Minor Students

Students admitted to the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po who will not yet be over the age of 18 upon their arrival in France will have different requirements for various aspects of their transition. Because minors may not legally enter into any contracts on their own behalf in France, obtaining a student visa and opening any kind of personal account (bank, cell phone, etc.) requires the involvement of a parent or guardian. Please note that the information included in this memo is intended as a general overview and should not be considered binding legal advice.  

     

    Minor students are required to apply for a separate type of extended-stay student visa (Visa Long Séjour Mineur Scolarisé). The requirements for supporting documentation may vary from region to region, as each French Consulate operates autonomously. Students are therefore advised to refer to their local consulate’s website, as well as the Campus France website, to confirm which documents must be provided in order to obtain a student visa for minors. A non-exhaustive list of the types of documents that may be required includes:

     

    • Birth certificate with parenthood noted (both parents)
    • Copies of photo ID for both (driver’s license, state ID, or passports)
    • Financial guarantee by a parent (sample form here); a notarized statement certifying that the applicant will be provided with a monthly allowance of at least $600 for the duration of his/her stay in France, or proof of personal income along with a letter from the school stating that room, board, and tuition are fully prepaid
    • Copy of a recent bank statement for one or both parents reflecting sufficient funds to provide a living allowance to minor student, per the requirement noted above
    • Notarized parental authorization form (sample here) signed by both parents indicating the name and occupation of the person appointed as guardian of the minor for the duration of the stay
    • Proof of payment of all or part of tuition in the event of enrollment in a private school (N.B.: proof of payment of deposit on admission is usually sufficient)
    • Immunization certificate, verifying that all immunization/vaccines are up to date. Non-American applying for a visa must submit certificates demonstrating proof of BCG and DTP vaccinations
    • Proof of medical insurance valid in France (letter from the family’s U.S. insurance company). Minors are not eligible to enroll in the French social security system until they reach the age of majority and must therefore arrange for their own medical insurance during this time
    • Proof of civil liability insurance (personal liability insurance) valid in France (which also likely will be required by all students, regardless of age, to open a bank account in France; see below). There are options to purchase an annual policy for under €50 (various options are available here or here )
    • Proof of student lodging in France. A copy of the student’s lease agreement is usually sufficient

    Additional rules apply when opening a French bank account for a minor student, and it requires additional paperwork. A debit card will not be issued to a minor student until the following requirements are met:

    • A minor student will not be permitted to open the account solely in his/her own name. The account must be jointly held with an adult cosigner/parent
    • Some banks may also require that an American parent/adult submit a W-9 form using the parent/adult’s social security number instead of the minor student’s social security number. The French government does not issue the equivalent of an American social security number to children until they reach the age of majority. As a result, banks may demand a parent’s social security number on the W-9
    • Proof of civil liability insurance (personal liability insurance)
    • Some banks may require a notarized “Legal Opinion” (the equivalent in the U.S. to a “Special Durable Power of Attorney” by the parent or guardian giving the minor student authority to engage in certain activities with respect to the specific bank account). Some banks may require a translation of this document. The Power of Attorney must attest to the following information:
      • Nationality and residence of the minor student, including the minor student’s local French address
      • Relationship details between the adult affiant and the minor student (essentially swearing that they are the parent or guardian of the minor with all legal decision-making authority with respect to same)
      • The scope of authority granted by the parent to the minor student with respect to the bank account (i.e., withdrawing and depositing funds, receiving bank statements, and utilizing the appointed debit card)
      • Reference to the specific bank account number and address of the local bank branch

    The debit card that is issued to a minor student (for example, BNP calls them “Electron Visas”) is physically different from a typical debit card, and there are restrictions on use that also impact a minor student’s ability to enter into other contracts (such as a cell phone account with a French provider).  
     

    Minors are not able to enter independently into mobile phone contracts. Most phone providers will not allow minors to be listed on plan contracts, which are usually a fixed length, either 12 or 24 months. However, mobile provider Orange does allow for a plan to be opened on a minor’s behalf. Orange stipulates that the parent or guardian acting as the account holder (“titulaire”) must confirm that the minor student will be a user (“utilisateur”) on the account and will act as a third-party payer. Parents/guardians must give written consent for their child to be included on the account and the parent/guardian will remain the account owner through the duration of the contract. Before subscribing to a mobile phone plan, providers will ask the following documents:

    • Justificatif de domicile (proof of inhabitance, which can be demonstrated with either an electricity or gas bill for the apartment in the student’s name)
    • Cancelled cheque from a French checking account; if the primary user on a mobile phone plan is a minor, the cheque must come from the jointly-held account between the student and parent or guardian
    • Relevé d’Identité Bancaire (RIB) from the jointly-held bank account