Student exchange in France - help

[BirdyBedtime]

My DC is supposed to be doing an exchange year in France organised as part of a programme through her degree.

We are trying to help her arrange accommodation and a VISA and are struggling a bit with the process. The key point seems to be around accommodation - needing a guarantor in France. We have applied for this through GarantMe and are waiting for a response so hopefully will then be able to arrange accommodation which she needs before she can complete her Visa application.

Has anyone helped their DC with this in recent years and has any tips?

any use @BirdyBedtime if you scroll, there's an accommodation section

Thanks @beetr00 - she's started her application through that site but couldn't finish it as accommodation details are mandatory fields.

@BirdyBedtime could she give the university's address?

Alternatively, perhaps rent, temporarily, an AirBnB or the like, for a couple of weeks. Then she can look when she's over there? (I appreciate that may be too big of an ask though)

If she's doing an MA then this could be helpful.

If UG, does her home Uni have resources?

We have thought about that. At this rate she may be staying in AirBnB the whole time aa the student accommodation is filling up fast.

She is UG but her home Uni are only interested in the academic side. The rest of it they are totally on their own.

Her host uni have sent out lots of information but don't have their own accommodation so there's only so much they can do.

And all accommodation, even the student residences need guarantors. Not sure if private halls (Unite etc) in the uk also work like this but it's nothing we've encountered before.

@BirdyBedtime

I found this site referenced by a post on the student room forum, I hope it's of some use.

eta; they give quite a lot of info and sites wrt accommodation.

this has also popped up

checking websites like the National Union of Student Houses (L'Union Nationale des Maisons d'Étudiants) and the National Union for Youth Housing (Union Nationale pour l'Habitat des Jeunes) for university residence halls.

Alternatively, consider private rentals, including shared apartments or individual studios, found on platforms like SeLoger, Lodgis, Le Bon Coin, or ImmoJeune.

eta;
University Residence Halls (CROUS):
Publicly owned and subsidized: These are often the most affordable option, with subsidized rents and access to benefits like housing assistance from CAF.

High demand: Rooms in CROUS halls are highly sought after, so apply early.

Location: Located close to campuses, offering social opportunities, and safe living environments.

Application: Start the application process before you arrive in France.

DS booked an Airbnb for 3 months and that was accepted for visa purposes (in 2021).

My dd is going to Paris in sept for a year and not getting anywhere with finding somewhere to live @BirdyBedtime did yours get anywhere? We do have a family member living in france happy to be guarantor but she’s just not getting anywhere finding a place.

Yes she did in the Kley Clichy residence. It's a wee bit out of the centre but was really good. 15 min walk from 2 RER stations and less than 20 from the metro. The apartment was a good size and she had a Seine view room which she loved. There are also residences in Asniere which is just over the river.
Hope your DD finds something. My DD loved her time in Paris - she really didn't want to come home.

Thank you so much for the reply. Was she in a studio by herself or in a flat share? How did you navigate all the paperwork?

It was a studio small but well equipped. The residence is for students and young professionals.

The paperwork was not easy.

We had to send lots of docs scanned or photographed - copy of passport, visa, confirmation of place at Paris uni, confirmation of guarantor (we used Garantme but I see you have a guarantor already).

The contract was in French and we had to go through with Google lens page by page to check what we were signing up to. I don't think our DD would have been able to sort it all without our help.

Great thank you, she has all the paperwork then so will get that in one place. I think she may end up getting an air BnB to start with at this rate.