Essential French Administrative Acronyms: Your Guide as a Student

Navigating French bureaucracy can be challenging even for the French, and even though India has its fair share of bureaucratic twists and turns, dealing with it as an international student is not easy, especially with the abundance of acronyms used in official documentation in France!

Here’s a comprehensive guide to the most important acronyms you might encounter during your stay in France.

Tax & Administrative

👉 IR (Impôt sur le Revenu): Income tax
👉 TVA (Taxe sur la Valeur Ajoutée): Value-added tax (similar to GST in India)
👉 RIB (Relevé d’Identité Bancaire): Bank account details
👉 INSEE (Institut National de la Statistique et des Études Économiques): National Institute of Statistics
👉 NIR (Numéro d’Inscription au Répertoire): Social security number
👉 TIP (Titre Interbancaire de Paiement): Interbank payment order

Immigration & Citizenship

👉 OFII (Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration): French Office for Immigration and Integration
👉 VLS-TS (Visa Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour): Long-stay visa serving as residence permit
👉 APS (Autorisation provisoire de séjour): temporary residence permit issued to foreign students who have completed their studies in France, allowing them to stay in France for up to one year to search for employment related to their field of study.

Employment & Contract Related

👉 CDD (Contrat à Durée Déterminée): Fixed-term employment contract
👉 CDI (Contrat à Durée Indéterminée): Permanent employment contract
👉 CPAM (Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie): Primary Health Insurance Fund
👉 SMIC (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance): Minimum wage in France
👉 APL (Aide Personnalisée au Logement): Housing assistance
👉 URSSAF (Union de Recouvrement des Cotisations de Sécurité Sociale et d’Allocations Familiales): Organization collecting social security contributions

Student Support & Subsidies

👉 CAF (Caisse d’Allocations Familiales): Family Allowance Fund, provides housing assistance
👉 CROUS (Centre Régional des Œuvres Universitaires et Scolaires): Regional student service center – especially useful if you’re studying in public universities.
👉 CVEC (Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus): Student life contribution

Language Certifications

👉 DELF (Diplôme d’Études en Langue Française): French language studies diploma
👉 DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française): Advanced French language diploma

👉 TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français): French knowledge test, similar to IELTS.
👉 TEF (Test d’Evaluation de Français): French evaluation test, often required for citizenship

Healthcare

👉 CSS (Complémentaire Santé Solidaire): Complementary health insurance
👉 AME (Aide Médicale de l’État): State medical aid
👉 MSA (Mutualité Sociale Agricole): Agricultural social security fund

Remember that these acronyms are frequently used in official documentation and daily administrative tasks. Familiarising yourself with them will make your stay in France smoother and help you better understand your rights and obligations.

Ready to explore the exciting opportunities France has to offer? Visit Ask Sétu or email hello@asksetu.com to start your French educational journey today!