If the student stays in France more than three months (six months for US and Canadian students) for studying, he must request a residence permit (carte de séjour) from the Hôtel de Police (police headquarters) within eight days following his arrival. The student should have the following items ready :

• passport
• photocopy of passport (pages : civil identity, photo, validity)
• 6 identity photos
• photocopy of birth certificate
• photocopy of student card or proof of registration in the home university for the current year
• proof of resources (notary public statement that the student is able to pay for expenses in France)
• photocopy of health insurance certificate
• one envelope with a 0.50 € stamp addressed to the student's address in France
• proof of residence (letter of allocation from the CROUS)

When th student has gathered all these items, he needs to go to the Foreign Student Center at EPCS of Nancy Université who will forward his application to the Hôtel de Police. 

The student obtains the residence permit some eight weeks after making the request.