Pre-departure information

In the first step of the visa application process, you will create an account in the Campus France system.  Please follow these steps to get started:

1.  Start creating an account on this page (you can select English on the top-right of the screen if you click on "FR"

   • Select "sign up" in the top right

   • Select "Espace Campus France Étas-Unis" from the dropdown list on the next page. Once you click this, you can change the language to English by clicking "EN" in the top-right of the page. 

2.  Fill out your personal information. 

   • Use your Illinois email address 

   • Enter your name and other information exactly as it appears on your passport.

3. Select "I agree that the information entered will be used as part of the application procedure for studies in France."

4. Click "Sign up" 

Once your account has been created, log in and you should arrive at your hub page (https://etudesenfrance.diplomatie.gouv.fr/).

Right above the “Welcome to your hub” message, click “My files” at the top of the page and then select “My pre-consular file.”

Fill out the different forms there. Note: in the “Country” drop-down menus, select “Etats-Unis” for the United States.

My student hub

• My personal information

  • Enter your information and upload an ID photo.

  • Use your passport as your identity document, and make sure you have signed the signature page before uploading your passport scan.

• My school record

  • Curriculum Vitae: Click “Edit” and upload a CV.

  • Academic and professional record: You must include at least two entries. You may enter:

    • One “A high school diploma or equivalent” entry. Enter the year you graduated from high school and the relevant information, then upload a copy of your diploma and/or transcripts.

    • One “A year of higher education” entry for each undergraduate year you have completed or are currently completing at UIUC. For instance, if you’re currently a junior, you will need three “A year of higher education” entries: one that ended in 2025, one that ended in 2026, and the current one, which will end in 2027. Enter your degree type in “Name of the program or degree,” then pick the most relevant field (use a translator if needed, as the options are in French). For “Entry level,” select “Bac +1” for your freshman year, “Bac +2” for your sophomore year, “Bac +3” for your junior year, etc. Finally, you may upload a copy of your unofficial transcript (this should be optional), which you can download from Self-Service. You can upload the same document for each higher education year you’ve listed. You may also use the “Comment” section to summarize the information you just entered, for example: “1st year of Bachelor of Arts in Political Science.”

• My language skills

  • Fill this out according to your level of French.

Special status

• Tick “None of these special statuses apply to me” and click “Save.”

My study project

• Click “Add a study project.”

• Select “Exchange program,” then click “Next step” twice.

• Tick “I did not find the program in the list of programs,” then enter the following information:

  • The program

    • Program name: Illinois Program in Paris

    • Entry level: Enter your Illinois class standing at the time you will be in Paris. For example, if you will be a sophomore, select “Bac +2”; if you will be a junior, select “Bac +3,” etc.

    • Field: Select “Langues et lettres” regardless of your major.

    • Type of diploma: Bachelor

  • The institution

    • Tick “I did not find the institution and/or site,” then enter “Illinois Program in Paris” as the Institution name and “Paris” as the Institution city.

  • Study period

    • Enter the dates below, even if they differ from what you see in MyStudyAbroad. All Spring 2027 students should enter the same dates:

      • Start date: 01/03/2027

      • End date: 05/22/2027

  • Motivation

    • You can write this however you like; it only needs to be a very brief text. You can also simply copy and paste this text: “I would like to study abroad in France through the University of Illinois’ Illinois Program in Paris because I am eager to develop deeper cultural awareness and to strengthen my interpersonal communication and intercultural competency skills. This program is a great way for me to increase my linguistic and cultural proficiency, and it will give me opportunities to engage with local communities in Paris and gain professional experience.”

    • Upload your IPP Attestation: the “Visa lettre” PDF signed by the program director, found in the “Documents” section of your MyStudyAbroad portal.

    • Click “Save.”

• Once you’re back on the “My study project” page, select the “Illinois Program in Paris” box and click the check mark icon to complete this step.

Now that all three steps are complete, you should be able to tick both statements (“I have thoroughly reviewed…” and “I certify that…”) and then click “Submit my pre-consular file.”

Paying the application fee

Now that you’ve completed and submitted your EEF application, you need to pay the EEF application fee to Campus France USA so that your application can be reviewed and processed.

• Go to this page: https://cfusapaymentportal.org/

• Click “I have already been accepted into a program in France,” then click “Next.”

• Click “I am enrolled in a US institution and am completing a study abroad, exchange, or dual degree program in a French institution,” then click “Next.”

• Select either the 3-week or the 3-day processing option. Do not select the Group Mailing procedure option. You only need to choose the more expensive 3-day option if you are short on time to get your visa.

• Click “Next.”

• Enter your payment details and proceed to payment.

• Important: You will need to enter your Campus France ID in the payment section. You can find it by clicking “My account” in the top right of your EEF home page, under your name and email address. It uses the format “USxx-xxxxx.”

