Applying for Visas

All students are responsible for obtaining the necessary documentation to study in France and Canada. As a Dual Degree student, this is particularly important since you will transition between two different academic institutions, and will live in two different countries! Read more about the documentation you may need during the two different parts of your dual degree program, and be sure to familiarize yourself with the different processes before you start your studies.

To begin preparing the application for the Extended-Stay Student Visa, please visit the Sciences Po Student Space to download a Certificate of Admission (Certificat de Scolarité) once you have accepted your offer of admission from Sciences Po and have logged into your Student Space. This certificate, along with the acceptance letter to the Dual BA Program, will allow you to begin the visa application process.

Citizens of European Union countries do not need a visa to study in France.

Sciences Po provides many resources to help non-EU citizens obtain the correct documentation to study in France:

To study in France, you must comply with all French entry and residence requirements. Check with the French consular services to find out which type of student visa you need. You will also need to make a note of the list of documents you will need to provide when submitting your visa application.

Upon confirming their intent to enroll in the Dual BA Program, students who do not hold citizenship in a European Union member country must apply for the Extended-Stay Student Visa with Residency Permit (VLS-TS).

The visa application process can take a long time, so you should start about three months before your scheduled arrival date. Please check with your local French consulate or, for countries concerned by the CEF (Centre pour les études en France) procedure, apply on the Campus France website. Students are able to schedule visa appointments with their local consulates before all of the required visa application documents have been collected; all that is needed in order to schedule a visa appointment is the student’s passport number. Please note that the documents required for a visa interview may vary between different consulates, so be sure to visit the consulate’s website for a checklist of all required documents for visa interviews. Allow time for delays in this process.

The OFII form (fr.) has to be processed within the first three months of your arrival in France and the whole process takes one to two months to complete. For full details, please see the step by step guide on Science Po's website: apply for a visa and residence permit.

There are three main statuses for people in Canada: citizens, permanent residents, and temporary residents. International students, foreign workers, and visitors are all temporary residents.

As an international student, there are a number of documents you need to study in Canada. You are responsible for maintaining your immigration status and complying with immigration regulations while you're here. You do not need documentation to study in Canada if you are a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident.

Most international students at UBC require:

  • Passport: Applications can take up to 3 months, so apply as soon as possible
  • Study permit: All international students in programs longer than 6 months need a valid study permit
  • Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) & Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA)

To obtain a proof of enrolment letter, log in to your UBC Student Service Centre and look under "Grades and Records." UBC provides many resources to help students understand what documentation is needed to study in Canada, as well as contact information for International Student Advisors: