steps without direction from your individual Sciences Po campus administration.

Le Havre and Menton Students: You will complete your OFII process alongside the rest of your peers starting at Sciences Po in the fall with the help of your campus directors. Undertaking this process as a group allows the OFII staff to prioritize your paperwork, and your campus directors work closely with OFII each year to help streamline this process. It is in your best interest to allow Sciences Po to help facilitate these steps in finalizing your student visa—please do not try to do so on your own!

When you apply to get a visa to come to France, you'll have to fill out a document that will be used for declaring your residency once you have arrived.

This document goes to the OFII, the Office Français d'Immigration et d'Intégration.

When you applied for your visa, normally you should have filled out this form, with information about your address in your home country (often your parents’ address), your parents’ names and birthdates, and the reason you’re going to France.

After your visa is granted, the French consulate will stamp this document and send it back, along with your passport.

Don’t Lose the Document You should make a copy and/or scan it to PDF right away when you get it back.

You don’t need the document to enter France per se, but you will need to send it to your local OFII once you’ve rented an apartment and established residency.

What Does the OFII Form Do? All the OFII form does is state your name, the number of your visa, and the dates of its validity. When you send it to the OFII, it declares your presence in France and allows them to invite you in for an appointment. At your appointment, you will provide certain documents and OFII will put a yellow sticker in your passport that will act as your first titre de séjour.

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What Do You Need to Do? Once you find an apartment in France, you’ll need to fill out your French address on the form, along with your visa number.

Send it to the address that corresponds to your département, which should be listed on the second page of the form. If you don’t know where to send it, look up your département here. The local offices for Reims, Le Havre, and Menton are listed below. You also need to copy your passport ID page, your visa, and your entry stamp when you first arrived in the Schengen Space. (Usually passport control tries to stamp on the same page as the visa or directly across from it, but this isn’t always possible.

Make sure you get a stamp at the border.)

As with any document you send to the French administration, you should send this form recommandé avec avis de réception. This means that you send it registered mail and will receive a receipt confirming that the OFII has received your form.

This is important because the OFII receives lots of forms every day, and if they accidentally misplace yours, you can have problems setting up your appointment and ultimately, with renewing your carte de séjour if you’d like to stay in France.

To do this, go to the post office with the addressed envelope and ask the agent to send it recommandé avec avis de réception. The agent will give you a yellow form, and you’ll fill out your name and address in the big box with an X through it. The OFII address will go in the smaller box on the top left-hand corner. Normally, there’s an extra line in the return address box, where you should write “OFII form” to indicate what’s inside. This will come in handy if you ever have to prove you sent your paperwork in a timely fashion.

Once you’ve filled it out, ask the post office worker to help you if it’s your first time sending something recommandé. You’ll tear off the sticker on the back. There should be a small, rectangular sticker with a tracking number and a barcode, which you’ll stick on the front of the envelope. Then, you’ll stick the yellow form to the back of the envelope.

You’ll have to pay extra for the registered mail service, and you can either pay using the machines (select lettre recommandée and then add the avis de réception service) or directly at the desk.

Instead of dropping the letter directly into the mailbox, give it to the postal worker. They will stamp both the yellow form and your own carbon receipt, which they’ll give back to you.

Keep the carbon paper receipt until you receive the cardstock proof of delivery a few days later. If you never receive the card back, you’ll have to go to the post office to ask whether or not your letter was delivered, and they’ll look it up using the tracking number on the receipt.

Now that you’ve sent off your paperwork, you should receive a convocation to the appointment within about six weeks. Don’t worry if you don’t get anything right away, as many students arrive in France during the months of August through October, and it can take the OFII employees a while to get everyone’s appointments set up.

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If it’s been more than 8-10 weeks and you still haven’t heard anything, it may mean that they’ve misplaced your paperwork. In this case, you should bring a copy of your recommandé proof of delivery down to the OFII center, and ask the person at the accueil why you haven’t heard anything yet. If they’re just backed up, don’t worry, but if they indicate that they don’t have you in their system at all, you may have to fill out the paperwork again, or go back with a copy you made.

The next step will be going to the OFII center for the medical visit and getting your first carte de séjour.

More Information Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration Le Havre Direction territoriale de l’OFII Immeuble Montmorency 1 15, Place de la Verrerie 76100 Rouen Menton Direction territoriale de l’OFII Immeuble SPACE - Bâtiment B 208 Route de Grenoble 06200 Nice Reims Direction territoriale de l’OFII 2 Rue du Grand Credo 51100 Reims

What to Expect from Your OFII Visit in France As of 2017, the medical visit has been discontinued as part of the process for getting your French visa validated. You still have to complete the OFII paperwork and go to the OFII offices upon arrival, but the process will be streamlined. After receiving your paperwork, the OFII office will invite you in for an appointment. Some offices send regular mail, while others invite you by email. Once you get this letter, stating the date and time for your visit, clear your calendar for that day, as it will take you a few hours to go to the OFII office in Menton, Reims, or Rouen (or in the 11th arrondissement in Paris) to complete your visit.

Sometimes, the OFII staff will send you an appointment notice after the appointment has already passed (or with only a few days’ notice). Since it can take a few weeks to get a new appointment, you should try your best to make the first appointment date they send you.

If Your OFII Appointment Has Already Passed If there’s no way you can go to the appointment they’ve scheduled, here’s what to do: 1. Go to your OFII office with the letter.

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2. Explain at the desk that you’ve just received it and that the appointment date passed or that you’re unable to make it to the scheduled appointment.

3. Fill out some additional paperwork.

4. Wait for them to send you a new convocation by mail for a new appointment.

Preparing for Your OFII Visit When you get an appointment you can make, you’ll need to prepare a certain number of documents to prove where you live.

They will provide a list of documents you should bring to the appointment. These documents can include (but are not limited to):     

Passport with visa and copies of passport, visa, and entry stamp (you also send these with the original OFII form).

Proof of your enrollment in school and student ID. Proof of residence (justificatif de domicile): an electricity or gas bill, or an attestation from your landlord along with their ID and a utility bill in their name.

Birth certificate with translation into French (not always necessary, but it doesn’t hurt to have this).

Timbres fiscaux, stamps to pay for your first carte de séjour. They will tell you the amount in the convocation, and it should be €60. You can purchase them in any tabac, or online.

They will want to keep a photocopy of everything, and will put a sticker in your passport that will act as your first carte de séjour. You will need to make an appointment to renew 2-3 months before this document expires.

Make sure you have an extra copy of everything, and show up in plenty of time for the appointment.

Renewing Your Student Visa: Where to Go, and How and When to Make an Appointment Appointments to renew your carte de séjour cannot be made more than three months in advance. As long as you make your appointment before your visa expires, you’ll receive a convocation with an appointment date and you’re considered to be in situation régulière.

Don’t worry if you log on to make an appointment and get one several weeks after your visa ends— it’s totally normal in departments with high demand. However, during that time (between the end of your old card and receipt of a récipissé while your new card is being produced), you won’t be able to receive CAF or other benefits, so you may not get housing aid for that period. You’ll have to provide a copy of your récipissé to resume receiving benefits.

Students are encouraged to show up for their appointments even if they are running late.

Here’s how to make your appointment to renew your carte de séjour in your city: 9

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Le Havre Sous-Préfecture du Havre Service des nationalités et de la circulation Bureau des étrangers 95, Bd de Strasbourg 76600 Le Havre Schedule an Appointment Online You must confirm your appointment by clicking on the link in the email, and print off the list of required documents that you must bring to your appointment. Appointments are scheduled five weeks in advance, so begin about three months before your visa expires, and keep trying (potentially at midnight on Sunday) until you’re able to book an appointment.

Menton Centre Administratif Départemental des Alpes-Marines 147 Boulevard du Mercantour 06286 Nice Cedex 3 Phone: 04 93 72 20 00 Schedule an Appointment Online Appointments are available Monday - Friday, 9 - 11:30 a.m.

Reims Sous-Préfecture de Reims 3 rue du Cloître 51100 Reims Phone information for immigration to the préfecture in Châlons-en-Champagne: 03 26 26 13 55 (8:45 - 11:30 a.m., except during school vacation periods) The préfecture is open on an appointment-only basis, Monday - Thursday, 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. and Friday, 1:30 - 4:30 p.m. As of right now, you must go to the préfecture in Châlons-en-Champagne or the Souspréfecture in Reims two months before your visa expires to make an appointment for renewal. You cannot make an appointment online.

Renewing Your Carte de Séjour Two months before your visa’s expiration date, make an appointment to renew your CDS online on the website for your city’s Sous-préfecture or administrative department (or by calling the Sous-préfecture in Reims). They’re pretty merciless if you have trouble making an appointment, and they’ll send you away without seeing you if you don’t have all your documents, so make sure you have everything you need before going.

Required Documents You’ll need to bring the following documents, with at least one photocopy of everything (I always bring three copies, just to be sure).

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

Appointment confirmation sheet (print this out when you make your appointment online)



Your passport with visa, titre de séjour étudiant, and the stamp of your first entry into France or the EU



Three passport photos



Your birth certificate with official translation into French



Proof of residence

You’ll need to bring either an EDF (Eléctricité de France) or GDF (Gaz de France) bill in your name, less than three months old, to prove that you live where you say you do. If the electricity or gas is in your landlord’s name, he or she will need to write a note saying that you live in their apartment, and provide a copy (front and back) of his or her national ID card and electricity or gas bill, again less than three months old. No other bills are acceptable. 

Certificate of enrollment and proof of completion of your schooling from the current academic year

They want to make sure that you were actually a student somewhere, and that you took your exams and passed your classes. If you can’t get an actual grade report from your school, try to get an attestation d’inscription from your department or program. If you haven’t yet taken your exams, you have to prove that you’re scheduled to take them. 

Pre-enrollment for the following academic year

If you want to stay with a student visa, you’ll need to prove that you’re still going to be a student.

An attestation de pré-inscription or a letter from a professor who has accepted you for the following year should suffice. 

Proof of resources in France

Bring your three most recent pay slips if you work, and recent French bank statements. I highlighted recent deposits from working under the table, and deposits I made after withdrawing money from my American bank account. You’ll also need to bring copies of any other money transfers to you from other sources. 

Proof of resources in the US

Print out copies of your online US bank statements and highlight withdrawals that you made in France. If your parents transfer money regularly into your account, highlight those as well. 

Parental guarantee

You need to prove that your parents (or some other relative) will bail you out if you’re in financial trouble, and that you won’t become dependent on the French state. Have one of your parents sign 11

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a note saying that they’ll give you a certain amount of money each month, and attach one of their bank statements or a few recent pay slips to prove they have the means to support you. Parents must provide (or claim to provide) a minimum of 450€ for undergraduates, and 536€ for graduate students.

If you have additional documentation, it’s best to err on the side of caution. Bringing more documents and photocopies than you need is better than being sent away to find them!

The Day of the Appointment The day of your appointment, arrive at the center early, at least half an hour before your appointment.

People begin lining up outside by 7:30 a.m., even though the offices don’t open until after 8:30 a.m.

First, your documents will be checked by someone at the front desk, who will give you a number and a copy of the Demande de Titre de Séjour, which you can fill out while you wait. At the end of your appointment, you should leave with a Récipissé de Demande de Carte de Séjour, a document proving that your CDS application is being processed. If your visa expires, this document gives you the right to reenter France for three months.

If you are renewing your visa in the spring or summer before you’re officially enrolled for the following year, you’ll also be given a new appointment, about three months later, to bring more paperwork confirming your enrollment in school. You’ll need to bring your passport, récipissé, and a certificate of enrollment and student ID card for the new school year to prove your student status and to pick up your card. During this appointment, the agent will take your document, review your file, and submit it to the head of the center for “approval,” and you’ll have to wait while someone supposedly decides whether or not you’re allowed to stay in France.

In most cases, this is just a formality, but if you did poorly on your exams and coursework in the previous year, your application could theoretically be rejected. In this case, you should try to enroll in make-up exams at your university and bring documentation showing that you are signed up or that you are awaiting exam grades. Your application may be put on hold pending your exam results. If your application is approved, you will leave with another récipissé, also valid for three months, and a convocation to pick up your carte de séjour within five or six weeks. You are not required to go on that day; you can go any time after the date on your convocation, and picking up your card is a very quick process. You’ll need to bring timbre fiscaux, your passport, and the récipissé to pick up your card. If there is a long wait at the student center, don’t go to the back of the line, since they occasionally call “Any card pickups?” and give you a number right away. Your card will be valid for one year from the date of your second appointment.

If you live in a different department, the procedure will be the same, but you’ll have to go to the capital of your department rather than Paris, and call your center to make an appointment.

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Chapter 2: Housing & Living in France Are You Eligible for CAF Rental Assistance?

La Caisse des Allocations Familiales (CAF) is a type of rental assistance paid to anyone in France who qualifies. Since most students living in studio apartments or student residences have low incomes and high rent, it is likely you’ll be able to receive a small stipend to help pay your rent as a student.

In order to receive CAF (sometimes called APL, or Aide Personalisée à la Location), you’ll need to meet the following criteria: 1. Live in an apartment that’s eligible for CAF This means that you have a valid, legal lease (of at least one year) and that your landlord is declaring the rental income to the tax authorities.

Your landlord must sign a form to get you approved for CAF, which opens him or her up to a potential tax inspection. Landlords that cheat on their taxes (which a surprising number of French landlords do), will probably refuse to sign it. Try to make sure that you’ll be able to get CAF when you visit the apartment, and get it in writing in the lease if you can.

Also, if you live in student housing, such as a foyer or a CROUS residence, you may be eligible for CAF. 2. Make very little money in previous years You’ll have to provide details about your net income for the previous two years in order to qualify for CAF. While you won’t have a French tax return to submit if you haven’t been living in France, you can either provide a copy of your tax return in your home country for those two years (if you filed one), a copy of your W-2s or other wage statement if you worked, or proof of enrollment in university and of being a dependent of your parents (if you didn’t work). If you do provide these alternative documents, make sure to include a note converting the currency into Euros and explaining your situation.

3. Make very little money currently Even if you work part time in France, as a language assistant, for example, you’ll be eligible to receive CAF if you have a very low income. You’ll have to provide details of your job, a copy of your contract, and copies of recent payslips (standard practice is the previous three months).

4. Be a student While CAF is for anyone in France with low income, students get particular consideration if they are studying full-time. So as long as you’re enrolled full-time in a degree program, make sure to file for CAF as a student, even if you’re also working a bit on the side. Your CAF stipend will probably be slightly more generous that way.

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5. Live with other low-income students If you live with a significant other, both partners are on the same lease and both incomes are taken into account during the CAF application process. This means that if you live with a professional significant other earning a real salary, s/he can prevent you from being eligible for CAF by virtue of a large income.

However, if you live with other students, you’ll have to have an individual lease and include your past earnings and current income information during the application process. Your roommates will have to apply separately for CAF for their portion of the rent.

6. Have a valid carte de séjour or EU passport While you can begin the CAF application process as soon as you arrive in France, you won’t be able to receive any money until you have a valid carte de séjour. This means that you’ll want to send off your OFII paperwork as soon as you arrive in your new apartment, so you can get your medical visit over with and validate your visa as soon as possible. Once you have a CDS in hand, you can complete the application process and get your money.

If you’re a European citizen, you’ll have to declare yourself a resident of France by going to the préfecture, but you won’t have to wait to being the CAF process.

7. Have a French bank account You can either have CAF payments made directly to you, or you can have them made directly to your landlord, in which case you pay only the difference in rent.

Still need help applying for CAF, or want more information? Check out the Student Resources page on the CAF website (in French).

How to Apply for Rental Assistance (CAF) in France If you’re living in France, and your income isn’t very high, you may be eligible to receive rental assistance/housing benefits (CAF).

If you meet these criteria and think you’re eligible to receive CAF, you’ll want to start the process as soon as possible after you move into your apartment in France.

Because of the large number of documents required, and the huge number of students and families applying for CAF money, it can take up to several months for the office to process your documents.

Another thing to consider is that CAF will only pay your stipend starting in the second month that you live in an apartment. So if you have the choice to move in on August 31 and pay a small amount of rent for August, or move in on September 1, move in August 31. You won’t get any money for that one day’s worth of rent for August, but your first payment will be for September, not October.

CAF will also backdate your payment to the month you’re eligible, even if you don’t receive your carte de séjour for a few months and they take a while to process your paperwork. As long as you’re deemed 14

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eligible, you’ll get a payment for each month, even if you don’t see any money at all until you get a huge deposit in February or March.

How do you apply for CAF? Before you apply for CAF, you’ll want to make sure that you’re eligible. You can do this by running a simulation on the CAF website, entering your past earnings, current income, and information about your roommates into the CAF calculator.

If you live with other people, you may want to try entering your own information and fraction of the rent first, to see what your eligibility would be if you were living by yourself. Then, try entering the data with your roommates’ information and the full rent. Remember that CAF will apply equally to all parties’ portions of the rent payment. Depending on whether or not your roommates work, there could be a large discrepancy in what you will receive. If this happens, you may want to try asking a CAF counselor, but there isn’t necessarily anything you can do in this situation.

In order to apply for rental assistance, you’ll need to go onto the CAF website and fill out an application. Most applications can be completed online, and you can upload documents by PDF without ever having to leave your room.

If you need help or have questions that the CAF website can’t answer, you can always feel free to contact the appropriate person on your campus: Le Havre Sandrine Quévreux sandrine.quevreux@sciencespo.fr Menton logement.menton@sciencespo.fr Reims Rebeca Romero rebeca.romero@sciencespo.fr OR Anne-Charlotte Amaury annecharlotte.amaury@sciencespo.fr Once you begin the online application process, you’ll need enter information about your situation (student; whether you live alone or with roommates) and your income from the fiscal year two years prior (i.e., you’ll need 2013 and 2014 information to fill out the CAF in 2016; for 2017, you’ll need 2014 and 2015 information, etc.)

If you live with roommates, you’ll need to include all of their information on the form. If some of your roommates are French, they may also need to get copies of their parents’ tax declarations. If their parents are claiming a deduction for giving their student son or daughter a pension alimentaire, it can affect the student’s eligibility.

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Aside from the normal personal information, you’ll need to include your global net revenue for the tax year in question (2014 for 2016, as mentioned previously). If you had a job in your home country, this means your net wages (after social taxes, meaning that you can subtract social security and Medicare taxes from your gross income before you report it if you worked in the US) will go on the top line. The second line, frais réels, will be 10% of that number (it’s an automatic 10% deduction, like the standard deduction in the US). The rest of the lines are mostly about social security and disability benefits received, so they will all be zero unless you have a medical condition or dependents and received state aide.

After you’ve completed your section, you’ll need to have your landlord fill out the attestation de loyer with their personal information and information about the rental: whether it’s furnished or unfurnished, the length of the lease, how many square meters it is, what the rent and utility payments are, etc. Note that if your landlord signs this document, it opens him or her up to inspections by tax authorities, who want to ensure that all of the landlord’s revenues fonciers are being declared on his or her taxes. If the landlord is not declaring the income, as is the case with some host families and people who rent their apartments directly to students American programs, he or she may refuse to sign it.

When you apply for the CAF, you’ll also need to upload a copy of your carte de séjour if you’re a nonEU citizen, which you won’t have at the beginning of the year. To make the process go a bit faster, you can include a copy of your visa, which will set the process in motion before your appointment.

Then, once you go to the OFII office, you can follow up with a copy of the yellow OFII sticker serving as the premier titre de séjour.

Still need help applying for CAF, or want more information? Check out the Student Resources page on the CAF website.

How to Do an État des Lieux If you want to make sure you get back all of your security deposit upon moving out of your apartment or student residence, you have to make sure that you treat your temporary home with care and respect during the time you live there. As a tenant, you’re responsible for making minor, visible repairs (i.e., your faucet leaks) and signaling all larger problems (major leaks and broken items) to the landlord or rental agency.

When you go to sign the lease for an apartment or residence, the first step (before you take the keys!) is to go through and do an état des lieux or walkthrough. The purpose of doing an état des lieux is to protect you, the tenant, from having to pay for repairs caused by previous tenants or from normal wear and tear on the apartment. Without an état des lieux when you move in or out, you can potentially be held responsible for damage you didn’t cause.

Before you sign the lease, do not take the keys, as it may be considered accepting the conditions of the lease and result in you owing a month’s rent, even if you don’t move in.

When you arrive in the apartment, assess each item and area individually, pointing out any cracks or holes in the walls or ceiling, spots or stains on the walls, floor, or furniture. Turn all lights, electrical appliances, and faucets on to make sure they work. Flush the toilet. Check under the sink for drips.

And if there’s a washing machine, move it away from the wall to make sure it isn’t leaking in back.

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Finally, go through and take pictures of everything with your phone or a camera, especially any marks or stains you identify. You can also take pictures of the inside of the cabinets (number and kind of glasses, plates, silverware, etc.) to make sure you know what belongs to the landlord when you move out (as opposed to items you purchase during the year). It’s not unheard of for landlords to have a completely itemized list, down to the last sugar spoon, and to charge for each missing item, so you’re protecting yourself by having photographic evidence. Don’t allow the landlord to distract you or draw your attention to certain items (and away from whatever you’re looking at). Again, if you miss something, it could be considered your fault later.

After you’re satisfied that you’ve thoroughly inspected everything, sign the lease, which should include the number of keys you were given. Note that the landlord is not authorized to keep a copy of the key or to let himself into your apartment without your express authorization. If s/he does, you can call the police for ‘violation de domicile.’

Keep the pictures on your computer and a copy in the cloud, and if possible, email them to yourself and your landlord with a request for a read receipt, so you can prove the landlord had the original photos in case of problems. Also make sure that both you and your landlord have original signed copies of the état des lieux with all of the issues you pointed out, so you can both refer to it later. Scan this document and keep the original in a safe place. For an état des lieux to be valid, both parties have to have a signed original.

When you move out, it’s not your job to call attention to any new problems that may exist—it’s your landlord’s job to do due diligence and find any leaks, spots, or scratches you may have caused, and show that they were not on the original document. Do not assume that your landlord will be honest, and waive your right to accompany him on the walkthrough. It’s also not unheard of for landlords to charge tenants for normal repairs or repainting by alleging damage that didn’t exist. French courts are split on whether the landlord has to provide a bill for repairs or just an estimate, so it’s also possible to be charged for non-existent “damage” that the landlord has no intention of repairing.

Unfortunately, there’s currently no legal standard on ‘normal wear and tear,’ which means that if the apartment needs to be repainted, you could be on the hook for part of the repairs. Some unscrupulous landlords will try to foist off all of the costs for renovating their apartment onto you, the renter, so you need to contest anything that you did not directly cause.

If your landlord tries to get you to sign off on damages you did not cause, you can refuse to sign the état des lieux. In this case, you can call a professional ‘huissier de justice’, who will come and do an official état des lieux for both parties that can be used in eventual court proceedings. If you hire one for an état des lieux ‘à l’amiable’ (meaning, the landlord doesn’t care if one comes or not), the cost is entirely yours to bear, and the huissier can set his own rates. If the landlord hires a real estate agent to do the EDL, you can be charged part of the cost, which cannot exceed 1) the amount the landlord pays, and 2) €3 per meter square. (e.g., If the real estate agency charges the landlord €200 to do an EDL for a 20m2 apartment, your part cannot exceed €60. If they charge €100 for the same apartment, your part could not exceed €50, because they can’t make you pay more than the landlord does.)

