Incoming Exchange Students : Application Procedure

The team at the Europe and International Office would like to congratulate you on choosing Nantes Université as the place to study abroad.

Nantes Université is one of France's leading multidisciplinary universities, covering almost every field of research and education: science, health, law, economics, humanities, literature, languages, technology, etc.
Every year, it welcomes more than 4,200 foreign students from all over the world.

Located in France's sixth-largest city, 50 kilometers from the Atlantic coast, it boasts an exceptional living environment.
We look forward to welcoming you to Nantes Université!

As part of an exchange programme and for all "study" or " internship" placements, you must be officially nominated by your home university, at the following address: international.accueil@univ-nantes.fr

Please respect the nomination and application dates:

To fill in the application form and avoid errors when entering and uploading documents, please read carefully and follow the instructions in the Study Abroad Application Process document.

2024-25: Closed procedure for all mobility in study and internship.

Students wishing to study at Nantes University must provide proof of a B1 level of French (DELF, DALF, TCF or OLS).

• Important: the departments of Lettres Modernes, Histoire, Géographie, Sociologie and Philosophie require a B2 level.
• For students taking all their courses in English, especially in the Science and Technology faculties and at Polytech Nantes, proof of French language proficiency is not compulsory, but it is strongly recommended that you have a B1 level in French in order to live well in France on a daily basis.

Accommodation in university halls of residence (CROUS):

Nantes Université has an agreement with CROUS to provide accommodation for exchange students.
The accommodation offered is exclusively 9 m2 rooms.

To benefit from accommodation, depending on the places available, you must answer "Yes" to the question: "Would you like to apply for a room in a hall of residence?" directly in the online application. You must then indicate the period for which you wish to reserve accommodation: 1st semester, 2nd semester or academic year. No further action is required.


There are a few rules to know before you apply:
- Accommodation is allocated on a space-available basis.
- You do not have a choice of residence.
- The university makes a single offer of accommodation, and no change is possible.
- Reservation dates are fixed.
- The amount of the 1st rent to be paid depends on the date of reservation and not on the date of arrival.
- Compliance with the internal rules and good manners are essential for living in a university residence.

For a description and price of 9 m2 university accommodation, please read the Housing Information document.

If you are looking for private accomodation:

Nantes Université is a partner of Studapart
Studapart is a platform that provides you with the opportunity to rent accommodation for 1 to 24 months, with verified ads, personalised offers and support: Studapart can act as your guarantor and provide you with home insurance in just 1 click after booking. Other services are also available through Sudapart.
If you would like to be the first to find out about accommodation opportunities thanks to the Nantes Université/Studapart partnership, go to this page: https://univ-nantes.studapart.com/fr/ and ask for a code by writing to guichet.unique@univ-nantes.fr

We have also compiled a guide to useful addresses to help you in your search for accommodation. To get your copy, please contact us at this address: international.accueil@univ-nantes.fr

1. Find out which courses are open to exchange students in the online course catalogue. Create your learning agreement by selecting your courses from this catalogue.
2. View the range of courses available exclusively in English in the PDF English-taught courses.

International exchange students at Nantes Université will have the opportunity to enroll in French Language support classes at the Institut de Français langue étrangère (i-FLE) for the 1st or 2nd semester or during the entire year.

To benefit from this free program, students interested must apply via the online application:
Under “French Language Courses”, answer “yes” to the question “Would you like to benefit from the French support classes?” Students must also specify the period: 1st semester, 2nd semester or full academic year.
 

Then you have to include French courses in your learning agreement. These courses are credited with 4 ECTS: 2 for the written and 2 for the oral.

There will be no changes or withdrawals once the application is submitted.

To find out more, please read carefully the French Support Classes-Campus soir document.

Nantes Université invites you to complete your learning agreement using our online course catalogue, designed exclusively for exchange students. This catalogue lists the courses open to students in the various faculties. You can choose courses at different levels: L1, L2, L3 and Master.

Your learning agreement must be completed by selecting your courses in the online course catalogue, then validating and editing it in PDF format. We then invite you to sign it, have it signed by your university and then add it to your online application along with the other documents.

To find out how to fill in your learning agreement, please read the guide by clicking HERE.

Once it has been signed by Nantes Université, the Learning Agreement will be available on your Mobility online space on the response dates mentioned in the application calendar.

Please note that for students in the Faculty of Sciences et Techniques, the choice of 70% to 80% of courses in the same discipline is compulsory.

Some courses are not in the class catalogue, such as:

• Polytech : the programme of courses is available on their website.
• Medecine : To find out about the courses offered to exchange students, contact the international administrative coordinator at international.medecine@univ-nantes.fr You will find useful information on their website.

Find the websites and contacts for all the faculties on this page. For each faculty, go to the "International" tab.

Before your arrival in France and in order to prepare your stay, it is important to plan a budget and to know the approximate amount of your expenses.
Estimate your budget: plan to pay the registration fee and a monthly budget that includes housing, transportation, food, recreation and other expenses.

Here is an example of an indicative budget (depending on the level of your degree).
Other fees can be added according to the student study program (ex.: semester courses fees at the I-FLE, program fees for Polytech's international master's degrees)

To help you estimate your budget, consult the Campus France website : Preparing your budget.

Documents to bring:

Exchange students from Europe

• ID card or passport
• Student card from home university
• European health insurance card
• Birth certificate translated into French
• ID photos (35 x 45 mm) + some passport type photos
• Students with special needs or disabilities: bring all your medical documents (documents relating to your disability and/or proof of medical treatment). Important: don't forget to mention your specific needs in your online application.

Exchange students from outside Europe

• Passport, long stay student Visa (D), and OFII form. Residence permits from another EU member state only authorise you to travel for 90 days within the Schengen area, but do not authorise you to stay for more than 90 days.
• Legalized birth certificate or birth certificate with an apostille and its translation made by a sworn translator. For further information, please see the Procedure guide for legalized birth certificate legalization.
• ID photos (35 x 45 mm) + some passport type photos
• Students with special needs or disabilities: bring all your medical documents (documents relating to your disability and/or proof of medical treatment). Important: don't forget to mention your specific needs in your online application.

When you arrive in Nantes, go to the Guichet Unique, at the Maison des échanges internationaux et de la francophonie (MEIF): 15, chaussée de la Madeleine 44000 Nantes - Tram stop.: "Hôtel Dieu".
The Guichet Unique is a reception service for international students which takes place twice a year: in September to welcome students for the first semester and the academic year, and in January to welcome students for the second semester. The Guichet Unique will provide you with all the information you need to settle in Nantes and help you with the formalities to get your stay off to a good start. The opening dates of the Guichet Unique will be communicated to you in due time. You can check them and make your appointment HERE.  

In addition to the Guichet Unique, the MEIF remains open and welcomes any questions you may have.

MEIF opening times:

• Closed to the public on Mondays
• Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday: 9am - 12pm
• Thursday: 13:30 - 16:00
• Closed on public holidays

You can also send an email to:
guichet.unique@univ-nantes.fr (non-exhange students)
international.accueil@univ-nantes.fr (exhange students)

And last but not least, the MEIF organises a regular series of events throughout the year to meet you and offer you a convivial moment.