Studying in France for Under Three Months: No Visa, and What You Do Need

Hi, it's Yoko. I quit my job and studied in France during my gap year!

If you're thinking of studying in France, are you wondering, "Do I need some special application?" or "It sounds like such a hassle..."?

If it's your first time studying abroad, you probably have no idea where to start...

But don't worry. Looking back, it wasn't that big a deal! My savings disappeared, though.

So here's how it works if you're a working adult in your late thirties, like me, planning a stay in France of under three months and handling everything yourself.

No Visa Needed for Stays Under Three Months

If you apply for a visa, you have to prepare documents and have an interview at the French embassy in Japan. The fee is 60€.

But you don't need a visa for a stay of under three months!

You can just take your passport and go to France, like any other trip!

There Are No Scholarships ((´·ω·´))

Scholarships are basically for students, so there are none for working adults doing a short study stay between jobs.

Sadly, if it doesn't exist, it doesn't exist, so naturally there's nothing to apply for...

I looked into it a lot, hoping to somehow go without spending my own money...

Give up and dip into your savings!

You Can Book a Homestay Through the School

I thought a homestay and a language school were booked separately, but if you pay a fee, the school will find a host for you!

You get some say in what you want from the host.

Basically you can choose the area, the number of meals, whether you can use the washing machine, and how often the room is cleaned.

Area

I'd recommend a safe area that's either close to the school or close to the lively part of town.

In Tours I lived a 20-minute walk from school (with nothing around), and in Paris a 10-minute walk.

By 9 p.m. there's hardly anyone on the streets, so put a safe area first.

If it's too far from home to school, you just get tired (lol).
And walking on cobblestones all the time is hard on your knees (lol).

Near the school or near the busy part of town is up to you. Although in Paris, the busy areas can be a bit noisy.

Personally I'd have loved to live near the Marais! It has so many stylish shops.

Number of meals

You can choose breakfast only, breakfast and dinner, or breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Naturally the more meals, the higher the price, but if you're doing a homestay, I think dinner is a must.

Mornings are hectic, and you're at school at lunchtime.

And eating out in France is seriously expensive (lol).

By the way, when meals are included, the kitchen is generally the host's private area, and you pretty much can't use it under the agreement.

If you want to get close to your host and cook together, try asking them directly.

Washing machine

Occasionally you aren't allowed to use the washing machine. It depends on the host.

It's best to check in advance whether you'll use a laundromat, wash by hand, or leave it to the host.

Cleaning

Some hosts clean your room and change the sheets weekly or every other week.

Some hosts expect you to clean it yourself, so be careful!

If you're a worrier looking for a homestay, this company looked good to me.

Marc Paris Co., Ltd.
http://www.buymarc.net

Their listings give really detailed information about the host homes (lol).

I actually contacted them, and they said they only arrange homestays for people who book a school through them.

I had already booked my school myself, so I passed this time.

If You Prefer Living Alone, Rent an Apartment

If you think a homestay would be exhausting, find a room on your own!

I did a homestay in Tours, but I'd always dreamed of living on my own in France, so in Paris I chose to live alone!

You basically find a place online.

MixB
You can search for individuals renting out rooms.
https://fra.mixb.net/accommodation/articles

Paris Chez Moi Paris Office
A company that rents out apartments. The photos show a lot of nice places.
http://www.ccfj.com/stay/

There are plenty of other agencies, so try googling.

A Credit Card and a Prepaid Card Are Essential

France is a card society, so you hardly ever use cash.

I only used cash at casual restaurants where most dishes are under 10€, at the marche (open-air markets held along promenades and the like), and for small payments.

Pickpockets are everywhere, after all. Nobody carries a lot of cash.

Some ticket machines are card-only so that stolen cash is no use to thieves.

Registers don't keep much change either, so if you hand over a 50€ (about ¥6,300) note, the cashier gives you a look of annoyance (lol).

Even when splitting the bill at a restaurant, they just key the amount into the card terminal right at the table, so it's no problem at all.

Which credit card should you get?

If you don't have any card, get a VISA or a MASTER.

Personally I'd go with VISA. MASTER occasionally doesn't work.

In France, a lot of places don't accept Amex or JCB, so those are out.

And it's reassuring to have one VISA and one MASTER in case you lose one.

For people who aren't into miles, I recommend a Rakuten Card or a Yahoo! Card (both Japanese cards). Each gives you one point per ¥1 spent, as Rakuten Points or T-Points respectively. Both have no annual fee, so just choose by the points you want to collect.

What's a prepaid card?

A prepaid card is handy for withdrawing cash from ATMs in France.

"Can't you just exchange cash in Japan before you go?"

...I thought so too and took about ¥100,000, but it was hard to use...

I used LINE's currency exchange service, and when I picked it up at Haneda Airport right before departure, it came as crisp 100€ notes that nobody could break for me.

I think a bank would give you smaller notes, though.

There's a fee, and you don't really want to walk around with ¥100,000 in cash once you arrive. You really don't use it.

And I didn't want to hand over 50€ or 100€ notes at every register and get suspicious looks or a grimace.

With a prepaid card, you can withdraw cash as easily as at a convenience store ATM in Japan!

Plus, the notes in the ATMs are mostly 20€ bills!!

Even if you withdraw 100€, you get five 20€ notes! So there's no need to break anything, and you can spend right away! (lol)

With a prepaid card, you first transfer money into the designated bank account, exchange it (into lots of different currencies!), and you can't withdraw until you load the card from the management screen.

So even if you get pickpocketed, nobody can withdraw anything unless you've loaded it, which is a comfort!

I took cash with me, but I also brought a prepaid card called the Manepa Card, just in case.

With about a month left, I finally ran out of cash, and withdrawing with the Manepa Card was such a relief (lol).

It works in other countries too, so I plan to take one on every trip from now on.

How Long the Preparation Takes

Even without a visa application, finding and booking a school and looking for a homestay takes one to two months.

A homestay in particular depends on the host family's schedule, so apply early.

Once the paperwork is done, the France study trip you've been dreaming of is right in front of you!

Let's take it step by step so nothing slips through the cracks!