Well, you are looking for higher studies in France. The very first thing I suggest is to contact EduFrance desk in India. They will provide you with all up to date information. Don't hesitate to ask silliest doubts (You may feel so!). They will answer all your queries. That's my experience! If you opt for EduFrance service your life is easy and your admission process is no more a head-ache.

But, if you decide to come independently OR you have secured admission yourself, have landed in Toulouse and/or facing administrative hurdles, then you may have to spend more time on administrative matters. This is here...at this stage...the guidelines/ pointers which I have put on  this page will help you. Nonetheless you will find important pointers to inexpensive shops, guidelines for getting telephone connections, calling India through cheap calling cards, etc., to make your stay in Toulouse pleasant. Keep visiting this page as it is updated on last Sunday of each month.

The material on this page is heavily borrowed from Eigide website but tailored particularly for students coming to Toulouse from India. I also suggest you to go through following two external link

Americans in Toulouse: http://www.americansintoulouse.com/

Private Yellow page in English http://midipyrenees.angloinfo.com/

where you will get very good and up to date information about Toulouse, living in Toulouse.

Visa procedures

What to carry from home?

You will be required to carry lot of documents. Get them translated to French before arriving here. Allianz France in India offers translation services. They charge you per word. (about Rs. 4/- or so). It seems costly in India but translation service charges in France are exorbitantly high.

Documents that you MUST bring in original + French translation are

• Your birth certificate

• Very very important!! Your age is solely determined by this certificate. And it has to be produced to get residence permit. Even birth date on passport is not considered as valid proof.
• But if you have landed in Toulouse and forgot to get your birth certificate, contact Embassy of India in Paris. They will issue a certificate of birth by referring to the birth date mentioned on your passport and is accepted as birth certificate by French offices. But then for this you will have to personally visit Embassy of India in Paris.
  

• Your academic record sheets + certificates
  
• Salary slips of last 12 months (If you were salaried person)
• These will be required when you will opt for social security.

• About 20 Photographs (Size: French VISA recommended)
• In France, only French VISA size photographs are accepted for all administrative purpose. Again, getting photographs in France is costly. So better get it done in India.
  

• Thermal wear
• Good jacket for winter
• Leather jacket if you can afford. Leather items are very costly in France. But jacket is must for winter.
  
• A rain coat / Umbrella
  
• Umbrella is really of no great help in Toulouse as winds are very strong.
• Sport and/or leather shoes / Chappals/ Slippers
• Slippers are must as floor gets cold in winter. They are costly in France (about 5 euros minimum.)
  
• Alarm clock/ table piece
• If you plan to cook for yourself
• Pressure cooker
• Small saucepan/ frying pan
  

University admissions

(unpublished paragraph....check next update of the page)

Getting residence permit

You can only apply for a residence permit (Titre de séjour) if you plan to stay in France for more than three months. Residence entitlement for shorter stays is automatically covered by your short-stay visa (or Schengen short-stay visa), which may allow single entry or multiple entries into France.

However, if you are entering France on a long-stay visa, you must (unless specified otherwise on the visa) apply for a temporary student's residence permit as soon as you arrive in France.

Temporary residence permit for students

Holders of a long-stay visa allowing application for a residence permit (carte de séjour) are required to make the application within three months. The carte de séjour will be issued for a specific period of up to one year, depending on the length of your stay. If your course is longer than one year, you will have to apply to renew the carte de séjour when it expires.

Where to apply for a carte de séjour ?

For students in Toulouse, the carte de séjour is issued by the Préfecture of Haut-Garronne. It is located at

Préfecture de la Haute Garonne - Service Etrangers

1, rue Sainte Anne
31038 Toulouse Cedex 9 [ Plan/ MAP]

How to obtain a carte de séjour ?

To apply first time for a carte de séjour, you will be required to fill in the form (Link) and supply number of documents (many of which will be the same as those you supplied for your visa application):

• Certificate of enrollment at institution of higher education.
• Proof of accommodation (rent bill/gas or electricity bill for last 2 months issued on your name or certificate from person who is lodging you).
• Proof of financial resources.
• Two black-and-white face-on photos (It costs about EUR 4.00 for four photos at an automatic "Photomaton" booth such as those often found in town halls or train and underground stations.)
• One stamped addressed envelope (first class mail: EUR 0.54).