On the other hand, if you’ve tried to do an état des lieux with your landlord and he’s being ridiculous, you can refuse to sign the document and do a contested EDL, in which case the cost of the huissier is set at €135,96 including tax, split between the landlord and the tenant.

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Again, take pictures of everything and email them to yourself and your landlord, in case you ever need proof. If you choose, it’s also your right to have someone accompany you on the état des lieux.

After you move out, your landlord has one month to return your security deposit and provide justification for any amounts withheld. If your deposit is not returned within that time frame, penalties start accruing and you may have to enlist assistance (from Paris Unraveled or French housing authorities) to get your deposit returned.

What Counts as a Justificatif de Domicile and Why Do You Need One for Everything?

A justificatif de domicile is proof of residence, and you literally need one for every single account you open in France. In some cases, it’s a catch-22: you need an address before you can open a bank account, but you need a bank account in order to get a lease! After you find housing, your very first step is therefore to get this document, so you can begin all other administrative procedure.

Homestay If you live in someone’s home, you probably won’t ever have any bills in your name that would qualify as a justificatif de domicile. Therefore, you need something called an attestation d’hébérgement. This document is a copy of your landlord’s French ID card, front and back, with the date and a note saying that you are currently living in their apartment or home. It must be accompanied by a recent utility (gas, water, electricity) bill that is less than three months old.

Apartments If you live in an apartment, your very first justificatif de domicile will be your lease and your quittance de loyer (receipt) for your first month’s rent. If the lease and quittance are handwritten documents completed on forms printed off from the internet, these documents alone may not be accepted by a bank, since anyone could print off and fill out fake documents. Therefore, ask your landlord for an attestation d’hébérgement that can serve as your proof of residence until you get other accounts set up.

Student Residence Again, you’re unlikely to have bills in your name if you live in a student residence, so your proof of residence will be in the form of your lease and your monthly rent receipts, which should be sent to you automatically. In this case, both documents should be printed and look official, and it will be easy for authorities to check their authenticity, so you shouldn’t need any additional documents.

Other Types of Justificatif de Domicile Once you’ve signed a lease, your next steps will be to open a bank account, buy insurance, and set up any utilities you may need to put in your name. Then, you’ll have several documents that can serve as proof of residence:  Renter’s insurance contract Once you’ve signed up for rental insurance, the insurer will issue an attestation, or proof of insurance, with your name and the location of the insured property (your apartment). You can use this as proof of residence, and request additional copies if you need a more recent document. 

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If you live in a student residence, you won’t have to sign up with any utility providers, but if you’re in an apartment, you’ll probably have to sign up for electricity, maybe even gas. Both electricity and gas bills in your name that are under three months old can serve as proof of residence. 

Utility attestations

For some contracts, EDF (Electricité de France) issues bills every six months, which means that you could end up needing a justificatif de domicile when you don’t have a recent bill available. In this case, you can call EDF or log onto your account online and generate an attestation proving that you have an electricity contract for your apartment. 

Landline phone bills

If internet service isn’t included in your furnished rental, you may take out your own phone/television/internet package in your name. While a landline phone bill probably won’t be accepted by the préfecture, it may be accepted by your bank, for example. 

Taxe d’habitation

Every year, renters pay a tax on the apartment they’re living in on January 1 after receiving a bill issued in the fall. While students who do not live in public housing are exempt from paying this tax (you may have to write to your tax office if you get a bill), the bill itself can serve as proof of residence.

Where to find CROUS Student Restaurants CROUS restaurants are basically student dining halls that allow students to purchase meals for discounted prices. For €3,25 (2017-2018 price; the 2018-2019 price will be set in August 2018), students can choose a traditional menu, which includes an appetizer, main course with meat or fish, vegetable, grain, and a cheese or dessert. The meals are subsidized by the local and national government, as they cost roughly €6 each.

Some restaurants also offer à la carte options, which include items like pizza and sandwiches, along with a side dish and a dessert. Prices for these items are set by the local CROUS administration.

Hours vary by establishment, as some are open for all three meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner), while others are only open for lunch or dinner. CROUS restaurants are typically closed during school vacation periods.

Monéo Not all CROUS restaurants accept cash, and while some accept debit cards for amounts over €1, the preferred method of payment is called Monéo. Basically, Monéo is a way to load cash onto your student ID, and to pay for your meal using that card.

If your student ID is plastic and has a chip, there should be a Monéo logo on the back, and you’ll be able to recharge your card at machines in certain restaurants, or even at some bank ATMs. If you have

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a paper student ID, you can check your French debit card to see if it has the Monéo logo, and ask your banker for help loading funds on it the first time.

Izly Izly is a new payment method accepted by certain CROUS restaurants. It allows you to connect your CROUS card with your smartphone, so you can recharge your account with funds online or using the application. Then, you can use the CROUS card or your phone to pay for meals. Third parties, such as your parents, can also add money directly to your account.

Le Havre CROUS restaurants in Le Havre and Rouen accept payment by Izly, Carte CROUS, cash, or debit card. You may also receive a Léocarte from your university, which allows you to access CROUS services.

There are two CROUS cafeterias in Le Havre. Other restaurants may be found in Rouen by visiting the CROUS website.

Cafétéria Lebon 25 rue Philippe Lebon 76600 Le Havre Phone: 02.32.74.40.41 E-mail: resto-porteoceane@crous-rouen.fr Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Cafétéria Caucriauville 1 Place Schumann 76600 le havre Phone: 02.35.51.62.48 E-mail: resto-porteoceane@crous-rouen.fr Hours: Monday - Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (closes at 3 p.m. on Thursdays) Brasserie Porte Océane 30 rue Demidoff 76600 Le Havre Phone: 02.325.53.29.12 E-mail: resto-porteoceane@crous-rouen.fr Hours: Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Resto’U Porte Océane 30 rue Demidoff 76600 Le Havre Phone: 02.325.53.29.12 E-mail: resto-porteoceane@crous-rouen.fr Hours: Monday – Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

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Menton Unfortunately, there are no CROUS restaurants in Menton, as it’s a small city, but there are eight fullservice restaurants and 11 “fast food” restaurants in the areas of Nice and Toulon. In order to benefit from the CROUS without a student ID from one of the two universities in Nice, you’ll have to contact CROUS and request a Carte RU (Restaurant Universitaire), which would allow you to put funds on it and buy meals at CROUS restaurants with the card.

If you’re going to be spending time in either place, you can locate a CROUS restaurant using the map on their website.

CROUS de Nice-Toulon 18 avenue des Fleurs 06050 Nice cedex 1 Phone: 04 92 15 50 50

Reims Sciences Po Campus de Reims 9 rue Eugène Wiet Hours : 8 a.m. – 5 :30 p.m.

Payment: Cash or Izly Paul FORT 8 Bd Franchet D'Esperey Payment: Izly or Monéo Cafet Droit Rue Rilly la Montagne Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Payments: Cash or Izly Jean-Charles Prost Rue Rilly la Montagne Phone: 03.26.08.04.80 E-mail : jcp@crous-reims.fr Payments: Cash or Izly SANTE 51 Rue Cognacq-Jay Payments: Cash or Izly ESPE de Reims 23 Rue Clément Ader Phone: 03.26.82.96.85 Hours: 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Payment: Cash or Izly

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Moulin de la Housse 4 chemin des Rouliers Phone: 03.26.85.30.18 E-mail : mho@crous-reims.fr Payments: Cash or Izly

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Chapter 3: Medical Insurance Before You Go: Health Care 



Visit a physician or health care provider at least six weeks prior to your departure to: o get a check up o update/refill your prescriptions o get a travel consultation o receive any required immunizations before departure Reach out to your health insurance company for information on overseas coverage for emergent, urgent, and routine care.

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If you will require continued therapy, monitoring, or specific support mechanisms, develop a treatment plan with your physician or health care provider and research the available medical resources at your travel destination(s).

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Certain types of gynecological products may not be as readily available in country, so plan to bring your own supply if you prefer a particular brand or style.

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If needed, bring prescription contact lenses, contact lens solution, and a pair of prescription eye glasses.

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If you have preferences for particular brands of toiletries, it is recommended to bring your own, as you may not find certain brands globally.

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If you regularly take medication, find out if you can bring an entire semester or year of the prescription with you or if it is readily available in country. You may need to call your insurance company or your doctor several weeks in advance to receive the entire supply.

Make sure to know the generic name for the drug.



Many countries have restrictions on how much of a particular drug can be brought into the country at a time. It may be illegal to mail some prescription medications to certain countries. Check with the postal service and customs office before doing so. Even if mailing a medication is technically permitted, be wary as it may be delayed, damaged or lost, so have a back-up plan.

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Keep in mind that some drugs may not be permitted in certain countries—contact your host country’s embassy if you have questions.

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Prescription medications should be brought abroad in carry-on luggage.

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Make sure your prescriptions bear the same name as on your travel documents.

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Before you leave, find out the process for getting medication while abroad in case you need more.

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Consider planning for important healthcare decisions, including: o advance directives o durable power of attorney o health care proxy o living will

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prescription medicines epinephrine, if you have severe allergies and it’s been prescribed by your doctor special prescriptions for the trip i.e. medicines to prevent malaria, if needed antibiotic prescribed by your doctor for self-treatment of moderate to severe diarrhea o over-the-counter medicines i.e. pain relievers, decongestant, anti-motion medication, mild laxative, cough suppressant, cough drops, antacid, antifungal and antibacterial ointments, hydrocortisone cream, and any other medications that your physician or health care professional recommends. o sunscreen o o o o

How to Choose a Social Security Regime (LMDE or SMEREP) When you enroll in French social security for the first time as a student, you’ll pay a fee of about €213 to get basic coverage, and you’ll have the choice between SMEREP (or one of its regional affiliates with a slightly different name) or LMDE, which is a national organization.

In theory, the two companies are identical, because basic health coverage is the same for everyone and determined at the national level. Therefore, the main difference should be the mutuelles, or optional complementary health plans. These plans allow you to get better coverage, such as being reimbursed 100% for all of your medicine, doctor’s appointments, and hospital stays, as opposed to paying a small portion of the fee yourself when you get health services.

While LMDE has the advantage of being national instead of regional (making it easier to keep your insurance if you plan on moving to a new region of France), there are several reasons why you should select SMEREP rather than LMDE: 

Students affiliated with LMDE have complained in the past about significant problems getting reimbursed, whereas SMEREP promised reimbursements within 48 hours of receipt of your feuille de soins and prescription. However, a restructuring of the organization in 2015 has led to promises of improvements in processing time. As of August 2015, LMDE promised to complete most reimbursements within seven days, and opened a dedicated phone line for students to call with questions. The average wait time, according to a May 2015 article in Le Monde, should not exceed two minutes and thirty seconds.

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LMDE was placed under judicial review in early 2015. In addition to its significant problems reimbursing students, the company had €35 million in debt and was given until August 2015 to straighten itself out. While LMDE was saved from declaring bankruptcy at that time, there have been a number of articles in the French press documenting the organization’s continued difficulties. If you are hesitating on which mutuelle to choose, try asking other students from your particular campus about LMDE in that region.



LMDE has a paid customer service line which is outsourced to North Africa, making it difficult to get answers about documents you may have sent to your local office. SMEREP and its affiliates have free customer service lines answered in France, as well as local offices where you can go to ask questions.

