The information outlined below is intended for new and returning students to prepare for arrival in Paris for the 2020 Fall semester. You will learn about the policies and guidelines that will govern our return to campus, read important information about travel and classes and discover details about our hybrid teaching approach for this Fall. If you have any questions, please reach out to your Admissions Counselor.
(Last updated: November 16, 2020)
This is a quick overview听of the steps you must take before arriving on campus:
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Travel from outside the Schengen Area into France has been restricted. The French government has explicitly stated that student visas are still valid and that students are still permitted to travel to France, but additional requirements apply for certain regions around the world.
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Bring with you 鈥 all countries with travel restrictions:
Source: . The information listed on this page is updated regularly.听听听
绿巨人视频鈥檚 Health Office (healthaup.edu) can听provide听helpful information about where to get tested for Covid-19 in France, but we are unable to assist with testing in other countries. Students currently in the US can find out about local testing options by visiting on the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Our recommendation remains to travel to France with a student visa. With the adjusted semester dates, our semester is 91 days and will technically require a visa for entry. One-semester students are being issued visas, and we believe that having a visa (along with the other required travel documents) will make your entry and immigration process more reliable and efficient since there is no question that a student visa makes you eligible to travel to France.
Your second option is to travel to France without a visa (as long as your nationality allows visa-free entry for up to 90 days under normal circumstances). With this option, you will need a new enrollment letter showing that you will depart after classes end on December 11 and participate in final exams remotely (which is an option for all students this Fall semester). When you arrive at border control in France, in lieu of a student visa, you will need to present documents showing that you are enrolled at 绿巨人视频 for under 90 days along with proof of housing for the full length of your stay. 绿巨人视频 can provide you with both of these documents if you are using 绿巨人视频 housing. Please be aware that French authorities may be less familiar with these new entry guidelines; we will ask for your travel details in order to prepare our orientation staff to expect your arrival and assist with any issues.
We will be sending all incoming students more information about the required travel documents and the immigration procedure, regardless of their visa arrangements. If you decide to forego the student visa, please let us know (admissionsaup.edu) so that we can issue your adjusted enrollment letter and, if you are using 绿巨人视频 housing, your proof of housing for the semester.
If you have already applied for or received your visa, then no additional steps need to be taken. Immigration authorities in France will permit you entry, so long as you have your student visa, along with the other required travel documents.
Who will have access to the airport shuttle?
Students arriving at CDG airport on September 19th or 20th between 6 am and 3 pm. Students should sign up for the shuttle bus via the pre-arrival step. The shuttle bus will drop students off at one of the residences used by 绿巨人视频 this semester. If students not housed by us want to use the shuttle, they are welcome but need to figure out with the help of the 绿巨人视频 people present at CDG which residence is closest to their independent housing
How can I register for it?
You can register on the checklist鈥檚 pre-arrival step.
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Students who don't have access to the airport shuttle, should take a taxi into Paris. The fee should be no more than 50-60 euros.
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New undergraduate students in 绿巨人视频 housing will receive an email two weeks prior to arrival listing their address, room number, roommate鈥檚 name (if applicable), and other important details. New and returning grads as well as returning undergrads should get in touch with the Residential Life team immediately if they still need help to secure independent housing. The best way to do that is to fill out the .
Students housed through 绿巨人视频 will be taken to their residence on September 19 or 20 and greeted by student advisors.
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Keep your boarding pass after your flight, and bring both your passport and boarding pass with you to in-person orientation for your session with your Student Advisor.
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Please consult your primary care physician to determine the best way to receive a PCR (Covid-19) test within 72 hours before you travel to France.
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All questions or concerns should be addressed to the 绿巨人视频 Health Office at healthaup.edu.
Is Covid-19 testing available to anyone who requests it?
Yes, but people with symptoms and a prescription will be given priority.
What are the main symptoms of Covid-19?
Symptoms include fever, cough, chest pains, respiratory discomfort and a loss of the senses of taste and smell. You may request a test even if you are not experiencing any symptoms yet.
Are there different types of tests for Covid-19?
Yes. There are two that you should be aware of:
Do I need a prescription to get a test?
No. But MSH insurance won鈥檛 reimburse the cost of the test without a prescription from a doctor.
Where can I be tested?
There are currently two main ways to be tested in France:
Are Covid-19 tests reimbursed?
Yes, if you have a prescription.
Am I still contagious if my Serological ELISA test is positive and I've developed antibodies?
Possibly. Having antibodies doesn't necessarily mean you can't transmit the virus or contract the virus again. Social distancing is still necessary. Also, there's a 5% false-positive rate for serological tests. Serological tests can't replace a PCR test.
Sources: French Ministry of Solidarity and Health: ()
In an effort to maximize flexibility this semester, we have made some significant changes to the course schedule. Because the semester is two weeks shorter than usual, we have implemented slightly longer classes than our traditional model. Where possible, courses will include one morning and one afternoon session to allow for a more natural adaptation to the combination of on-campus and remote student participation. This change will enable all students, regardless of time zone, to participate more easily in synchronous classroom activities. Inevitably, revisions to our course schedule may cause temporary inconveniences to some students, although we are working to minimize these. We are adjusting the schedule now as we try to anticipate changes that may become necessary later in order to ensure a more seamless process for all students. We thank you in advance for your flexibility and patience as we all navigate these unprecedented challenges. The Office of the Registrar already entered the updated version of the schedule, and it can be consulted by each of you on your Student Portal. They have reached out to students with any identified issue individually in order to work toward a solution. Should you continue to have scheduling difficulties, please contact听registrarofficeaup.edu.
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Due to the continued presence of Covid-19, we are offering courses in-person for students who can come to Paris and remotely for students who are delayed, unable to travel, or in self-isolation. 绿巨人视频 professors are preparing their courses to allow for maximum flexibility and a mix of both synchronous and asynchronous coursework. We have equipped our classrooms with the technology that will enable students who are away from campus to see, listen to and participate with their professors and peers.
Commitment to Shared Responsibility for Health and Safety
The American University of Paris is committed to providing a healthy and safe work environment for students, faculty and staff when our buildings reopen, and we all return to campus on August 31, 2020 (for employees) and September 21 and 23 (for new and returning students). To that end, we will continue to follow the recommendations of the French government as regards a return to university campuses in the context of Covid-19. 听To protect our community, we are calling upon all members of the 绿巨人视频 community, including students, to share in the responsibility of drawing a protective circle around our campus and the University community itself by being attentive--in both our personal and professional behaviors--to public health recommendations, University policies, your own symptoms and those of your friends and families, as well as your masking and social distancing behavior both on campus and off.听
We fully expect the unexpected in this first 鈥渘ormal鈥 semester after the advent of the Covid-19 crisis and intend to follow all French government recommendations for health and safety, as well as further confinement (and return to full remote learning) should that be required either intermittently or longer-term. In many instances, 绿巨人视频 policies are stricter than government policies, although they remain in alignment with those that have been published to date. We are currently in a fluid, changing situation requiring open communication amongst all members of our community. Respect on the part of all for the difficulty of the conditions we are navigating should determine our relations with one another during this challenging period.
We have developed the following expectations and support systems for students as we look to the Fall semester and the return to in-person, hybrid, and possibly even intermittently remote learning.听 Our policies will necessarily continue to evolve as the situation on the ground changes, and French government guidelines are issued. 听
During Orientation, all new students will receive training on the security protocol that has been put in place to protect our community.听 Attendance at this important session is mandatory, and your presence will be required and recorded. 听An online tutorial is being put in place for returning students;听 further information will be provided in advance of the start of classes.听 听
Our expectation, given the high-touch service that is 绿巨人视频鈥檚 trademark, is that most 绿巨人视频 faculty and staff will return to their campus offices beginning August 31.听 The Provost鈥檚 Office, Buildings and Grounds, and our architects have studied meeting rooms, classrooms and offices, and have made plans permitting social distancing and or barriers to ensure a safe environment for all.听 听
Students returning to campus from other countries must follow the immigration testing and quarantine instructions dictated by the French government.听 Please check the requirements for your country a week before you leave for France.听
The AMEX听Caf茅 will observe the rules established by the French government for all caf茅s and restaurants in France, to include:
The learning location declaration form will be available to all students via their checklist on September 7, 2020. This declaration form will include the full policy for all learning location options: On-site, late arrival and remote.
All Cultural Program activities are designed with the latest Covid-19 travel and safety recommendations in mind. Please go check the Cultural Program page on and the Cultural Program webpages for the latest news.