Sciences Po

Once you have completed Sciences Po’s application process you should receive access to their online portal through which you will be able to undertake the administrative registration process in April and receive your Certificate of Registration which will be necessary for your next steps including applying for a visa. 

If you are a British citizen or a citizen of any other non-EU country, then you will need to apply for a long stay student visa in order to take part in the exchange. Citizens of EU states will not require this visa. For full details of the requirements and application process please see the French Foreign Ministry website.

The GO LSE team is not legally permitted to give you advice on obtaining a visa to enter Italy.  You will be responsible for making your own arrangements and we recommend starting the process at the earliest opportunity.

LSE strongly advises that you do not book non-refundable flights or make binding accommodation arrangements until you have obtained your visa.

Sciences Po does not have residences of its own but maintains relationships with a range of external accommodation providers at its campuses to provide accommodation services to students. This is not guaranteed but full details including the application process can be found at the following pages:

For residences in Paris, including assistance with arranging private rented accommodation, please see the Paris Housing page on the Sciences Po website. 

For the other regional campuses please see the Regional Campus Housing page on the Sciences Po website. 

All students undertaking travel as part of their studies must complete the Travel Notification Form. You will need to have confirmed your proposed departure and return date before completing the form (these can be amended later).

After you have submitted the form, it will be reviewed by LSE's Health and Safety team. Once approved, you will receive confirmation via email.

LSE Travel Insurance:

By completing the mandatory Travel Notification Form, you will automatically be covered under LSE's Travel Insurance policy.

• The insurance will cover you for losses sustained during your period of cover, including against lost, stolen, and accidentally damaged property.
• It will also cover you for medical emergencies. However, please note that this is not comprehensive medical cover. 
• The insurance will not cover flight cancellations or curtailments as a result of COVID-19. Nor will the policy cover the costs associated with mandatory quarantining or COVID-19 testing.
• The insurance will not cover travel that is taken outside the scope of your exchange programme. 

For further details visit the LSE Travel Insurance webpage and contact the Health and Safety Team if you have any questions.

You are strongly encouraged to procure your own travel insurance in addition to that provided by LSE, particularly if you intend to travel elsewhere within France or the EU during the year as this is not covered under LSE’s policy. Similarly, you may wish to insure particular high value items you will be travelling with such as your phone or laptop as these may not be covered under some travel insurance schemes.

To study in France on a student visa you will be required to enrol in the French social security system to access public healthcare – it is your responsibility to arrange this and the application process can be undertaken on the French social security website

Through this process you can obtain a ‘carte vitale’ which is a French health insurance card. If you are a citizen of the EU or EEA then you may fulfil this requirement with a valid EHIC.

Please note that this system does not reimburse the totality of medical expenses and so you should acquire private health insurance to supplement this. Science Po provides an optional scheme for its students and further details are available on the Sciences Po healthcare webpage. However, you are also free to take out private health insurance of your own choosing – it is your responsibility to ensure that this is appropriate to your situation.  

Additionally, British citizens or residents eligible for the Global Health Insurance Card (or remaining eligible for an EHIC) should ensure they have one and it is valid for their time in France. However, please note that a GHIC will not fulfil the health insurance requirements. Full details of eligibility and how to obtain a GHIC can be found on the government website. 

You should consult the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office travel guidance for France prior to travelling to ensure that you adhere to any country specific requirements for Covid-19 vaccinations or testing and to familiarise yourself with the national emergency procedures such as the emergency services phone number.

Please visit the FCDO France webpage for more information. 

Course selection will take place between early July and late August depending on which campus you are studying at. Full details can be found on Science Po’s Course Registration webpage.

Science Po recommends that you aim to arrive in France at least two weeks prior to the beginning of the semester to enable you to settle in and complete the necessary administrative procedures. You should familiarise yourself with the academic calendar for your year of study.

There is also an orientation programme for exchange students at the beginning of the first semester and full details can be found on Science Po’s Orientation Programmes page. 

For students studying in Paris the Welcome Programme will run from Monday 22 to Saturday 27 August 2022 and will cost €250.