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Le Havre SMENO 2 à 4 rue Voltaire Hours: Monday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 - 5:30 p.m.

LMDE Agence Le Havre 37 rue Demidoff 76 600 Le Havre Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Basic mutuelle: for €6,25 per month, hospitalization, primary care appointments, and a yearly dentist visit are covered 100%, and medications that are normally covered by social security at 65% are covered 100%. For €10 a month, medications over 15% are covered, as are X-rays and lab tests. There are additional plans for €19 and €31,75 per month.

Menton MEP 42, rue du Maréchal Joffre 06000 Nice Phone: 04 26 317 929 Hours: Monday - Friday, 10:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Basic mutuelle: For €6 per month, hospitalization is covered. For €12 per month, hospitalization, doctor’s visits, prescription medication, and lab tests are covered 100%. Additional plans are €24, €31, and €43 per month.

LMDE Agence de Nice 39, rue Trachel 06 000 Nice Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.; Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

See Le Havre for basic mutuelle information (all plans are national).

Reims MGEL Espace Etudiant MGEL 55 bis rue Pierre Taittinger 51100 Reims Phone: 03 26 87 79 79 Espace Etudiant MGEL

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12 rue des Capucins 51100 Reims Phone: 03 26 88 62 46 Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. (opens at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday) Basic mutuelle: For €10,70 per month, the basic plan includes hospitalization, doctor’s visits, prescription medicine, and vaccines at 100%, plus lab tests and X-rays in a health center. The basic plan also includes coverage for responsabilité civile, lost keys & official documents, and fraudulent use of your cell phone. There are additional plans available, priced at €23,40 and €31,90 per month.

LMDE 8 rue Jeanne d’Arc 51100 Reims Hours: Monday - Thursday, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 - 5:30; Friday, 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

See Le Havre for basic mutuelle information (all plans are national).

What is a Mutelle or a Complémentaire Santé in French Healthcare?

Social Security only reimburses a percent of medical costs in most cases, and the reimbursement rates are relatively low for some types of care. Doctor’s visits, for example, are reimbursed at 70% of the tarif conventionné, or of €23, and certain prescription medications are reimbursed at anywhere from 1565% of the price set by the government.

Pharmacies, however, can set whatever rate they want, and you’ll only be reimbursed up to the government-set price.

While most doctor’s offices won’t break the bank in France, other healthcare services can get expensive. Dental care and ophthalmology have really low reimbursement rates compared to the cost of services—teeth cleanings and glasses or contact lenses. If you expect to need certain prescription medications that are reimbursed at a low rate, or significant dental or eye care, you may want to consider getting a mutuelle.

A mutuelle is a complémentaire santé, or a complementary health insurance plan that covers what Sécu doesn’t. For doctor’s visits, the mutuelle may reimburse the 30% not covered by Sécu for a Secteur 1 Tarif Convetionné doctor, or 200-300% of the tarif conventionné for a Secteur 2 doctor.

For a hospital stay, a good mutuelle may cover part of a private room.

And many mutuelles cover 300-500% of the tarif conventionné for dental and eye care and prescription medications.

How Much Do Mutuelles Cost?

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Like other forms of health insurance, the monthly rate you’ll pay for a mutuelle depends on several factors: your age and gender, your status (student, salaried employee, unemployed, etc.), and where you live.

Some companies offer a mutuelle through a collective coverage agreement (similar to employersponsored healthcare in the United States) and pay part of the cost, reducing your out-of-pocket expenses.

Other mutuelles are sold directly to consumers, at many different prices and coverage amounts, but prices typically range from €25-40 per month.

How Do You Sign Up for a Mutuelle?

There are a few different ways to sign up for a mutuelle if you’d like complementary healthcare: 

Through your employer

If you have an employment contract, check with the human resources department in your company to see what mutuelle options are offered to employees. 

Through your university

If you’re a student, you’re required to enroll in student health insurance through SMEREP or LMDE, both of which offer low-cost complementary student health plans. Check out their health plans if you’re eligible, even if you’re over 28.

If you’re already a client of SMEREP or LMDE, and get your primary health insurance through them, signing up for their mutuelle rather than choosing another company facilitates the reimbursement process of getting reimbursements, since you’ll get one reimbursement instead of having to send bills or information to a separate mutuelle. 

Purchase individually on the open market

Prices and reimbursements can vary greatly from one provider to another, so do your homework before signing up for a plan. There are several online price comparison tools that you can use by entering your age and gender to get a price estimate. There are literally dozens if not hundreds of companies offering plans, and not every plan is included in every tool, so use several comparison tools to find the plan that’s the best deal for you.

You can use the sites Comparateur Mutuelle and Comparateur de mutuelle santé to compare your options.

Tip: Use a throwaway email address from Mailinator and enter a fake phone number to avoid spam. Once you have the quotes you need, you can contact the mutuelle directly to enroll.

Can I Get Health Coverage in France if I’m a Student Over 28?

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If you’re a student in France, you normally get health coverage by signing up for a student mutuelle, like SMEREP or LMDE, when you enroll in university.

The cost of €211 must be paid by all students who aren’t covered under their parents’ French insurance, and those who do not have a valid work contract that covers their health plan for the academic year (October 1 - September 30).

But of course, there’s no limit on how old you can be as a student in France—so what if you’re a mature student without healthcare coverage?

Travel Insurance or Private Insurance Even if you’re eligible for public coverage, you won’t be able to apply until you’ve been in France for at least three months and have had your visa validated by the OFII office, and there will be a waiting period between your application and your acceptance for coverage. Your local consulate may also require proof of insurance depending on their mood that day.

You can find temporary international coverage for expatriates through travel insurance agencies, or through the American Association of Residents Overseas (AARO).

Local CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie) Offices The national phone number for CPAM is 3646. You can call from any line in France, and enter your department number to connect to your local CPAM office.

Le Havre Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie du Havre 42, Cours de la République 76600 Le Havre Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Menton Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie de Menton 24 avenue Edouard VII 06500 Menton Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Reims Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie de Reims 14 rue du Ruisselet 51100 Reims Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 1 - 4 p.m.

Students should create an account on ameli.fr to determine the caisse to which they should report. In some cases, a student’s caisse could be Paris.

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Documents Required to Get the Carte Vitale (and How to Get it as Soon as Possible) As soon as you sign up for health insurance with one of the major providers (LMDE or SMEREP if you’re under 28), you’ll have to submit a few important documents in order to get the ball rolling on your carte vitale (health insurance card).

A few weeks after enrolling, you should receive a letter in the mail with a temporary social security number (beginning in 08) and a notice that you’re officially enrolled with the organisme you selected. In the process of setting up a permanent number (beginning in 01 or 02), they’ll realize that you’ve never been insured in France before. Sending the documents they require before they ask will facilitate the process of getting your carte vitale as quickly as possible (if it doesn’t blow their minds).      

Copy of your birth certificate with certified translation 2 ID photos (from the French photo machines) A relevé d’identité bancaire (RIB), which provides your banking information so your reimbursements can be transferred directly into your account Copy of visa in passport SS certificate from establishment Déclaration du choix de médecin traitant (optional)

If you think you might be using your health insurance early on, you may want to select a primary care physician (medecin traitant) early on, and submit the déclaration de choix du médecin traitant. Having this form completed and on file with your insurer ensures that you get reimbursed the maximum amount possible every time you seek care. If this form is not on file when you’re treated, you may be reimbursed at a lower rate.

As soon as you receive your temporary social security number, send these documents, along with a photocopy of your temporary social security card, to the SMEREP or LMDE office so they have them on file. Then, follow up in a couple of weeks to ask for a progress report on your carte vitale.

Please note that this could take up to 3-4 months.

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How to Find a Medical Professional in Your City You can always ask for recommendations for English-speaking doctors in Facebook groups for English speakers in your city, or you can use the Ameli Direct website, a comprehensive guide to medical professionals in France. Unfortunately, the site doesn’t indicate whether its doctors speak English or other languages, but it does show practitioners’ rates, office hours, office locations, and phone numbers.

When you arrive on the home page, select “Je recherche un professionnel de santé.”

Then, you can input the type of doctor you’re looking for. If you want the doctor to charge the base social security rate (€23 for general practitioners; €28 for most specialists), select “Conventionné Secteur 1” from a drop down menu. If you have a carte vitale and would like to swipe it to get reimbursed automatically, you can see which practitioners are able to swipe your card on site. Finally, you can choose a preference for male or female doctors, and input the location you want to search near.

You’ll then get a list, sorted by distance from the location you specified, and you can choose a name and call to make an appointment, or check to see if the doctor is registered on MonDocteur so you can make an appointment directly online.

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If you’re looking for doctors who speak English (or another language), you can also look on the website doctolib.fr, which typically lists any foreign languages spoken by providers. The site also enables you to make appointments online.

Four Steps to Getting Reimbursed for Your Doctor’s Visit in France If you’re a student in a French university or working in France, you’re automatically enrolled in the French national social security system, and you have health care coverage. Congratulations!

Going to the doctor in France is not an expensive undertaking like it can be in the U.S., and while you may have to pay a bit up front and be reimbursed, the doctor will rarely break the bank.

Here are four easy steps to getting reimbursed by the sécurité sociale for your doctor’s visit in France: 1. Ask friends for recommendations or search for a medecin conventionné in your neighborhood.

A médecin conventionné is a doctor who is paid at the rate approved by the French social security. For a regular doctor’s appointment, the rate is set at 23€.

Doctors are allowed to charge more than that rate, but the national sécurité sociale will only reimburse you for 70% of 23€ (16€), no matter how much the appointment costs. Doctors are also required to post their rates in the waiting room and to tell you how much they charge over the phone. If you’re in Paris, many doctors charge more than the standard rate, so you’ll definitely want to ask when you call to make an appointment.

If you have a mutuelle, complément santé, or other complementary health insurance plan, check their brochure for details on what they’ll reimburse. Some inexpensive plans will reimburse you the other 30% of the cost of the visit, while some of the more expensive plans will reimburse up to 200% or 300% of the social security rate.

2. Fill out the médecin traitant form.

In order to get the full reimbursement of 70%, you need to choose a médecin traitant, or the equivalent of a primary care physician. You can do this at your very first doctor’s appointment by bringing this form for your doctor’s office to fill out.

Once this form is filled in, you’ll need to send it, along with an RIB, to your centre d'affiliation de sécurité sociale, or the office of the SMEREP or LMDE (depending on what office you signed up with).

Tip: You can fill out and submit this form as many times as you like. If you don’t love the first doctor you go to, you can pick a different professional the next time and have them fill out another form.

3. Complete the fiche de soins.

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Every time you visit the doctor or purchase something from the pharmacy that may be covered, you’ll receive a fiche de soins, or a brown form that identifies what treatment you had and how much it costs.

Most doctors only fill out the bottom half with their own information, meaning that you’ll have to fill out the top part with your name, address, and other details. If you have a permanent social security number assigned by the sécurité sociale, you’ll want to fill that part out as well. If you only have a temporary number, you'll want to leave that part blank on the form.

Tip: You won’t need to complete the fiche de soins if you have your carte vitale on hand.

4. Send everything to your Caisse with a brief letter.

When you signed up for your student mutuelle, you should have received a letter in the mail with an identification number, a temporary social security number, and the address where you should send your documents.

Hopefully you kept that. If not, you can always call the SMEREP or LMDE customer service to ask where to send it, or go to one of their offices, but plan to be put on hold or wait for a while.

Write a brief cover letter to identify yourself, and include your identification number (numéro d'adhérant) and your temporary social security number (15 digits, beginning with 8) on the letter.

Explain that you’re enclosing an RIB, a formulaire de déclaration de médecin traitant, and a fiche de soins.

Be sure to keep copies of everything, and if you’re really cautions, send everything recommandé avec avis de réception so you’ll know they got it. (Of course, this costs €5 and eats into the reimbursement you’ll get).

How Long Does it Take to be Reimbursed?

If you already have your carte vitale and have swiped it at the doctor’s office, you should be reimbursed within a matter of days from the time they receive your correctly completed fiche de soins. If the doctor doesn’t swipe your carte vitale (some don’t), or you don’t have one yet, reimbursement can take a few weeks, but should be relatively quick.

Places to Visit/Contact in a Health Emergency Ambulances If you need to call an ambulance for a health emergency, call SAMU (15 on any French phone), the number for urgent medical care.

For fire or traffic accidents, you’ll want to call the pompiers (firefighters), who will respond as needed.

The phone number for the pompiers is 18.

Taxi Convetionné

If you want to go to a specific hospital (rather than one chosen at the pompiers’ whim), you can call a local taxi service and ask for a taxi conventionné. You’ll have to pay for the ride up front, but if they treat you at the hospital, you can be reimbursed for the ride by sécurité sociale.

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SOS Medecins

SOS Médecins is a service of doctors performing house visits for patients who are too sick to go to the doctor or for those who need urgent but non-emergent care outside of doctors’ normal business hours (weekends and late nights). No matter where you are in France, you can call SOS Médecins at the number 3624, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. (The call costs €0,12 per minute.) You can ask for a doctor who speaks English, and give your address. You’ll have to pay for your consultation with cash or a check, and you’ll get a feuille de soins to get reimbursed. Note that because the doctors often serve outside of regular office hours and make house calls, their rates are higher than what is normally reimbursed by Sécu.

Night Pharmacies, or Pharmacies de Garde Most pharmacies in France are only open during normal business hours, and are closed by 7 or 8 p.m. However, each city has a certain number of pharmacies open all night, called pharmacies de gardes.

If you have an emergency and need medication in the middle of the night, you can find the open pharmacie de garde closest to you by searching on the Pharmacie de Garde website.

Le Havre Local SOS Medecins: 02 32 73 32 33 Health & Psychiatric Emergencies Hôpital J. Monod rez-de-chaussée du Pavillon Femme Mère Enfant 29 Avenue Pierre Mendès France 76290 Montivilliers Phone: 02 32 73 34 16 Email: sec.urg@ch-havre.fr Dental Emergencies For dental emergencies, you can call and explain your emergency for an appointment, or show up to be evaluated, where you’ll either be treated immediately or given an appointment to return.

Hôpital G. Flaubert 55bis Rue Gustave Flaubert 76600 Le Havre Phone: 02 32 73 35 85, Open Monday - Friday, 10:00 - 12:00 and 2:00 - 4:00 Emergency room desk: Monday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. and 2 – 6 p.m.

Family Planning Center Groupe Hospitalier Havrais 55 bis, rue Gustave Flaubert 76600 Le Havre Phone: 02 32 73 37 55

Menton SOS Médecins: 04 93 41 41 41

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Health & Psychiatric Emegencies Centre Hospitalier La Palmosa 2 Rue Antoine Péglion 06500 Menton Phone: 04 93 28 77 77 Dental Emergencies There is no dental emergency room in Menton, but the dentiste de grade is available nights, weekends, and holidays and may be reached at 04.93.01.14.14.

Family Planning Center Le Planning Familal 25, rue d'Italie 06000 Nice Phone: 04 92 09 17 26 Email: mfpf.06@free.fr Hours: Monday, 3 - 6 p.m.; Wednesday, 2 - 5 p.m.; 1st and 3rd Saturday of each month, 9:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.

Reims Local SOS Médecins: 08 21 21 15 15 Health & Psychiatric Emergencies Hôpital Maison Blanche 45 Rue Cognacq Jay Reims Cedex Phone: 03 26 78 78 78 Dental Emergencies CHRU de Reims - Hôpital Sébastopol 43 Rue Prieur de la Marne 51100 Reims Phone: 03 26 78 45 10 Family Planning Center Info Contraception 45 Rue Cognacq Jay 51100 Reims Phone: 08 00 33 13 34

911: Program These Emergency Numbers into Your French Cell Phone Now From the time Americans are very small, 911 is pounded into their heads as the emergency number to call, but it’s not universal. If you have an emergency in France, calling 911 isn’t going to work.

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The last thing you want is to be caught by surprise and not know who to call for help. So here’s a list of useful emergency numbers for France that you should program into your phone now.

Useful Emergency Numbers Universal European Emergency Number (24/7) (equivalent to 911 in the US, redirects to other emergency numbers) Firefighters (24/7) (call for medical emergencies and accidents also) Police (24/7) Medical Emergencies (24/7) Poison Control SOS Médecins (24/7) Amber Alert Child Abuse Missing Child Hotline Domestic Violence (Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.)

SAMU Social (help to homeless people)

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18 17 15 01 40 05 48 48 3624 116000 119 116 3919

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Suicide Hotline SOS Depression

01 40 50 34 34 01 40 47 95 95

Stolen Checkbook (24/7) Stolen Debit Card (24/7)

08 92 68 32 08 08 92 69 08 80

Program these numbers into your phone now, so you’re prepared if anything ever happens.

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Chapter 4: Internships Is it Possible to Get a Paid Internship in France?

In both France and the United States, internships have historically been a huge problem. While interns are supposed to gain work experience and insight into a particular industry in exchange for their time and efforts, many companies see interns as a replacement for full-time employees, and neglect interns’ responsibility to get an education and develop their technical skills.

Instead of hiring entry-level employees, companies have decided instead to hire interns, paying them peanuts (or not at all).

Since 2009, strict laws govern internships (or stages) in France in an effort to crack down on companies hiring interns instead of creating jobs for regular employees.

Internships in France must be paid if they meet two criteria: 1. The internship lasts longer than two months 2. The intern works more than 309 hours The amount of the internship stipend, however, is a minimal amount to cover living expenses and is not intended to be a proper “salary,” and must be laid out in the convention de stage before the student is hired.

The internship stipend is calculated based on a percentage of the plafond horaire of sécurité sociale, which is currently €23 per hour. The internship rate is 15% of that figure per hour as of September 1, 2015 (€3,60), multiplied by the number of hours worked.

For a full-time intern, the stipend is €3,60 x 7 hours in a typical workday x number of workdays in a month (usually 22) = €554,40 for a month with 22 workdays. February 2016 has 21 workdays, and so the pay for a full-time internship would be €529,20.

What Does this Stipend Amount Mean? €3,60 per hour for hours of presence is the minimum amount your employer can pay you per month for an internship. Companies can (and do) choose to pay more, especially in competitive fields like finance and law. There is no maximum stipend for an internship, just some additional social charges to pay on the higher amount.

What if I Leave My Internship?

If you leave your internship and break it in accordance with the convention de stage signed with your school and employer, you are entitled to the prorated amount of your stipend for the time you worked.

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In other words, your employer can’t punish you for not finishing your internship by withholding wages. If you worked for two weeks out of the month, you would get 50% of the stipend you were otherwise due.

What is Not Taken into Account Social Charges You and your employer don’t pay any social charges on the minimum stipend amount. If your employer pays you more than the minimum stipend, you will both pay social charges on the industry rate (about 42-45% total) on the amount over and above the minimum. Therefore, if you earn €1000 gross per month, you’ll only pay social charges on €445,60 per month.

Your gross income would be €554,40 + (445,60x78%) = €554,40 + €347,57 = €901,97.

When you do pay social charges on your income, you are not required to pay chômage (unemployment insurance) because you will not be entitled to unemployment benefits when your internship ends. That saves you 2.4% of taxes on your stipend as well.

Public Transportation If you take public transportation to your internship, your employer will pay for 50% of your monthly subway pass, currently worth about €33 per month. This amount is added to your stipend and not taxed.

Tickets Restaurant

Tickets restaurant are subsidized vouchers for prepared food provided by many companies that don’t have cafeterias on site. In fact, companies of a certain size are required to provide them to their employees if they don’t have a designated kitchen.

If you buy tickets restaurant through your employer, you and the company each pay half. Then, you use the full face value of the voucher to buy sandwiches, meals in restaurants, or prepared meals in grocery stores. You can only use them to buy ready-to-eat food in venues that accept them, and you can only use two tickets per trip. But if you eat out of your home often or buy lots of prepared meals, it’s a great way to have your employer pay for half of your food.

Your employer is required to offer you tickets restaurant if they are offered to other employees, and it’s a great way to increase your monthly food budget. You can buy €50 of tickets restaurant for €25 (taken out of your paycheck), effectively increasing your income by €25.

Other Benefits in Kind Your employer cannot reduce the stipend you receive for any reason, even if they provide other benefits like a housing subsidy.

Being Hired After an Internship If your company hires you within three months following an internship you completed with them, the duration of the internship is deducted from the “trial period” that usually lasts several months at the

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beginning of a work contract. The trial period (période d’essai) is the amount of time that you and the employer can each terminate the contract without penalty.

Income Taxes If your internship is less than three months, you do not have to declare your income on your French income taxes, no matter how much you make. However, if your internship is longer than three months, you do have to declare your income. (And, if you’re American, you have to declare this income on your US tax return, regardless of whether it’s taxable in France.)

But, if you’re a student under 26, you don’t have to declare your income if you earned less than three times the monthly SMIC (€4,236 in 2012, adjusted for inflation in 2013 and 2014).

List of Resources for Finding Internships in France If you’d like to do an internship (stage) during the course of your studies, the best place to start is often by asking the secretary of your department if any internship offers are available, or by asking classmates if they’ve previously done an internship in companies that may be looking to hire again.

During the academic year, you’ll want internships in the city or region you’re living in, but during the summer, you may be able to find an internship in another city in France. Internship search sites tend to be national rather than regional, so you can search for jobs in your industry and then narrow down to opportunities near you.

You can use the following websites to locate internship opportunities, searching by location, industry, and duration. These sites also contain tips for your job search and writing your cover letter and CV, or you can ask Paris Unraveled for assistance with finding and applying to internships.       

AidoStage CIDJ L’Etudiant Indeed: this is a job search site that may have some internship offers mixed in.

Le Parisien: lists internship opportunities for all regions, even though it’s a Parisian newspaper.

Stage.fr Studyrama Emploi

Ten Things You Should Know About Your Rights and Responsibilities as an Intern in France Internships in France are highly regulated, and there are lots of rules that both companies and interns must follow to make sure that the internship is successful and respects French labor laws. If you’re planning on doing an internship in France, here are the basic things you need to know about the status of intern:

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1. You must be a student currently enrolled in a university program in order to complete an internship.

This is to discourage students from completing one internship after another after graduating and never getting hired for a real full-time job. Of course, this doesn’t prevent students from doing bogus enrollments in degree programs to get a convention de stage.

2. If your internship is more than two months long, you’ll be paid at least a minimum monthly stipend.

Beginning on September 1, 2015, interns must be paid €3,60 an hour for each hour of presence if their internship lasts longer than two months or 44 seven-hour days of work. This works out to €554 per month for full-time work (22 workdays in the average month, up from €436 per month).

This means that your monthly income can vary slightly between shorter months like February and longer months like March.

You can calculate exactly how much you should earn during your internship by using the calculator provided on the official French civil service website.

3. You must sign a convention de stage with your employer and university.

To get hired as an intern, you, your school, and your employer must set the terms and conditions of your internship in writing in a convention de stage, including start and end dates, responsibilities, and conditions for ending the agreement. The document must be written in French and signed by all three parties. If you’re coming from abroad to do an internship in France, you'll need this document to get your visa.

