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When it comes to accommodation, international exchange students have 2 main options in Tours: public student dorms or private accommodation.

1. Public student residence

In Tours, public student residences are managed by the CROUS (Centre Régional des Oeuvres Universitaires et Scolaires, subdivision of the national level CNOUS). In order to facilitate the administrative procedure for international exchange students, the International Relations Office centralises their accommodation requests, and is in direct and continuous contact with the CROUS administration.

When you pre-register online on Mobility Online, you will be asked to download an application form for a university residence.

You may make up to 3 wishes (in case your first choice is not available anymore). It is imperative that you write your INE number on the housing application form, otherwise the housing department (CROUS) will not be able to assign you a dwelling. To obtain this INE number, you must follow this procedure: step by step on messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr.

The completed form must be sent by email along with your Mobility Online pre-registration file (as indicated in the procedure) to the office in charge of incoming exchange students. It will then be sent to the CROUS who will take over to assign you an accommodation. You will be contacted by a CROUS officer, who will give you a detailed step-by-step procedure for putting together your rental file, and the necessary steps before, during and after your arrival.
Forms sent alone will not be processed.

Please note that for the accommodation request, it is extremely important to clearly indicate (ideally typed; if hand written, please ensure it is legible) an e-mail address that you check regularly, for the CROUS administration will use this information to send you the reservation details. You will only receive the initial demand, as well as one reminder. Should you not answer after the reminder, your reservation will be lost, and your accommodation will be reattributed.

N.B. If you are a classical exchange student (Erasmus or exchange agreement), you are exempt from the CVEC (Student Life and Campus Contribution), so you should not pay this tax.
 

2. Private accommodation

When it comes to private accommodation, you must know that with a greater choice offer comes greater responsibility, because the International Relations Office will not be involved in any administrative matters. If you opt for private accommodation, you will need to manage everything on your own. The 2 types of private accommodations are:

  • Private landlord
    You can choose to rent an apartment or a single room within an apartment (cohabitation) from private individuals. In this case, you must be autonomous and contact the landlord directly. The UT cannot guarantee the quality of private accommodations. We highly suggest you search a furnished (meublé) accommodation. Please pay attention to scams!
  • Private student dorms
    The city of Tours offers a rich choice of private student dorms, that are not managed by the CROUS (French government). Please find a comprehensive list on the map that we prepared to your attention (under the section private student dorms). Furthermore, this website might also come in handy.

You can check our downloadable student guide for more information.

 

3. Short-term accommodation

Should you require a short-term accommodation upon your arrival (the time to visit apartments, for example, or if you happen to arrive in Tours during a weekend and cannot collect the keys to your CROUS accommodation), please note that there is a youth hostel in Tours. More information available on their website.  

Evidently, the choice is completely yours, and you have the liberty of finding the solution that suits your needs best.

Student housing aid

You will find on the Caisse d'Allocations Familiales-CAF website all the practical information related to the housing aid ruled by the the French government.
Step-by-step tutorials are downloadable in French and English at the bottom of the page.
CAF

Procedure for exchange students: