Before you arrive
Students at Audencia Business School come from all over the world – 87 countries, to be exact! We’re a diverse group of people with a few important things in common: we’re motivated, creative, optimistic and absolutely in love with our campus, community and city – our home.
Department of International Affairs
The Department of International Affairs and your programme coordinators are here to help. We can provide advice on the following issues – as well as things that didn’t make the list!
- Course information and grades
- Campus information
- Student associations
- Housing options
- French social security insurance
- CAF housing allowance
- Opening a bank account- watch the Campus France tutorial
Help from French students
We also have a student association for international students – the International Connection Team. This team is made up of enthusiastic French students who are here to give you insider tips on life in Nantes, activities and cultural events, and studying at Audencia. You’ll meet them during your orientation week at Audencia!
Accomodation
Use our dedicated housing platform. With our partner Studapart, access hundreds of exclusive offers: studios, flatshares, homestays… and benefit from personalized support throughout your rent!
Discover our Housing plateform
From applying to booking, take all your steps online on the platform. To get started, click on "Tenant space" and sign up using Audencia's login credentials or your personal email address.
Book accommodation online to benefit from the Studapart Guarantee and support from a team of multilingual experts available 6/7d.
You don’t have a guarantor living in France? Studapart can replace your guarantor over the whole duration of your stay.
A question ? Send us an email at booking@studapart.com
A guarantor is a person bringing financial security and attesting you are creditworthy. It’s difficult to rent a place in France without a French guarantor. In most cases, student residences and landlords require that your guarantor earns income in France.
You can get the Studapart Guarantee directly on the platform and add it to your rental application to find accommodation on the Studapart platform or anywhere else!
As an alternative, you may use Visale, the free security deposit service for students. Watch the Campus France tutorials.
Landlords & agencies
Landlords: You can place your ads directly on the platform by using the landlord tab
Real estate agencies, halls of residence: Contact your dedicated Studapart adviser: alexandre.ducoeur@studapart.com
Cost of living
Here is a typical budget that includes the approximate expenses you may incur during your time in Nantes at Audencia’s main campus. Keep in mind that each student is different, and your spending habits will determine if you fall above or below average.
These costs are just to give you a general idea of your expenses. The list is not exhaustive.
| Movies | Student ticket: | €7.00 |
|---|---|---|
| Museums | Student ticket: | €5-10 |
| Opera | Student ticket: | €10-30 (depends on seat) |
| Rent per month | Host family: Private apartment: Hotel residence: | €350 €450-600 €450-700 |
|---|---|---|
| Utilities per month | Electricity: Gas: Internet: | €15-30 €15-30 €15-30 |
| Student and Campus Life Contribution (CVEC) | €91 per year | |
| Doctor | €20-40 per visit | |
| Local transportation | Bike rental: Bus fare: | €10 per day, €20 per week, €30 per month €1.50 €1.50 €34 €250 €2 plus fixed rate per km |
| Trains | Average train ticket, Nantes to Paris, one way: With Carte 12-25: Carte 12-25 (one-year membership): | €79 €59 €50 |
| Landline telephone | Monthly rate (does not include installation fee): | €20-40 |
| Mobile phone | SIM Card: No contract (prepaid): Contract (one- or two-year): | €20 €5-30 €30-50 per month |
| Food | Groceries: Baguette: 1kg of pasta: 1kg of rice: Fast food meal: ½ dozen eggs: Sandwich: Restaurant: | €120 per month €0.80 €1.20 €1.90 €7.00 €1.50 €3-5 €15-20 per person |
| Laundry | Washing: Drying: | €3 per cycle €1 per cycle |
| Haircut | Male: Female: | €15-25 €20-60 |
Prepare your stay
If you are a non-European student and will be studying at Audencia, we recommend you purchase international travel insurance, liability insurance and international health insurance that is valid for the entire duration of your stay in France.
If you are a European student, remember to bring your valid European Health Insurance Card!
Health insurance in France may be very different from the insurance you have at home. Requirements and procedures vary based on the length of your stay, your age, your home country and whether or not you are a full-time degree student. See the CampusFrance website for more information.
Students admitted to a French institution of higher education are subject to a fee known as the CVEC "Contribution Vie Etudiante et de Campus" (Student and Campus Life Contribution).
The CVEC applies to French and foreign students enrolling for a degree programme in a public or private institution of higher education in France.
The amount of the CVEC is currently €91 per academic year and may be paid online. See the CampusFrance website for more information.
All non-European students who will be studying in France longer than three months must apply for a student visa – and certain nationalities require visas even for short stays. Check the France Visa website as a start, then apply at your nearest French consulate or embassy no later than three months before your prospective arrival date.
The information below is a general overview of the visa process for studying as an exchange or degree student at Audencia. For detailed information and guidelines, particularly for regulations concerning your country of origin, please visit the CampusFrance website, or visit the respective French embassy or consulate website for your country.
In general, if you are planning to stay in France for more than three months, you will need to obtain a long-term student visa before your arrival. You should apply for your visa at the French embassy consulate in your country of residence at least three months before your departure. Your passport should be valid for the entire length of your stay in France.
Also check whether you’ll require an entry visa.
If you are staying in France for a period shorter than three months, you may still need a visa depending on your country of origin. Please refer to your nearest French embassy or consulate for the proper visa requirements. You can also check CampusFrance web pages, below:
- Short-stay visas (less than 90 days)
- Countries exempt from short-stay visa requirement
Please note: a tourist visa may not be converted to a student visa once you have entered France. Please apply for the appropriate student visa if you will be studying at Audencia for a term longer than three months. Also check whether you’ll require an entry visa.
A student examination visa allows you to enter France to sit for an entrance examination required as part of the process of applying for admission to a degree programme. If you pass the entrance exam, you may apply directly (without first returning home) for a renewable one-year residency permit at the Nantes préfecture (government bureau).
You may also need to obtain an entry visa in addition to your student visa to enter France. Entry requirements and visa procedures vary depending on your home country. Please check whether your country is included through your local French embassy or consulate.
Please note: residents of any EU country, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and San Marino do not require an entry visa.
If you decide to stay in France beyond the length of time that your student visa allows, you may be eligible to apply for a residency permit known as a titre de séjour.
This situation occurs when:
- The duration of your degree is longer than the period allotted by your student visa (more than one year)
- You have found an internship or job in France after the period allotted by your student visa
See the CampusFrance website for more information.
You must go to the préfecture (government bureau) to apply for a residence permit within two months of your student visa expiration date :
Nantes Préfecture
6 quai Ceineray
BP 33515
44035 Nantes CEDEX 1
Directions: tramway line 2, Stop at 50 otages