End of Step 2. You have now completed your Campus France application, submitted it for review, and paid the fee. Well done! Campus France will process your application and contact you with the information you need to complete Step 3.

Once you have received your confirmation from  Campus France (either within 3 weeks or 3 days of completing step 2) based on the processing method you selected, proceed with Step 3.'

•  Go to this Website: https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/ and select "Apply for a visa"

• On the next page, select "Applying for a visa" again 

• On the next page, create an account. Once you have created an account, log into it. 

• Once logged in, select "Create a new application in a new group of applications" 

• Section 1: Your Plans 

  • Your Situation: Select your nationality (Note: if you are a US citizen, select "American") and "no" for the other question.

  • Your Stay:

    • United States of America is your place of submission of application, Chicago is the city 

    • The type of visa you need is "Long-Stay" 

    • The main destination of Stay is France

  • Your travel document: 

    • Enter the information of your passport (note: select "ordinary passport")

  • Your plans:

    •  Select "study" and "student" for the questions

    • Select "verify" and then "next" on the next page, which will tell you that you need a visa. 

• Section 2: Your Information

  • Your Identity

    • Complete this section with your personal information

  • Your Personal Information: 

    • Complete this section with your personal information. Use your Illinois email address. 

  • Details of your identity: 

    • Complete this section with your personal information

  • Your family:

    •  Select no for the first question and the correct answer for the second question

  • Your job:

    •  Select "Student, trainee", choose the most relevant "sector" and the following for Name of Employer or Teaching Establishment

    • University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

    • Address: 702 S. Wright Street, Urbana IL 61801

    • Telephone number: (217) 333-1350 

    • Email address: berthel2@illinois.edu

    • Click "next"

• Section 3: Your last visa

  • Select the correct answer based on your personal situation. 

  • Click "next"

• Section 4: Your Stay

  • Details of your Stay

    • Enter the dates of your arrival in France and the number of months of stay. 

    • EEF Number: Enter your Campus France ID Number. You can find this in your Campus France Account (in the top-right under your name, see step 2).

    • Do you have a scholarship? Select "no"

    • Will you be travelling with members of your family? Select "no"

    • Click "next"

• Section 5: Your Contacts

  • Select "A Company, Organisation or establishment will be accommodating me

  • Host Person or Organisation

    • Illinois Program in Paris

    • Address: 93 blvd saint Michel

    • Post Code  75005 

    • City: Paris

    • Telephone: +33 46 33 44 91 

    • Email Address: mounir.bondurand@asso-upf.fr

    • Last Name of Contact Person: Bondurand

    • First Name of Contact Person: Mounir

    • Address: 93 blvd saint Michel, 75005 Paris, France

    • Telephone: +33 46 33 44 91 

    • Email Address: mounir.bondurand@asso-upf.fr

    • Do NOT select the box for "My hotel or place of accommodation (if different). 

  • For "Funding of Travel Costs" select "By the company, organization or establishment hosting me" and then "All expenses covered during stay"

  • Select "next"

• Section 6: Your supporting documents 

  • Upload the requested documents (note that you may need to re-size files. The max. file size is 2.0 MB). 

    • Travel document : Upload your passport

    • ID Photograph: Photo of you, you can use the same photo from Step 2

    • Last completed degree (countries out of procedure EEF-Etudes en France): upload nothing

    • Pre-registration certificate generated by the EEF-Pastel application, mentioning the EEF ID number: Upload the document you received from Campus France after completing step 2. This will have been sent to you via e-mail after completing step two

    • Funds: Upload 3 months' worth of bank statements with a minimum account balance of EUR 877.50.  Since you can only upload one document, you may need to merge your three bank statements into one pdf file. If you have questions or concerns about this, contact Julien Berthelon. 

    • Accommodation (IMPORTANT): Enter the address stated in your IPP Acceptance Letter, regardless of of the actual housing option you picked. ALL STUDENTS should enter the following address:
      Foyer International des Étudiantes
      93, boulevard Saint-Michel
      75005 Paris

    • Select "continue". You will likely see an error message saying you have not submitted all documents. Double check to make sure all relevant documents have been uploaded. After checking, select "yes" in the dialog box that appears. 

• You will now be re-directed to the main page. Select the box confirming the information you provided is correct., and "continue" 

• On the next page, you will be given information about the visa fee. Read and click "continue"

• On the next page, click the box, and then "Submit to the visa center". If you are prompted, register with TLScontact, pay the visa fee and then select an appointment. If you aren't prompted to select an appointment and pay the fee, finalize the application and complete "step 4" below. 

If you were not prompted to select an appointment and pay the fee in Step 3, complete these steps:

1. Go to  https://www.tlscontact.com/en/start-your-visa-journey/ 

2. Pick your resident country and “I’m going to France” in the scroll down options and click “GO”

3. Pick your visa application center.

4. Click "Book an appointment."

5. Complete the questions, register with TLScontact, and book an appointment.