Supporting international students
For international students who have completed their registration.
Below you will find all the information you need to settle in Montpellier:
your main contact
The Service Accueil International Étudiants/Chercheurs (SAIEC) assists students and researchers with a wide range of administrative procedures, including :
- Verification and/or filing residence permit applications online
- Data entry of your CAF and CPAM files
- Housing search (PHARE) including in emergency situations
To prepare your stay in advance, visit https://www.saiec.fr/
housing
CROUS
Annual housing procedure: mobile foreign students (excluding exchange students)
1: Open an account at: https://www.messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr
2: Apply at : Home -Findingaccommodation in a university residence (lescrous.fr)
See the "student history" form: form-student-history-1
3: Admission is for one academic year and is subject to availability. Once you have received the decision e-mail, you have 48 hours to pay your reservation online. You will be asked for proof of payment when you sign your contract.
Other Useful Sites
SAIEC's interactive map to help you locate places of interest.
Bank account
We strongly advise you to open a bank account as soon as you arrive in France. This will allow you to pay your bills, receive your internship bonus, housing subsidies and healthcare reimbursements, and to obtain a bank card and/or checkbook. Ask your usual bank if it is associated with a French network, as this may facilitate your operations.
To open a bank account in France, you will need to provide the following documents:
- A photocopy of your school certificate or student card
- A photocopy of your passport or identity card
- A copy of your visa for non-European students
- Proof of residence in France (proof of residence from the CROUS for students in halls of residence, bill, rent receipt, etc.).
If you are not yet in a position to provide these documents, you can open a Nickel bank account with one of the 4,600 approved tobacconists in France (the account gives you a Mastercard for withdraw money (€1/withdrawal), make free transactions, and make and receive online payments).
Documents required for the Nickel account :
- ID card
- A cell phone number
- 20€ as a one-time payment.
14 best banks for foreign students in France!
Bank for beginners: How do I open a French bank account?
Health / Disability
It is mandatory to register on the ameli website to be affiliated with the French social security system (free registration): https://etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr/#/
- The starting date of your health insurance rights the 1st day on which you meet the following 3 conditions:
- You have arrived in France
- You have validated your residence permit
- You have obtained your school certificate
- Documents to provide: national identity card or passport; residence permit; school certificate for the current year; parental authorization certificate (if student under 16); IBAN (bank account number) for your reimbursements; civil status document needed to create your identification number (full copy of birth certificate or birth certificate with filiation (or any document issued by a consulate) or family record book or marriage certificate).
Studying in France : your rights and procedures | ameli.fr | Insured
The preventive medicine service is open to all students at the University of Montpellier. Visits and consultations are free, confidential and subject to medical confidentiality. You'll meet people in charge of reception and appointments, nurses, doctors, clinical psychologists, a dietician-nutritionist and CROUS social workers.
The prevention doctor does not replace the attending physician, and does not issue prescriptions or treatments, with the exception of emergency contraception for female students. He can advise you and direct you to the services best suited to your situation. This service also deals with students with disabilities, in conjunction with the handiversity service.
The center offers consultations for general medicine, gynecology, psychological support, etc. It offers full third-party payment on presentation of the health insurance card "carte vitale" and certificate of complementary French health insurance.
The preventive medicine service and the Handiversity service work closely together to help you succeed in your studies at the UM.
Do you need accommodation for your studies and/or examinations?
On the registration form, complete the "declare a disability" section.
First-time registration at the UM: complete the online form HandicapHandicap- Université de Montpellier (umontpellier.fr)
Re-registration at the UM: go to your ENT, "Handy" tab, to make your request.
Take an appointment for an interview with the preventive medicine service and the handiversity service.
Aids and mobility
TaM - Transports de Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole : Home page (tam-voyages.com)
Free access to the TaM network, free access to P+Tram parking lots, free access to bike parks for parking your bike near tramway lines.
Subscription prices in euros
Parts required for "31 days" options :
-ID Photocopy , ID Picture
-a photocopy of the payer's ID, if the payer is not the pass holder
Required for "annual" options :
-photocopy of ID,
-RIB, a SEPA direct debit mandate completed and signed by the bank account holder if you opt for payment by direct debit,
-payment of your subscription or the first monthly payment if you have chosen to pay by direct debit, as well as the amount of the €5 card if you have created one, and a photocopy of the payer's ID if the payer is not the subscription holder.
The Pass Métropole card, which is free, nominative and intended for all residents of the metropolitan area, offers its holders numerous "good deals" or preferential rates in the fields of sport, culture and leisure.
Documents required: identity card, proof of address less than three months old and a passport photo.
To create your card: visit your local "guichets uniques" or public events such as the Antigone des Associations or the welcome for new Montpellier residents.