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Last updated on 17 nov. 2022
 
The Université Lumière Lyon 2 has more than 360 partner universities in more than 60 countries across the world. Every year, hundreds of students from around the world come to our campus as part of exchange programs. Exchange students are international students enrolled in a foreign university that has signed an agreement with the University.

These students only receive a diploma from their home university and not a Lyon 2 diploma. However, we provide them with an academic transcript converted into the grading system used in their home country. While we do not require any attestation or certificate of French proficiency, we strongly advise future students to have a B1-B2 level (in accordance with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) since the majority of courses are taught in French.
   
Application process

You must be enrolled at a foreign university that has signed an agreement with the Université Lumière Lyon 2 and be chosen by your home university to participate in an exchange at our university. Follow your University’s different steps in order to apply for a university exchange program. Find out more...

Class information

Choosing your courses, filling out your learning agreement, organisation of classes, marks & ECTS credits, French Language requirements... Find all the information about your courses here...

NOTE: Before starting an application, make sure that the dates of the semester at Lyon 2 are in accordance with the calendar of your home university.

You can come to the Université Lumière Lyon 2 for : 

1
2
3
3
 

Pratical informations

Visa / Resident Permit

If you are a citizen of a member state of the European Union, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland you do not need a visa to come and study in France.

If you are a citizen of another country you must obtain a long-stay visa for studies before entering France. This visa is mandatory. It is not possible to obtain a visa once you have entered France. Find out more...

Budget

The cost of living in France can be higher than in your home country.
It is therefore very important to calculate your budget to make sure you have enough money every month!

Reste à vivre

This is the amount of money you will have left when you have deducted your fixed expenses from your resources. It will be used to pay for everyday expenses such as food, hygiene, health and leisure activities. Plan on a minimum of 150 to 200 euros for food.

Expenses to plan for:

  • Plan on an overall budget of 800 to 1000 euros per month.
  • Rent and charges (water/electricity, etc.): between 350 and 600 euros. Under certain conditions, housing assistance (CAF) may be granted.
  • Food: between 150 and 200 euros.
  • Transport costs: between 30 and 35 euros for a public transport pass (up to and including the age of 25 or students under 28).
  • Internet/mobile phone subscription: between 10 and 20 euros.
Find housing

It has become difficult to find rental accommodation in Lyon in recent years. This is why we suggest you start looking for accommodation as soon as you have received the acceptance e-mail from the Université Lumière Lyon 2.

Best options for finding housing:
• Check out online websites
• Visit the University website
• Check social media (especially roommate groups)
If you prefer to look for housing once you have arrived in France, think about booking temporary housing while you look for permanent housing.

Beware of false advertisements on the Internet: low prices/fake photos. Never send money in advance!

Transport in Lyon

There are many different types of public transport in Lyon and its suburbs, all of which are managed by the company TCL (Transports en Commun Lyonnais): the bus, the tramway (the tram), the metro (which includes 4 lines A/B/C/D) and the funicular. To use public transport, you must have a ticket.

Tickets
You can buy single tickets at the ticket offices or at the ticket machines or using your mobile phone. Please note that you can buy your ticket directly on the bus, from the driver, but it is more expensive. There is always a machine at the metro or tram stops. By buying a pack of 10 tickets, the ticket costs you a little less and there are discounts for students.

Subscription
You can sign up for a weekly, monthly or yearly subscription, valid for all public transport in the TCL network, at a TCL agency. You can then reload it on your mobile phone. There are different subscription formulas for students, depending on your age.

Some advice
Be careful, if you have a ticket or pass, you must validate it when you enter the metro station or get on the tram or bus! There are often checks. Remember to have a validated ticket with you, otherwise you will be fined. Don't take money out on the transport and be very careful with your mobile phone. Theft can occur, especially in busy areas. To get around, download the TCL app which will calculate the best route.

Vélo'v
There are other ways to get around Lyon. The city offers a rental bike system: the vélo'v.
You will find many rental stations in Lyon and the surrounding areas.
With a bank card, you can rent a self-service bicycle 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. content

Hours of operation
As far as public transport schedules are concerned, you need to be careful:

In Lyon, transport often only runs until half past midnight on weekdays and until 2am on Friday and Saturday nights! After that, you'll have to get home by bike, taxi or carpool! The frequency of transport is reduced in the evening after 7pm, on Saturdays, Sundays and during the school holidays.

Health Insurance

In order to receive free health insurance in France, you must submit your online application with all the necessary information and documents on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr
This must be done once you have arrived in France and after you have enrolled in your higher education institution.

Once your registration has been finalised, you can take additional steps to ensure that you are reimbursed quickly and easily.

Apply for your Carte Vitale by providing your supporting documents. Declare your primary doctor during a visit to a doctor in France

To ensure that you are more adequately reimbursed, we advise you to get complementary health insurance.

For your information, the Assurance Maladie offers the Complémentaire santé solidaire for students, which is an aid to pay for health expenses if your resources are limited. You can benefit from it, under certain conditions (details on ameli.fr).

Work in France

All foreign students have the right to work while studying in France. This right applies to all students in France. Students who are not European Union nationals must have a student resident permit.

French law allows foreign students to work up to 964 hours per year, or the equivalent of 60% of the maximum working hours permitted.  (50% for Algerian students whose status remains defined by the Franco-Algerian Agreement of December 27, 1968). The income received from such work is a bonus.