Accomodation, living costs & practical tips

ACCOMODATION

You have the option to find accommodation near the Strate campus in Meudon or Sèvres, both conveniently located on the outskirts of Paris, or you can choose to live in Paris itself. Here, you'll find recommendations for various Parisian neighborhoods. 

Here are a few options we suggest:

• Studapart is a partner of Strate, assisting our exchange students in finding accommodation. Below, you will find instructions on how to apply for an apartment through this agency. Studapart can act as your guarantor for a rental in the Paris area for a fee. A guarantor is a person residing in France who guarantees your rental payments. If you are having trouble renting a place in France because you don't have a guarantor, please consider renting through Studapart. More information can be found at the bottom of this page.

• Studea offers relatively inexpensive student accommodation very close to Strate. While it can be challenging to secure a spot, it's worth trying! Below, you will find instructions on how to apply for an apartment through this organization. More information can be found at the bottom of this page. 

• Additionally, we have a partnership with https://erasmusplay.com/en/, which is a search engine for exchange students offering accommodations in the Paris region. More information can be found at the bottom of this page. 

• Les plateformes ESN Paris and Feelfrançais also provides student residence accommodations and other services to international students..

• Residence on the Strate Campus (Résidence Sevrèsetudes) . There is a very small residence on our campus with very few places. Please contact sevretudes27@gmail.com or phloubens@gmail.com (in French)  for further information.  

• You can also visit the FB page Strate Students, where our students share information about accommodation and apartment sharing opportunities. Feel free to post there if you're looking for a small apartment or a larger one to share with other students (known as "coloc" in French). Please note that you'll need approval from our Facebook administrator to access this page. In your request to join the group, simply mention that you are an exchange student and include the name of the Strate international relations coordinator.

RENT GUARANTOR

When renting an apartment in France, you will often be asked for a French guarantor ("garant/caution de location"). Under certain conditions, you may qualify for a guarantee ("caution") from the French state. For more information and to check your eligibility, please visit Visale : https://www.visale.fr/. 

Alternatively, you can use services like Studapart or other agencies that offer guarantor services for a fee.

LIVING COSTS

Living in the City of Lights can be quite expensive. For the latest information on living costs for students in Paris and other parts of France, please click here  for details from Campus France.

Other helpful information

Calling in France:

If you are from the EU, you won't need to change your SIM card. However, if you are not from the EU and are an exchange student, you can purchase a prepaid SIM card either before your arrival or during your stay from one of the main providers in France, such as Free or Orange (please find some tips in this article).

Opening a bank account :

To open a current account (compte courant), you will need the following documents:

• Valid ID or passport

• Proof of address (e.g., rental contract or utility bill)

• Proof of residency status (visa or titre de séjour for non-EU citizens)

• Strate enrollment certificate (necessary to access partner bank offers).

For more helpful tips, please refer to this article.

We also have partnerships with two local banks: La Caisse d'Epargne- Sèvres branch (please find  here  their offer to Strate Students) and Société Générale -  Sèvres branch.