4. The maximum length of an internship is six months.

Internships cannot last longer than six months, and students cannot complete more than six months of internships for each year they are enrolled in school, or 924 hours per year. Students who complete more than one internship during an academic year must wait 1/3 of the duration of the first internship before beginning the second internship. In other words, if a student does a three-month internship, he or she must wait one month before beginning another three-month internship. This does not apply if the student quits the first internship.

5. The company is required to contribute to transportation costs and tickets restaurant.

All companies are required to contribute 50% of the cost of monthly public transportation for employees who use public transport to get to work. Give your employer a copy of your Citura, LIA, ZestBus, or Navigo receipts and the amount will automatically be added to your pay stub.

If your company provides subsidized meal tickets (tickets restaurant) to employees, you will have the option to purchase them as well.

6. You don’t pay insurance as an intern.

Social charges are not taken out of your intern stipend, which means that you remain insured on your student insurance or your parents’ insurance. If you are a foreign student, this means that

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you will either have to provide proof of insurance or purchase a health care plan (mutuelle) for the duration of your stay in France.

7. You only pay taxes if your internship is more than three months long.

Regardless of how much you make, you don’t have to declare income from your internship if it’s shorter than three months. This is true even if you’re making €3.000 per month.

However, if you do a six-month internship, you have to declare your earnings and pay income tax on them.

8. You don’t get paid vacation as an intern.

Interns are not required to get vacation time during their contract. So while you may get days off if one of France’s many public holidays falls during your internship period, your time off will otherwise be at the discretion of your employer, and possibly detailed in your convention de stage.

Interns who work for more than two months (and are thus paid) are entitled to absences under the conditions proposed in the convention de stage. These absences are not paid, and do not count as “presence” towards insurance, the length of the internship, or anything else.

9. You don’t get a bonus at the end of your internship.

Most other forms of employment contracts in France come with some kind of bonus at the end— an indemnité de précarité at the end of a CDD worth 10% of the employee's total income during the contract, or an indemnité de rupture when a CDI ends. Internships, unfortunately, come with no such bonus at the end.

10. You don’t get unemployment when your internship is finished.

Your employer doesn’t have to pay unemployment insurance (6.4%) on your earnings as an intern, and the internship is considered an integral part of an educational program. Therefore, when it ends, you’re still considered a student, and you won’t be eligible to receive unemployment benefits.

The Complete Guide to Your Convention de Stage If you’re doing an internship in France, by law you are required to write and sign a document known as a convention de stage. A convention de stage is basically a work contract for an internship position, outlining the details of your employment and how it fits into your course of study.

While sample conventions de stage can be found online, it’s important to know what elements are required before presenting one to your potential employer. And before you go ahead and write your own, be sure to check with both the company and your university to see if they have a standard version that they use.

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Here’s what every convention de stage needs to cover: 1. Identify the parties to the internship contract.

The typical convention de stage is an agreement between three parties: you, the company, and the university where you are completing your degree. Note that the last one is especially important because you are required to be an enrolled student in order to complete an internship in France.

The first section of the convention de stage will be very brief, and name all three parties:   

You, the student The director of the company or human resources employee, and the company itself Your advisor and your university

2. Outline the internship’s learning and professional objectives.

Internships in France must have a clearly defined educational objective, and link to the student’s course of study. The second section of the convention de stage should identify the skill that the intern will learn during the internship and discuss how the internship fits into the student’s education and professional development.

This section should also provide a list of the intern’s main duties and projects, showing that the internship will consist of more than mere photocopying and require use of the intern’s unique skillset.

3. Hash out the details.

Section 3 should include all relevant details about the logistics of your internship, including the following information:  The days of the week you’ll work and what your work schedule (hours) will be  If you’ll have to work weekends, nights, or holidays  The length of the internship, including start and end dates  If there’s a possibility of renewing or extending the internship upon completion, if all parties agree  The name of your boss in the internship (responsable)  The name of your advisor in your university who will be responsible for overseeing the internship and reviewing your rapport de stage  The payment you’ll receive and any benefits in kind available to you (note that internships lasting more than two months must always be paid)  Your insurance and responsabilité civile  The clauses of the reglèment intérieur that you’ll have to follow while working at the company—even though you’re not a salaried employee, you can still be required to follow company and industry rules for dress code, safety, training, confidentiality, etc.  What types of absences will be permitted, and how you should notify your employer about them, and if you will have any mandatory absences for school events (courses and conferences) or administration (think OFII, préfecture)

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

How the contract can be broken. Make sure there is a clause for each party being able to end the agreement. While many conventions de stage will allow the school or the employer to end the contract prematurely, you want to make sure that you also have recourse to end it if you feel you’re not learning anything or you don’t fit into the company culture.

Note that after signing the contract, these cannot be modified without the written agreement of all three signatories.

4. Specify how you will be evaluated.

Your internship will certainly be graded if it’s part of an educational program, so you’ll need to discuss the criteria for grading with your advisor in your program.

There are two commonly required evaluations to be completed: The Internship Evaluation The internship evaluation (or évaluation de stage) is a document that asks you to summarize your experiences within the company and give feedback to your university. This document is primarily for the university (and your advisor) to see how you felt about the company, whether you thought you learned anything, and whether you felt you worked on valuable projects that increased your skills. After all, learning is the point of the internship.

This document will likely be kept at the school and not transmitted to the company, although you should ask your advisor if any criticism will remain confidential.

The Rapport de Stage The Rapport de Stage is a written document of 15-50 pages detailing your internship, the projects you worked on, and showing your understanding of the company you worked for. It is typically submitted both to your advisor at the school and your responsable de stage in the company, so you will want to be diplomatic.

Check out the guide to writing a rapport de stage here.

Once you’ve determined all of the elements in these four sections, you should get the convention de stage in three originals. Your university and the company’s human resources department will sign and stamp the documents, and you will sign as well.

Then, you can start working!

Internship Rules in Effect as of December 1, 2014 The rules on internships typically seem to favor employers, and new rules that went into effect on December 1, 2014 grant new rights to students who want to complete internships as part of their studies. Most importantly, the new rules clarify the duration of an internship, so an internship for 15 hours a week for four months is treated the same as an internship of 30 hours per week for two months.

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The other articles about internships in this booklet have been updated to reflect the new rules, but here’s an overview of the new policies: 1. Internships are now paid starting with the 309th hour of work or presence in the company, or the 44th full-time day. A “full-time day” is equal to seven hours of work (not necessarily consecutive), and a “month” is equal to 22 “full-time days.”

2. Interns can’t work longer hours than their bosses or other regular employees. If employees work a 35-hour workweek, so do the interns.

3. Companies are required to offer tickets restaurant to interns if they offer them to employees, and interns are also reimbursed for part of their travel costs at the same rate as employees.

4. Interns are entitled to leave for maternity, paternity, and adoption. The convention de stage must also specify how to take authorized absences from work.

5. Interns are no longer allowed to do internships in the same company for more than six months out of a calendar year.

6. Interns must have a tutor in their university (enseignant référant) and a designated host in the company they work for. Both must now sign the convention de stage, in addition to the company, the university department secretary’s office, and the student. Each enseignant référant can tutor no more than 16 students.

7. At the end of the internship, the company must issue an attestation explaining the length of the internship and the total amount of stipend paid.

8. Companies are limited in the number of interns they can have per employee.

9. Internships must be part of a university program, and students must be taking at least 200 hours of coursework during the year to be eligible to complete an internship.

10. Interns cannot do anything considered dangerous (“dangerous” has not yet been defined by the law).

11. Beginning September 1, 2015, interns are paid at the rate of €3,60 per hour of presence, on a monthly basis, beginning with the 309th hour of work. This represents 15M of the plafond de sécurité sociale. (This provision is put into effect gradually, starting in December 2014.)

12. Stipends are now completely non-taxable up to minimum wage (currently €9,61 per hour gross).

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Chapter 5: Practical Living Before You Go: Currency and Banking Currency   

Understand the currency and exchange rate of the location(s) you will be traveling to.

Create a budget given your financial situation and anticipated costs so that you do not overspend.

You may wish to exchange a small amount of money at your departing airport so that you do not have to worry about exchanging currency when first arriving.

Bank Accounts  

Determine how much money you will need for the duration of your stay and how you will manage it (e.g., traveler’s checks, opening a local bank account, your American bank’s branches in country (if applicable), etc.).

Call your debit and credit card companies ahead of time to make them aware that you will be using your cards internationally. This will keep your cards from being blocked when you use them abroad. Call your bank to determine if there will be additional fees/charges for using international ATMs, etc.

The Language of Business Although it should go without saying, it is important to remember that the main language used in everyday, off-campus transactions in Le Havre, Menton, and Reims will be French. On your campus, of course, everyone speaks English, and it’s safe to expect that someone who deals with international students regularly (such as those who work in the OFII offices) will also be fairly fluent. But when you’re out in the wider world, there is no guarantee that the teller at La Poste or someone in a doctor’s office will speak English. Situations like these are great opportunities to improve your French, but it may also make sense to buddy up with someone who is more fluent than you, if you want the extra support. Always remember, a “bonjour” and a smile (as well as a “merci, au revoir” at the end of your transaction) can go a long way, even if you aren’t yet able to speak enough French to open a bank account on your own.

Opening a Bank Account in France Opening bank accounts in France is not particularly difficult; like everything here, it just takes a bit of energy and a lot of paperwork. Banks are generally open Tuesday through Saturday, and if you go at lunchtime, you’re bound to find a long line and a reduced staff. So when you’re ready to open an account, go early in the morning with all of your paperwork, and the whole process should take about 45 minutes.

As for everything in France, you’ll need a justificatif de domicile and a copy of your passport and visa. Be sure to ask for a student account, since those come with special offers, a savings account linked to your checking account that earns interest, and a lower monthly fee (about 2€ instead of 5€). You’ll 46

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need to choose whether you want a card with overdraft protection or one that blocks purchases once your account is empty. There’s no price difference, and no outrageous fees like in the US; as long as you have a positive balance at the end of the month, it doesn’t matter if you occasionally drift into the red.

The “starter” debit card that most banks propose has a weekly withdrawal limit of €500 and a monthly swiping limit of €1000. If you withdraw €500 (say, to pay your rent), you’ll need to wait until the 8th day before withdrawing more cash. There’s no such limit for checks or automatic withdrawals, so you can always pay your rent by check, but if you think you’re going to need more cash than that, ask to see the other debit card options with higher limits. At BNP, the next option up is for €1500/week and €2500/month, and the monthly fee actually went down to 1,85€. There’ll be a bunch of paperwork to fill out, after which the banker will give you your RIB. An RIB, or Relevé d’Identité Bancaire, is the most important document your bank will give you, and you’ll need many of them while in France. This document is required for almost any type of service contract: a cell phone plan, a Carte Imagine’R, an internet plan, or an unlimited movie pass. Any type of contract that requires a monthly payment will require an RIB so that the company in question can withdraw money from your account. It’s the document that gives them permission to do so. To get more RIBs, you’ll need to use your online banking account to print some off; you can also photocopy the one you have or go to your bank to get more.

After your account has been opened, the bank will send you your online banking ID and password in two separate letters, and it will take about a week for your debit card and checkbook to be prepared (be sure to ask for both when you open your account). When they are ready, your bank will first send you a slip with your PIN code (learn it—you can’t choose your own or change it) and two separate notices in the mail. You’ll have to bring that notices to the bank where you opened your account and sign it in front of the teller, and she will give you your card and checkbook in exchange. Before using your card to make purchases, you must make a withdrawal in an ATM in the bank, which will activate the card.

Your Branch Unlike in the U.S., where you can complete any banking transaction at any branch of your bank, you must use your own branch in France—the branch where you opened your account. Any time you would like to update your account information, you must go and speak with your banker in person.