Citizens of non-European-Union countries will also need to supply the following items:

• Medical certificate, which is delivered after a medical examination at the Office des migrations internationales (OMI). [Plan/Map to reach OMI]
  
• One EUR 55 OMI stamp.

For the academic year 2008-2009, students enrolled in the higher education institutions in Toulouse such as university, IUT, etc., for post-graduate courses, application for the carte de séjour can be made online on the website of Prefecture of the Toulouse. Application form can be downloaded from this site and the appointment with Prefecture branch in CROUS can be taken online on this website.

Once the application has been processed, you will be invited (by post or by phone call) to come and collect your carte de séjour in person. The application processing time varies greatly (from one to three weeks, usually). Till you receive your carte de séjour , you will be provided with the recipicess carte de séjour (Receipt of carte de séjour). It is valid for three months. If you do not receive your carte de séjour in three months, you will have to apply for the renewal of the recipicess carte de séjour to Prefecture along with two photographs. It is quiet common that many students don't receive carte de séjour in first three months. Don't panic! As long as you have valid recipicess you are legal resident in France.

Renewal of residence permit (Titre de Sejour)

From September 17, 2007, a branch of the prefecture will be operational in the premises of CROUS-58, rue du Taur - 31000 Toulouse [Plan/Map] to receive applications for a residence permit (1st application and renewal) for students enrolled in institutions situated in the district of Toulouse.

• For student from Universities (Social Sciences, Mirail and Paul Sabatier) and the INP , officials of the prefecture will receive students only by appointment, which must be taken directly through your university office.
• For students in University Paul Sabatier, you can take this appointment from
• Division de la Scolarité
  Bâtiment Administratif, Universite Paul Sabatier.
  Tél : 05.61.55.87.93
  email: etudiants.etrangers@adm.ups-tlse.fr
• For students from other institutions, they can submit document at At CROUS (Branch of the Prefecture)

You will have to fill in the renewal form (LINK) with all requisite documents and their photocopies. Also don't forget to carry black ink ball point pen. You need to sign on some forms in front of authorities and it is to be signed only with the black ink pen. If your documents are correct, you will be provided with the recipicess carte de séjour (Receipt of carte de séjour) which is valid for three months. You will be communicated later by post to come to prefecture and collect your titre de sejour once it is ready.

For the academic year 2008-2009, students enrolled in the higher education institutions in Toulouse such as university, IUT, etc., for post-graduate courses, application for the renewal carte de séjour can be made online on the website of Prefecture of the Toulouse. Application form can be downloaded from this site and the appointment with Prefecture branch in CROUS can be taken online on this website.

Documents required for the renewal of titre de sejour (ORIGINALS AND PHOTOCOPIES)

Social Security System

All people with employee (salarié) status in France are covered by a standard national health insurance scheme, known as sécurité sociale. Students meeting certain conditions are covered by a student-specific variant of this scheme, known as the régime étudiant de la sécurité sociale.
If you have sécurité sociale coverage, this will automatically extend to your spouse and children (provided they are not students or employees themselves).
People who are not entitled to sécurité sociale coverage are required to take out special coverage, known as assurance personnelle.
Both the sécurité sociale and the assurance personnelle schemes provide basic health insurance coverage, with partial reimbursement of medical expenses. Most people choose to take out additional insurance (assurance complémentaire) to improve the reimbursement rate.

Health insurance for people on educational visits to France
Because foreign students do not have employee status, they are not entitled to standard sécurité sociale coverage and must therefore, if spending more than three months in France, subscribe to the universal health-insurance coverage scheme (couverture maladie universelle, CMU), unless they are entitled to the students' health insurance scheme (régime étudiant de la sécurité sociale).
Whatever form of basic coverage they have, they are recommended to take out additional insurance (assurance complémentaire, or mutuelle complémentaire) for better reimbursement conditions.

Standard Social Security System

Who is entitled?
For coverage under the students' social security scheme (régime étudiant de la sécurité sociale), you must meet two conditions:

• You must be under 28 years of age.
• You must be enrolled at an institution of higher education approved by the French sécurité sociale system.

If you meet all two conditions, all you have to do is register.

Where to register?

Students register for coverage under the sécurité sociale scheme through a students' mutual insurance company (mutuelle étudiante), at the same time as they enrol at their institution of higher education (university, grande école, etc.). Several mutuelles handle this procedure; you will be given a list to choose from when you enrol with your institution of higher education.
The annual cost of the régime étudiant de la sécurité sociale for the academic year 2006-2007 amounts to about EUR 160.

On 1 January 2000 France introduced the CMU scheme, which would provide health insurance for all persons with stable and legal residence in France (uninterrupted residence for at least 3 months).

This insurance cover is free for households with taxable revenue under EUR 6,849 per year.

To register for coverage under the CMU scheme, contact your local Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie (CPAM) office.
For a list of CPAM addresses, see the AMeli

For information on the CMU scheme:

• phone 0 820 904 208 (toll free) Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 18:00 or Saturday from 09:00 to 12:00
• visit the AMeli
  

The postal address of social security system office (CPAM) in Toulouseis

Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie de la Haute-Garonne
3, Bd Léopold Escande - 31093 - Toulouse Cedex 9
Tél : 0 820 904 208 (0,118€/min)
Fax : 05 61 62 05 66
e-mail : contact@cpam-toulouse.cnamts.fr

it is open from 0800hrs to 1700hrs from Monday to Friday.

The road map to CPAM office is linkedhere (PDF file)

Reimbursement rates

The French sécurité sociale system only reimburses about 70% of medical expenses on average. This is why most people take out assurance complémentaire with a mutuelle, which makes up virtually all of the remaining 30%.
Sécurité sociale reimbursements are as follows:

• fees paid to doctors with conventionné status: 70% of standard sécurité sociale rate
• fees paid to nurses and physiotherapists: 60% of standard sécurité sociale rate
• fees paid to laboratories for biological tests: 60% of standard sécurité sociale rate
• medicines: 65% of standard sécurité sociale rate (though some "non-essential" medicines are reimbursed at 35%, and other pharmacy products are not reimbursed at all)
• glasses: 65% of the cost of the lenses at standard sécurité sociale rate (there is virtually no reimbursement on the frames)
• radiology and dental care: from 65% to 70% of standard sécurité sociale rate
• hospital care: 80% reimbursed for first month and 100% thereafter (less a flat rate of EUR 10.67 per day)

The standard sécurité sociale rate can lag far behind actual expenditure. For example, a pair of glasses is officially rated at about EUR 8.50, whereas the actual cost is at least EUR 90. This, again, highlights the importance of taking out additional insurance cover.

Reimbursement procedure
The patient usually pays the doctor's fees directly to the doctor, then requests reimbursement (by mail or in person) from the mutuelle, the insurance company. Reimbursement can take from two weeks to a month.

In 2000, France introduced the Carte Vitale system to streamline the health-insurance reimbursement procedure. All members of the health-insurance scheme were issued free of charge with cards, and most doctors and other health care professionals (pharmacists, nurses, etc.) are equipped with special computerized card readers that transmit patient and treatment data directly to the sécurité sociale office. This shortens reimbursement time down to a few days.
Hospitals apply a direct reimbursement (tiers payant) system, which means the patient only has to pay the portion (known as ticket modérateur) that is not covered by the sécurité sociale. Some pharmacies apply the same system. To use this direct reimbursement system, you should contact your mutuelle or insurance company.

Additional private medical insurance (Mutuelle/Assurance complémentaire)

Most people in France take out additional health insurance coverage (assurance complémentaire) to improve the rate of reimbursement of medical expenses. But additional health insurance is not compulsory. Additional health insurance is taken out with one of France's numerous mutuelles, which are mutual insurance organizations.

Students' mutual insurance organizations
Students' mutual insurance organizations (mutuelles étudiantes) all offer basic coverage under the standard students' national health insurance scheme (régime étudiant de la sécurité sociale), plus additional insurance coverage.

La Mutuelle des Étudiants
La Mutuelle des Étudiants has branch offices in all university towns. Its head office is in Paris:
137, bd Saint Michel
75005 Paris
Internet: www.lmde.com
La Mutuelle des Étudiants offers assurance complémentaire coverage from EUR 66 to 219 per year.

L'Union nationale des Sociétés Etudiantes Mutualistes régionales (USEM)
USEM is the national coordinator for a network of regional mutual insurance organizations, which go under different names in different towns: The Paris office is named SMEREP, and regional offices may be named Smeso-VITTAVI, MEP, MGEL, SMEBA, SMENO, SMERRA, SMECO or SMEREB. All offices practise the same prices and offer the same services.
For address details, see USEM - Union nationale des Sociétés Etudiantes Mutualistes régionales - web site.
Internet: www.usem.fr
or call USEM on +33 (0)1 56 54 36 36.

Extended insurance coverage
Many of the organizations that offer health insurance coverage will also offer other insurance services, such as house insurance, car insurance, and third-party liability (covering accidents caused by the policy holder and involving third parties).

Getting work permit

Indian students must apply for a temporary work authorization, or APT (autorisation provisoire de travail). The APT is issued for a maximum period of nine months, and is renewable. For university holidays, the APT is issued for a maximum period of three months.
To apply for an APT, contact the Service de la Main d'Oeuvre Etrangère at the Direction Départementale du Travail et de l'Emploi et de la Formation Professionnelle (DDTEFP). The website run by the Ministry of Employment lists the addresses of all DDTEFPs in France

Students applying for authorization are required to produce the following documents:

• promise of work (certificate de embouche) signed by the employer
• Certificate of employment (certificate d'emploi)
  
• temporary residence permit (carte de séjour temporaire or reciepeces)
• valid student's card
• written request

With an authorization from the DDTEFP, a student from any country is entitled to work under the same conditions as a student from a European Union country.

Student grants based on social criteria

These grants (bourses sur critères sociaux) are intended for students under 26 years of age, with limited family resources, pursuing their initial training in an establishment under the authority of the Ministère de la Jeunesse de l’Education Nationale et de la Recherche. For more details refere to CNOUS website.

Finding accomodation in Toulouse

Let me make yourself aware that finding accommodation in Toulouse is not easy, especially if you are coming in the month of September when new semester starts. Admission at university doesn't entitle you for university hostels. To reserve a room in the university hostel, you will have to officially request to particular hostel through your supervisor/institute office. More detailed information about available hostels, eligibility criteria, application procedure, etc., is available on CROUS website. (Use google language tool to translate these pages from French to English if you find information only in French). Also entire Toulouse will be on vacation in month of August. So you better start searching for accommodation as soon as your admissions are confirmed. Some of the pointers to find accommodation are

• Alliance France/ Edu-France desk in India could be of help. They may be charging a "little amount" for consultation but it is worth paying them as things will move very smoothly.
• Locate private hostels in Toulouse: Most of them have their website. You can make bookings, see the room interiors etc. on these site. In France they are called "residence etudient". If you find accommodation available on the site, book them directly or through your supervisor. For a single room apartment with small kitchen, the usual charges range from 300 to 400 euros. But this is just a thumb rule. Depending on the location and facilities charges may vary. Here I provide links to few reputed private hostels which are popular amongst students.
  
• Résidences Estudines has facilities in twenty major French towns, with prices between 300 to 400 euros.
• ADELE(Association pour le Développement Économique du Logement Étudiant): The Association for Economic Development and Accommodation of students, runs a nice website with student accommodation available in some 100 French towns.
  
• Eurostudiomes is a development and management society of student residences, called Les lauréades. They offer small studios as well as flats for sharing. The facilities are usually located near universities and the prices vary between 300 to 600 euros.
• Fac Studios
• Accomodation for students

If things don't materialize through these, you will have to stay in some hotel for few days after arrival and search for accommodation with the help of local people. Come prepared with sufficient financial support. Generally for rented accommodation rates are 450-550 Euros. You will have to pay two months rent in advance as a caution money. If you are hiring an agent, he will also charge you equivalent amount (Rent for a month or fixed percentage). The document describing various accommodation options right from four star hotels to private individuals accepting paying guests is linked here. The document is in French but you can get all the information as it lists different hotels, private accommodations, etc. Mind you that this list was published in 2007 and some of the hotels/accmodation facilities might have been closed.

Opening an bank account ( Source Eigide)

If you are a foreigner staying in France for more than three months, you are entitled to open a bank account.

If you are staying for less than three months, you may open an account at a savings bank (Caisse d'Épargne) or at the Post Office (La Poste). The savings banks have a large network of branches and there is a post office in most French communes. Savings bank and post office accounts are managed in exactly the same way as accounts at commercial banks.

To open a bank account, you will need to show the three following documents:

• valid passport
• carte de séjour
• proof of address: telephone or electricity bill, rent receipt, certificat d'hébergement (official document stating that you are staying with a private resident, obtained by your French host from the local mairie), etc.

Approximately 10 days after opening the account, you will receive a cheque book and/or a credit card.
Cheque books are usually free of charge. Credit cards, which are usually valid for two years, cost between EUR 15 and EUR 30 per year, depending on the bank and the type of card.

If you are a student below 25 years, you can avail special account benefits for the student. Few to mention are negative account balance, credit facility, nominal maintenance fees etc. Do ask for student account when you are opening an account. Some of the popular banks are Le Credit Lyonnais (LCL), BNP, and La Poste

When you open an account, you may be offered an overdraft facility. Overdrafts can be expensive: when your account balance is negative, the bank charges you interest (agios). If you exceed your authorized overdraft limit, you risk withdrawal of cheque and credit card facilities (interdiction bancaire). This means you will have to pay for everything in cash, including bills, rent and all purchases.

If your cheque book is lost or stolen, contact your bank branch during working hours to make a stop-payment order opposition). Outside working hours, you will need to call the lost and stolen cheque service at the Banque de France (08 36 68 32 08) and give them your bank account number to register a stop-payment order.
Opening a bank account is generally free of charge, though some services (like a stop-payment order if your chequebook or credit card is lost or stolen) carry fees. Some banks also charge for closing an account.

Transport (Bus/Metro/Train fares)

Toulouse has good network of buses and metros. There is only one ticket for bus and metro. You can access bus and metro with the same valid ticket. Students less than 28 years old get 70% discount on daily/weekly/monthly passes and student above 28 years get 40% discount. To avail these discounts you will have to apply for tisseo identity card (carte pastel) in Tisseo offices/ authorized agents. Carte pastel is a smart electronic card which is not just an identity card but is also your ticket. You can credit desired journey (displacement) to this card using the credit/debit card.

One can also purchase individual journey tickets from ticket distribution counters at metro station or selling points at certain bus stops (list included in the end).

Presently, the fares are being revised. Please refer to the website of transport department to get up to date fares.

The slot-machines of the subway stations, the Points Tisséo Sale, the Tisséo Relays, in the terminals of recharging of the subway stations.

Places (Bus or metro stations where you can purchase tickets or recharge your carte pastel)

• Basso Cambo
• Esquirol

• Marengo Station subway
• Capitole Station subway
• Jean Jaurès Station subway
• University Paul Sabatier Station subway
• Compans Caffarelli Station subway (as from September 2007)

To Apply for Carte Pastel

• Espace Conseil  TISSÉO
  Arènes Forum station (Railway station)
  
• TISSÉO-SMTC
  10 place Occitane
  31903 TOULOUSE CEDEX 9 [Plan/Map]
• Espace Conseil Jean Jaurès                                                       In the complex of Ligne A and B metro station Jean Jaurès           
  

Toulouse weather

The temperature in this region changes often. Its always a better habit in this part of the world to check weather predictions before planning for a trip or execursion or even your walk to university. Predictions are handsomely good. Do check France Meteo site and other sites. Few of them are linked here

• Wunder Grounds
• France meteo

Shopping in Toulouse

• Shopping malls 

• LIDL
• Tatti
  
• Carrefour:
• Auchan:
• Casino:
• Monoprix
• MIDICA
  

• Open market

• Boulevard de Strassbourg
• Saint Cyprien

• Flea markets
• Sait Sernin:

• Saint Aubin:
• Indian stores/Store where you get indian groccery
• Asie Bazar                                                                 This is a useful shop in the center of Toulouse to buy Indian groceries like dal, spices, pickles, curry pastes, ready to-eat stuff, etc., as well as phone cards to call India, rent and buy Bollywood film DVD's. Once in a week this shop sells Indian vegetables like Bhendi (Ladies finger), Drum sticks, curry leaves, green chillies, etc. The address is        Asie Bazar
  35 Rue des 7 Troubadours
  31000 Toulouse
  Tel : 05 34 41 63 17                  Mobile: 06 20 02 15 84
  (Metro stop - Jean Jaures) (Line A/B )
  
• Nathan stores
• Paris store                                                                  The Paris Store is a Supermarket where you can find the Indian fruits mangoes, etc., and vegetables apart from the groceries, like dals, spices, pickles, curry pastes etc.  Similar to the Asie Bazaar, and sometimes cheaper. Also has plenty of plenty of Chinese items. Its approachable from metro station on Line A Bellefontaine. The address is        ParisStore                                                                       1 imp André Marestan 31100 Toulouse                         Phone : 05 62 11 53 50 

Getting telephone connection

There are number of internet service provider in Toulouse which also offers you telephone connection. See the paragraph under "Getting internet connection" for more details.

Getting internet connection

There are number of internet service provider in Toulouse. Usually, there are attractive offeres for internet connection along with the ADSL TV and ADSL phone which offeres unlimited telephone call to France metropolitian. Few services even offer free calls within Europe and to United States of America (USA) and Canada. This is achieved through ADSL modem and decoder. These modems are popularly known as "BOX". So you wil find Darty Box, Free box, Live Box etc advertised by its parent telecom company.

• Live Box

This ADSL service is by France Telecom partnered with Orange.

• Neuf box (Cegtel Telecom)

• Free Box 
• Alice Box
  
• Darty Box  

Making telephone calls to India (Cheaper ways)

You can make cheap telephone calls to India using calling cards from landline or public telephone. From the feedback I received from different Indian users in Toulouse, the best card is "Euro Latina" card, available from 6.5 to 7.5 Euros in Toulouse. You can purchase this cards in telephone shops (they usally carry the name TAXIPHONE). You can get the same card for as low as 5.8 euros in Paris. Using call back option one usually gets about 200 minutes for calling to Bangalore, 135 minutes for calling Mumbai, etc. The call duration credit depends on the call destination and wether you call to landline or mobile number. In general with this card the calls destined for India costs about 0.04 to 0.05 euro/minute.

France telecom also offeres calling cards which are available in tabac shops and post offices for 7.0 euros. It offere 60 minutes call duration credit for India.

Using VOIP calling services

There are number of internet based services which offer you cheap calls to India using VOIP. They charge as low as 0.03 euros/minute and most of them provide free calls within Europe if you buy credit with them. Few of them I know are VOIPSTUNT, JAXTR, etc. Check their websites for latest calling rates. However, you need have an access to internet and PC with multi-media card, headphone, /speakers and mike to make these calls.

Meeting other Indians in Toulouse

The best way to get in touch with other Indians in Toulouse is by subscribing to Indians in Toulouse news group on google. Once a member you will be updated with latest happenings in and around Toulouse and off course..not to be missed get-together!!

Procedure to renew your passport

Your first few hours in Toulouse (Guidelines )

A Few Things To Be Prepared For

• They use the metric system in France. You probably already know that.
• It would also be wise to start thinking in euros as soon as you can. Watch out for the wide fluctuations in the exchange rate, as it has happened in the last few years.
• Smoking is legal in many places so you may have to get used to being surrounded by smoke. However, there are a few havens for non-smokers.
• There are a lot of dogs in Toulouse. There are no specific provision to clean their droppings off the sidewalks. It pays to watch where you walk.
• You will spot of homeless people at few locations, especially near Gare SNCF or churches. These clochards are generally harmless, but one must be cautious. They will invariably ask for money more or less politely. It is common practice to ignore them and walk on, eye contact will encourage them.
• Last but not least, beware of French drivers and french ladies!!!