France Becomes First Country to Open Borders, Consular Services for Indian Students

France has become the first country to open its borders to Indian students, researchers and teachers who have been invited by a French academic establishment or laboratory, and to holders of the “Talent” passport.

Seven French visa processing centres in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Kochi became operational from August 17 to receive select visa applications, while complying with Indian travel regulations and the safety of consular teams.

Universities in France have readied themselves to receive international students, either wholly or partly on campus, said a statement from the French embassy.

Addressing thousands of Indian students who have chosen to study in France, ambassador Emmanuel Lenain said: “France is returning to normalcy and I am delighted that international students will be among the first to benefit from it. The French embassy is fully mobilised to ensure that students can pursue their studies in France in the smoothest conditions possible, despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The move “reaffirms France’s priority to academic mobility”, he said.

The facility is limited to Indian students travelling to France in autumn for studies for more than three months on long-term visas, and short-term studies or internships, with accommodation in France. It is also available to professors or researchers employed or invited by a French academic institution or research laboratory who are travelling at the end of their studies or for teaching, and to those having a valid long-term visa or a “Talent” passport.

These persons must possess an “International Travel Certificate to Mainland France” (Attestation de déplacement international dérogatoire), available on the website of the French interior ministry. This certificate has to be presented to the travel company before departure and to border control authorities on arrival in France.

The certificate must be accompanied by an undertaking that the person does not have any symptoms of Covid-19 and has not been in contact with an infected person 14 days prior to departure.

The visa applications will be processed in small batches every week to ensure adequate safety measures at the processing centres. Social distancing and other recommended protective measures are being adhered to, and mobile biometric data collection and courier services are available to limited in-person contacts at the centres.

All travellers displaying any symptoms of Covid-19 on their entry in French territory will be prescribed quarantine or self-isolation.

In order to prepare students, pre-departure sessions called “Bienvenue en France” are scheduled online during August 22-31. These sessions will acquaint students with administrative procedures, ways of finding accommodation, tips from alumni, and practical advice on student life in France.

Around 118 Indian students are preparing to travel to France at the end of September as English language assistants for a stint in French schools. The programme offers an opportunity for French-speaking Indian students to live and work in France and gain professional exposure.

The number of Indian students opting for higher studies in France has risen from 3,000 in 2014 to around 10,000 in 2019.

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Source: HT

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