Withdrawing cash or cashing a check at the counter is not usually an option, as most bank branches do not have access to cash, so you’ll have to use the ATMs. If you would like to try to withdraw cash or make a deposit with an RIB (before you have your checkbook and debit card, for example), ask your banker how to do so when you open your account. Otherwise, keep plenty of cash on hand until you have access to your card.

Closing Your Account When you’re preparing to leave France, you must close your bank account, as you cannot legally put a non-French address on the account. Go to the bank a few weeks before you plan to leave to ask what you need to do; if you have to withdraw the remaining cash, it’s better to have a few weeks to do so in case there’s a possibility of exceeding your weekly withdrawal limit.

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Before closing your account, you’ll want to cancel any internet and cell phone plans that may automatically withdraw money each month. To do so, you’ll have to send a letter recommandé (we’ll discuss this next) to the company explaining your departure abroad, including a copy of your plane ticket and carte de séjour. You’ll also want to stop payment to these accounts at the bank itself, so you won’t come back to France to find you owe money. After putting the necessary blocks on your account, you’ll have to turn over your debit card and checkbook to be destroyed before your departure.

If you leave France without closing your account, the bank will send notices to your last known address in France for a few months, notifying you that there was no activity in your account and asking if you’d like them to keep it open. If you don’t reply, the account will automatically close after three months. If there was still money in the account, you’ll have to return to France and do a reclamation, which takes several weeks, in order to claim it. Even if you have the original account documents, the bank branch will have to look in its archives for your information.

Recommended Banks Since you’re in France temporarily as a student, you’ll probably want to keep a bank account open in your home country, especially if your parents might transfer money to you. The first thing to do, then, is check to see if your bank has a partnership with a bank in France. Banks like HSBC (which have branches all over the world) allow you to access accounts in multiple countries at once, while BNP Paribas has agreements with several banks internationally, including Bank of America, that allow you to withdraw money and transfer funds without fees. Opening an account at a bank that works well with your home bank will make certain international transactions easier.

Otherwise, you can make an appointment with any bank and get information on their advantages for student accounts before you sign up. The website Que Choisir allows you to compare banks and fees.

LCL (Le Crédit Lyonnais) is generally an inexpensive option that also has a student renter’s insurance plan for €1 per month. LCL also has a partnership with the Bureau des Elèves in Le Havre, and offers a good rate on the monthly fees to Sciences Po students in that city.

Trouble Opening an Account Since the FATCA (Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act) was passed, some foreign banks have been refusing to open bank accounts for Americans under the pretext that the regulations for banks that do so are too onerous. FATCA essentially requires foreign banks to pass on information about Americans’ foreign accounts to the IRS, so banks will now require you to submit a form W-9, along with your social security number, if you are an American person (citizen or green card holder).

A bank can refuse to open an account for you, but you have the right to have a bank account in France if you are here on a valid visa. Therefore, if the agency refuses, you can request a letter of refusal, stating that they decline to open an account for you. Bring this letter, along with your ID, to the Banque de France in your region, and request a form for “droit au compete”). The Banque de France will designate a bank to open an account for you, and give you a letter requiring the branch they select to open your account. As you need a bank account to do pretty much anything in France, it’s important to get one set up as soon as you can.

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Currency Transfers: The Cheapest way to Transfer Money to France Since Paris Unraveled was written in 2011, the landscape of currency transfers has changed rapidly.

As of 2017, the easiest, fastest, and least expensive way to transfer money is to use TransferWise, an international currency transfer service that enables you to transfer money easily to France with low fees.

How it works: To transfer money from the U.S. to France, create an account with TransferWise, and you transfer your desired amount of money to TransferWise’s US account.

TransferWise then transfers money from their EU company to your French bank account. Because the money never actually crosses borders, it arrives quickly, and the fees are much lower than for a traditional international wire transfer.

They use the interbank exchange rate, and add a *small* commission of around .5%, whereas banks typically add fees of 3-4% and sometimes additional international transfer fees.

How to Use TransferWise: 1) Visit the TransferWise website.

2) Input your starting currency (U.S. Dollars) and the currency you are transferring to (Euro).

You can choose to input either the amount you are starting with, or the amount you want the recipient to receive.

3) Click ‘Start' to create an account, or sign in with Google or Facebook.

4) TransferWise tells you what the fees are, how much you’ll save compared to your bank, and how long it will take to transfer the funds.

5) Input your personal details (name, address, email, etc.)

6) Input the recipient’s personal details. You can transfer money to yourself, an individual, or a company/association. If the recipient is in the U.S., that means including the routing number and the account number. If the recipient is in the EU, you can input the IBAN number (which you can find on your RIB from your French bank).

Note: if you don’t know the recipient’s bank information, you can input their email address, and TransferWise will send them an email inviting them to put in their bank details to receive the money. If they don’t reply to the email, your money will be reimbursed.

7) Verify the information and click to confirm. The money will be withdrawn from your account and you will receive an email confirmation when the money is deposited to the recipient. (*Note: Paris Unraveled receives a one-time commission of £15 if you join and make a transfer within 60 days. This in no way impacts the cost of your money transfer.)

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Renter’s Insurance and Responsabilité Civile (Information adapted from the Paris Unraveled website.)

For any apartment you rent, you must subscribe to a renter’s insurance policy within ten days of moving, which will cover any damages to the apartment, theft, and even late night or weekend locksmith visits if you lock yourself out. If you’re new to France, your housing insurance policy will also need to cover your responsabilité civile, or the general national insurance policy that prevents the French from suing each other like Americans. It covers any accidental harm that you may cause to others. If, for example, you throw a lit cigarette out behind you and a woman’s skirt catches on fire, her injuries would be covered under your policy. If, on the other hand, you punch someone in a bar fight, those damages would not be covered since your actions were intentional (no matter how “incapacitated” you were).

When you sign up, make sure that you’re clear on what’s covered. If you shut your door but don’t lock it with the key, you may not be protected against theft, for example. Some policies may also cover theft of “portable items” like cell phones, tablets, and laptops, which may be lost or stolen outside of your home. Or, an alternative policy might be available, if you’re concerned about the omnipresence of cell phone thieves in public transportation.

If your policy covers a locksmith, be aware of what conditions are required for coverage. If your keys are stolen, you may have to make a police report. Or, if you lock yourself out and have to call a locksmith in the middle of the night (which is very expensive!), be aware of what has to appear on the bill so you can get reimbursed.

Finally, make sure that you report any break-in attempts, leaks, water stains, or other damage to your insurance company directly. If it’s a water leak (dégâts des eaux) coming from a neighbor’s apartment, you’ll have to document the evidence and let an expert into your apartment to assess the damage, so the company can figure out whose insurance will be responsible for repairs. Failure to report the damage could result in you being held responsible for repairs.

Policies that include both renter’s insurance and responsabilité civil can be purchased at most banks, and also with independent insurance companies, which are sometimes a bit cheaper and more comprehensive. LCL Bank, for example, offers a great student plan to their clients. It costs about €5 per month, and at the end of the first year, you get a refund of all but €12 (€1 per month).

Note that once you sign up with an insurance company, you can’t change or cancel your plan for one year, unless you move. After one year, you have the right to switch insurers, and the insurance company will normally take care of cancelling the old policy.

Policies can also be purchased with the student sécurité sociale suppliers, notably, SMEREP. Located on the Boulevard Saint Michel by the Sorbonne in Paris, it is one of two major student insurers, and has reasonably priced policies that can be purchased on its website. LMDE, the other student mutuelle, also offers assurance d’habitation plans that are relatively inexpensive. Proof of insurance, dated less than three months old, can also serve as a justificatif de domicile, and you can go back to your insurance company to ask for a new copy of the contract every time you need one.

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Public Transportation Passes Le Havre: LIA The transportation network of Le Havre is called LIA, and consists of trams, buses, and a funicular, a sort of elevator that links the lower and upper parts of the city. The network map can be found on the LIA website, and the home page includes an itinerary calculator, so you can put in your departure and arrival points and receive the best itinerary for your trip.

The one-year youth pass is available for students under 28 for the price of €279,30 or 12 monthly payments of €23,30. It is valid for 365 days from the first use or from the date you designate when you sign up. It can be purchased in either of the two branches below or ordered online.

There is also a monthly pass available for €26,20, which is sold in the two agencies below, in bars and tabacs, and online. It is available from the 20th of month M-1 through the 19th of month M for the duration of month M. (i.e., March’s pass is sold from February 20th through March 19, and is valid from March 1 - 31). If you are over 28, the cost of a monthly pass is €41, and a yearly pass is €430,50 or 12 payments of €35,90.

La Boutique 9 rue René Coty - Le Havre Stop: Hôtel de Ville Hours: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday and school vacations, 10 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 - 5 p.m.

La Station 1 cours La Fayette (parvis de la gare) - Le Havre Stop: Gares Hours: Monday - Saturday, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

Menton: ZestBus The city of Menton and its surrounding areas are served by about two dozen bus lines. You can download a map of the bus lines from the ZestBus website.

There is an annual plan for students under 26, which includes unlimited transportation for €112 per year, or €12 per month. The yearly pass is valid from September 1 to August 31 of the following year.

To sign up for either pass, you have to go to a ZestBus office with an ID picture, a copy of your passport, and a copy of your student ID or enrollment paperwork from your school.

For adults over 26, the yearly pass is €350 and is valid from August 1 to July 31 of the following year. A monthly pass is €35.

A list of sites where the pass can be purchased (other than the main office, listed below) can be found on the ZestBus website.

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Boutique ZEST 6 avenue de Sospel - gare routière 06500 Menton Phone: 04.93.35.93.60 Hours: Monday - Sunday, 7:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Reims: Citura Pass Reims is served by two main tramway lines and multiple bus lines, in a network called Citura. You can find a network map on the Citura website.

An unlimited student pass for public transportation in Reims can be purchased for €28,90 per month (purchased every month) or €260,10 per year (with direct debits of €21,70 per month).

Students under 26 are eligible.

For students over 26, the cost is €375 for one year of unlimited transportation, paid in monthly direct debits of €31,70. The monthly rate is €37,50 without a subscription. The sign-up form can be downloaded from the Citura website.

The Citura pass can be purchased at the Citura Boutique in the city center, and recharged (if you don’t get a yearly subscription) in one of the 12 automated machines found throughout the city.

Citura Boutique 6 rue Chunzy Reims Hours: Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.

Should You File a French Tax Return?

Unlike in other countries (such as the U.S.) where you’re only required to file an income tax return if you’ve had income over a certain threshold, you’re technically required to file a French income tax return if you reside in France.

The French tax office will consider you a French fiscal resident if you spend more than 183 days out of 365 on French territory, so even if you’re a student with limited income, you should file. If you do have income, even if it’s from a company or investments outside of France, you’ll also have to report that income and pay taxes on it in France first. For example, if you give English lessons over Skype to a company registered in Canada, you have to report whatever income that company pays you on your French taxes starting on the date you arrive in France, and the hours worked counts against your student quota of 964 hours per year. Consult Paris Unraveled or a French accountant for information on the tax treaty between your home country and France and your potential filing requirement.

If you work part time, your last payslip for the year (December) will show the net fiscal, which is the taxable salary you’ll report on your tax return.

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If you have an internship, you’ll have to consult with your employer about whether that income is taxable or not. Most recently, income from internships less than three months long was nontaxable, even if you made more than the minimum amount, and income from internships longer than three months was taxed. So, if you did two internships of three months each, you’d pay tax on nothing, and if you did one internship that lasted six months, you’d report all of that income.

