FAQ and contact
Administration
For all online applications for residence permits on the ANEF (Administration Numérique des Etrangers en France), you must provide an e-photo. This is the same type of photo required by the Agence nationale des titres sécurisés (ANTS) for driving licence applications.
This type of photo can be taken in Photomaton booths.
Please note: an e-photo code can only be used once and is valid for 6 months.
Your driving licence will allow you to drive in France. However, the period of validity in France depends on your country of origin (European or non-European) and your residence permit.
Further information: "Transportation in Strasbourg"
International applicants wishing to enrol at the University of Strasbourg must follow specific admission procedures. These procedures depend on the applicant's nationality, country of residence and the type of studies planned.
Further information: 'Register at the university.'
If you are considering enrolling for a PhD, you must have:
- Obtained the approval of a thesis supervisor;
- Defined a thesis topic;
- Arranged funding for your thesis.
The deadlines for submitting applications and the lists of documents required for admission depend one each PhD school.
If you wish to register for the Habilitation à diriger des recherches (HDR), you must:
- Request for authorisation to enrol;
- Submit your defence file within 2 months before the HDR defence.
Further information: 'Enrolment of researchers'.
Depending on your country of origin and the length of your stay in France, you may need a visa. From 7 April 2021, this procedure will be paperless.
Further information: 'Visa'
Depending on the length of your stay, you may need
- A short-stay student visa for less than 3 months in France,
- A long-stay student visa (VLS-TS or VLS-T) for a stay of between 4 months and 1 year in France.
More information: 'Visa'
Nationals of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Swiss nationals do not require a visa to stay and work in France.
Third-country nationals must apply for a visa at the French consulate in their place of residence, depending on the length and purpose of their stay in France. However, nationals of certain countries are exempt for short stays under bilateral agreements with France.
For further information: 'The researcher visa'
Culture
Exhibitions, lectures, visits to museums, shows, concerts, etc. The University of Strasbourg offers a wide range of cultural activities.
Further information: 'Culture at the University of Strasbourg'
Brian is still in the kitchen
Réponse pour chercheurs
Studying in Alsace means having the privilege of Carte Culture!
This scheme is included in your Campus Pass (student card). You will benefit from preferential rates at theatres, festivals, cinemas and museums, as well as an à la carte programme of events and workshops.
Discover the partners of the Culture Pass
SPACS - Service pour la promotion de l'action sociale de l'Université de Strasbourg (Social Action Promotion Service of the University of Strasbourg) offers subsidised rates for some of its activities exclusively to staff of the University of Strasbourg, their spouses, children and other dependants.
The Cezam card entitles university staff and their dependants (spouses, partners, children up to 21 years of age) to discounts at partners in the fields of culture, sport and leisure.
If you are a CNRS employee, you can benefit from the grants and activities offered by the CNRS CAES.
For further information: 'Special cultural facilities for researchers'.
IT
You can access the wifi network (Osiris or Eduroam) on almost all the campuses and sites of the University of Strasbourg from your computer, tablet or smartphone using the login details of your Unistra account.
You can also access the main digital services via Ernest, the digital and social work environment.
- Access Ernest: ernest.unistra.fr
- Catalogue of the digital services of the University of Strasbourg: services-numeriques.unistra.fr
Sport
The University of Strasbourg Sports Service offers more than 70 sporting and artistic activities in the form of classes, free practice, courses and excursions.
Further information: 'Sport activities'
At the University of Strasbourg, you can combine a high-level sporting career with your studies.
Contact the High level office of the University Sports Service.
If you are a researcher, guest or employee of the CNRS, you have access to the sports activities offered by the University's Social Action Promotion Service (SPACS).
Further information: 'Sport at the service of promoting social action - SPACS'.
Welcome
The search for accommodation in Strasbourg, as in all major university towns, should begin as early as possible.
Further information: 'Housing'
- If you are studying at the University of Strasbourg as part of an exchange programme, you can apply for accommodation in a Crous residence when you apply online.
- In other cases, accommodation information sessions ("Zoom logement") are organised by videoconference throughout the year.
Further information: 'Preparing your housing search'
The University of Strasbourg offers accommodation solutions for doctoral students and international researchers and lecturers:
- The European Doctoral College (Collège doctoral européen) welcomes newcomers doctoral students in joint PhD.
- The Villa Arconati Visconti is reserved for teachers, researchers and post-doctoral students for stays from one week to a maximum of 3 months.
Further information: 'Preparing your housing search'
The Crous university restaurants and their cafeterias, as well as the cafeterias of the student associations, allow you to eat on the campus of the University of Strasbourg (traditional meals, vegetarian meals, sandwiches, salads, etc.).
You can pay for your meals with the campus pass issued by the University of Strasbourg.
Further information: 'Food services'
The University of Strasbourg has social grocery shops (Agoraé). Set up by students for all Strasbourg students, they offer food at reduced prices and food aid for students in difficulty.
Further information: 'Social and solidarity shops: Agoraé'.
Staff at the Université de Strasbourg benefit from a subsidy automatically deducted from the price of their meal on certain menus when payment is made with the Pass Campus on Izly.
Further information: 'Subsidized rates for Unistra staff'
The University of Strasbourg offers intensive or extensive French as a foreign language courses from level 0 to C2. These courses are open to students, postgraduates, teachers and researchers.
Further information: 'Improve your French'.
The Maison Universitaire Internationale is the emblematic place to welcome international visitors. The International Relations Office (European and Non-European Mobility Centres), the Euraxess Centre and the office of the trinational alliance Eucor - the European Campus welcome you in three languages (French, English, German), provide you with information and help you throughout your mobility in Strasbourg.
Further information: 'The multiservice counter'.
Students, PhD students, research staff, special welcome events and tools have been set up to welcome you, inform you and help you with your first steps in Strasbourg: stand at Strasbourg station, welcome days for international students, back-to-university welcome desk, welcome guide, @internationalunistra Instagram account.
Further information: 'Welcome events and tools'.
The Welcome Office for Foreign Researchers, which has been awarded the EURAXESS Alsace service centre label by the European Commission, is the main point of contact for foreign researchers arriving in Strasbourg and the research teams hosting them.
Further information: 'The Euraxess Centre' and 'Welcome events and tools'.