Even if you have zero income, it’s beneficial for you to file a tax return. Your avis de non imposition (tax bill) will show no taxes owed, which could increase your CAF benefit and get you exempt from paying taxe d’habitation (renter’s tax), among other things. If you choose to stay in France or return to France after getting your degree, showing that you’ve filed taxes may also help if you apply for a resident card or naturalization as a French citizen.

If you earn less than about €5.000, you’re unlikely to owe tax at all. Thus, there’s no “penalty” for not filing your return (or filing late), as the penalty is 10% of tax owed (and 10% of 0 is 0).

Filing Your Return Tax forms become available around mid-April, and are due in late May or early June. The due date depends on your department. If you owe taxes and file late, the penalty is 10% of the amount owed.

Your first time filing, you’ll have to get a paper form from the tax office. In subsequent years, you’ll have a code that will allow you to file your taxes online.

1. Complete the first page of the tax form with your name, address, the date you moved into your current address, and your previous address (in your home country). Make sure to include your landlord’s name or the name of your student residence.

2. If you did not have a television in your residence on January 1 of the current year, check the box on the front page indicating that you had no TV. This will exempt you from the TV tax of around €125, which goes to support French television and radio stations and gets added to your taxe d’habitation bill. Eventually, this tax may include other screens (tablets and computers), but for the moment, it applies only to televisions.

3. Complete salary information on page 3.

4. If you have foreign bank accounts, check box “UU” on the bottom of the last page. You’ll have to attach a list including your foreign bank’s branch address and an account number, but you don’t need to provide more detail than that. If you have investment accounts with capital gains, dividends, and larger amounts of interest, you should consult a tax professional on how to report those amounts in France.

Sending Mail Recommandé avec Accusé de Réception It’s very important that everything that you send to a French administration (OFII, Assurance Maladie, CAF, tax office) or “customer service” entity (EDF, Orange/SFR/Bouygues internet and phone service) be sent using a yellow form called recommandé avec accusé de réception. It is so important I’m going

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to say it again: it is very important that you send anything official using a yellow form recommandé avec accusé de reception (RAR).

This yellow form is the French Post Office’s version of sending something registered mail with proof of delivery. It also serves as proof that you sent something by a specific date. Your OFII forms, for example, need to be sent within 90 days of your arrival in France, cachet de la poste faisant foi (must be postmarked by…), so having the receipt with a postmark provides proof that you sent your documents within the 90-day period.

When you submit it at the post office, the envelope and the receipt are both stamped with the date.

Then, when the envelope is received, the person has to sign for it, and the slip is sent back to you in the mail. If you don’t get the proof of receipt slip back, you can use the tracking number on your receipt to check its delivery status on the La Poste website.

This is very important because French administrations and companies are notorious for “losing” documents, requesting them again, and making you bear the financial and time burden of the delay and of sending the documents again. If you have the good sense to send something RAR and can prove definitively that the documents you sent were received, not only are they less likely to be lost (or “lost”), you can argue for a reduction in the fees or penalties the company may want to charge.

Example of a rookie error: when I left France after studying abroad during the 2007-2008 school year, I canceled my apartment’s internet service by sending a letter to Orange in May. I did not send it recommandé avec accusé de réception, and I used my parents’ address in the States as the return address on the letter.

In August, I received the letter “return to sender” at my parents’ house, and my cancellation of the internet service went totally unacknowledged by Orange, except for the fact that they began sending bills for the uncanceled service to my parents’ house (they did not have that address before I had sent the cancellation letter). They continued debiting the French bank account I had left open until the account was overdrawn and closed, and the several hundred Euros I had left in that account for my future return to France were my stupid tax for saving a few Euros on postage.

Similarly, if you send a copy of your birth certificate to Assurance Maladie, for example, and it’s lost, you’re out 1.) the cost of ordering your birth certificate, 2.) the cost of the translation (you’ll have to pay for another copy of the translated page), and 3.) the several weeks/months it will take to have a new copy of your birth certificate delivered after ordering it from abroad. That can really add up!

Now that we’ve established how important it is to send important documents RAR, here’s how to do it: 1. Ask for a recommandé avec accusé de réception form at the post office. Make sure it’s yellow and for “La France métropolitaine.”

2. Complete the form as shown:

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3. Peel off the back. Stick the sticker to the front of the envelope and the form to the back.

4. Weigh the envelope on the machine and pay for the stamp.

5. Put the stamp on the envelope and give the envelope to a post office worker.

6. The post office worker will stamp the envelope and give you your receipt (below).

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7. Wait for the proof of delivery to arrive in your mailbox (should take no more than a week for anything sent within France).

8. If you do not receive proof of delivery in that time, go to the La Poste website and click on “Suivre” to input the tracking number.

Which Documents to Get Certified French Translations of and Where to Have it Done For many administrative procedures in France, you’ll need certified translations of certain official documents, and having those documents available in advance will save you a lot of trouble when it comes time to get your carte vitale or renew your carte de séjour. Fortunately, word on the street is that the government can no longer require you to have documents less than three months old (in case your date of birth changed in the last few months, you know?), but it may take some time for all officials to be made aware of the new policy. So, before you leave, make sure you know how to order a copy online or over the phone just in case.

In the Paris area, most translators charge €50 per page, and €10-15 for additional stamped copies of previously completed translations. Be aware that translators may charge extra fees if information on the original document changes. (Mine charged extra because I got a new copy of my original birth certificate, with the print date and the serial number altered). Rates may vary wildly in different cities, so contact several translators and shop around. Also make sure to contact them several weeks before you need the translation, to avoid rush fees.

Note that generally speaking, the translator must be “certified” by the court in the region where you’re using the document, so you shouldn’t get anything translated before you are in France.

What You Definitely Need Birth Certificate with an Apostille For health insurance, renewing your carte de séjour, and other administrative procedures (like getting married or PACSed, acquiring nationality, etc.), you’ll need an original birth certificate with 56

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an Apostille, which is an official stamp affixed to the document, usually by the Secretary of State for the US state in which you live. Note that the US Embassy in France does not do Apostilles, so this is something you’ll need to get when you pick up your birth certificate, usually for an extra fee.

After you get your birth certificate translated, keep the translation and make multiple copies (color works, for the translator’s stamp!) so you don’t have to pay for additional copies. Most administrations will look at the original document, but only keep a copy of it.

What You May Need Birth Certificates for Children and Marriage Certificates If you have dependents or are married, you should also bring their birth certificates and a marriage certificate, which will enable you to apply for school and benefits from them and to get a visitor visa for your family members.

Criminal Background Check You’ll probably only need this if you ultimately plan on applying for French naturalization or permanent residency (unlikely if you’re only here for two years of schooling), but be aware that the embassy could ask for it as part of the visa process. If they want it, be sure to bring a copy with you and have it translated for your préfecture appointments.

Selecting a Certified Translator The U.S. Embassy provides links to lists of certified translators who may be able to assist you.

Le Havre 2015 Annuaire des Experts Judiciaires from the Cour d’Appel de Rouen Menton 2015 Annuaire des Experts Judiciaires from the Cour d’Appel d’Aix-en-Provence.

Reims 2015 Annuaire des Experts Judiciaires from the Cour d’Appel de Reims

Power of Attorney and Apostilles Should an emergency situation arise while you are in France, your closest family member would be contacted to make any necessary decisions on your behalf. For unmarried students, the closest family would be parents, even for those over 18 years old. Living outside of France would not change this, and the only reason that your parents would not be contacted in case of emergency would be if you are over 18 and have specifically requested in writing that someone other than your parents hold power of attorney on your behalf. In addition, in cases of routine hospitalization, you would be asked to authorize a specific person to act on their behalf, if necessary.

If you and your family want to have an additional precaution in place, you might opt to complete a Power of Attorney (POA) document for the two years you will be in France. While it is not a 57

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requirement for students in the Dual BA Program, if an emergency were to occur and you were incapacitated and unable to speak on your own behalf, the clarity of a translated POA would be particularly useful. You should also always carry your parents’ names and phone numbers with you if there is a concern about hospitalization. If you decide to complete POA paperwork for your time in France, you will need to contact your family lawyer for more information.

Another document that some families choose to make use of is called an Apostille. The United States and France (and 103 other countries around the world) are covered by something called the Apostille Convention, which ensures that public documents (such as a birth certificate or POA) that are certified within the country in which they were originally issued can also be recognized and accepted as valid within the member countries when accompanied by a one-page Apostille document.

While not absolutely necessary, having an Apostille can be helpful in official situations where you may need to show legal paperwork or documentation that has been drafted outside of France. For students and families within the U.S., more information on issuing an Apostille Document can be found by visiting the website for the Secretary of State for the U.S. state in which you live. For those wanting to be completely thorough, it may also be worth obtaining a translation of your birth certificate or POA in addition to the Apostille once they have been drafted and issued.

Culture Shock What is Culture Shock?

It’s important to recognize that you may experience a period of adjustment while in a different culture, whether you are French, American, or any other nationality. The adjustment experience is sometimes labeled as “culture shock.” Culture shock is a result of experiencing a different way of doing, organizing, perceiving, or valuing things that are different from yours and which threaten your basic, unconscious belief that your customs, assumptions, values, and behaviors are considered “right.”

Stages of Culture Shock While culture shock affects each individual in different ways and at different times, there are generally four phases. Note that the phases do not necessarily happen chronologically, and may occur more than once. 

Initial euphoria (honeymoon stage): You are so excited to be there and everything is so new and promising. The similarities are everywhere. There are a lot of interesting new experiences that keep you busy.



Irritation/hostility: Gradually you begin to focus on the differences between the new culture and your home culture. Seemingly small things get blown out of proportion. You realize that some things are boring, strange and even frustrating. You may feel anxious or withdraw from people around you.



Gradual adjustment: You slowly begin to feel normal again and become more comfortable in this new culture. You are able to interpret cultural clues and feel less isolated. You feel more confident in navigating day-to-day life both linguistically and culturally.



Adaptation/biculturalism: At some point you begin to feel at home in this new culture and recognize that there are many things you will miss when you go home. Some day (given 58

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enough time) you may find that you have fully adapted and are able to function equally in both (or multiple) cultures. Know that you may experience reverse culture shock when you return home after an extended period of time overseas. Be patient with yourself during the process of re-adjustment.

Coping with Culture Shock Culture shock doesn't come from a specific event. It is caused by encountering different ways of doing things, being cut off from cultural cues, having your own cultural values brought into question, feeling that rules are not adequately explained, and being expected to function with maximum skill without adequate knowledge of the rules. Below are some helpful coping strategies: 

Learn as much as you can about living in France before departure. Take part in the summer Q&A sessions offered by the Dual BA Program administration.



Set learning goals and personal goals before departure. Keep track and reflect on your progress. Be flexible in adjusting your goals when necessary.



Keep in touch with family and friends back home. Establish a form of contact (Skype, FaceTime, etc.) and time of contact that works for all parties.



Identify a host national whom you trust and discuss your feelings. Give specific incidents, tell how you would do something at home, and ask what you must have missed in a particular situation.



Take care of yourself. Establish a new routine in France. Eat well, exercise, and sleep.



If you think you need help, ask for it.

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Appendix: Before You Go New Student Timeline Once you have accepted your offer of admission, there are several administrative tasks to take care of before you start your first semester at Sciences Po:

By May 15: o Apply for housing in Le Havre, Menton, or Reims o Start the application for your Extended-Stay Visa with Residency Permit (VLS-TS)

By June 15: o o o o

Complete your Sciences Po Administrative Registration Activate your Columbia University Network ID (UNI) Complete your immunization requirements with Columbia’s Health Services office Register your travel details and time in France with International SOS

By July 15: o Complete your visa interview at your regional consulate o Submit your final transcripts and school leaving exam results to the Dual BA Program offices

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