This article covers new housing subsidy rules starting July 1, 2026: non-EU international students can only get APL in 3 situations.
First, check if it applies to you: students holding a "poursuite d'études" long-term visa or residence permit, who are not EU, EEA or Swiss nationals are subject to the new rules.
Three situations:
- You receive a social merit scholarship (bourse sur critères sociaux: issued by CROUS, or social and healthcare professional scholarships from some regions).
- You have professional activity. CAF counts both paid employment and self-employment (auto-entrepreneur); however, service-public.fr states that a student residence card does not allow auto-entrepreneur work.
- You have an apprenticeship or professionalization contract (apprentissage / professionnalisation). Additionally, refugees, stateless persons, and spouses of non-EU students are exempt and can still apply.
Other main APL conditions remain unchanged: housing must be an approved residence (conventionné, i.e., one with a state agreement where the landlord must inform you), located in France, be your primary residence (at least 8 months per year, with exceptions), and you must hold a valid residence permit. Those who cannot get APL or family housing allowance (ALF) receive ALS (another type of housing subsidy), which from the same date is similarly limited to these 3 situations.
Timeline for funds: subsidies start calculating from the 1st of the month following the month you meet the conditions, paid monthly. Official example: if you move in on October 15, counting starts in November. If you apply in a later month, it only counts from the 1st of the month you submit, with no retroactive payments. So apply as soon as possible after moving in.
Before applying, use the official simulator on caf.fr to estimate: you'll need income information from the past 2 years; results are for reference only (à titre indicatif); if you already have a CAF account and meet the conditions, you can submit your application directly online.
Those already receiving it but not meeting the new rules will have their subsidies stopped as of July 2026.
Experience: simulation results and final amounts may differ, so leave some buffer when budgeting.
What was your situation when you applied? Write a note to help those coming after you. Full guide: https://pionra.world/zh/p/caf-apl-aides-logement-etudiants-procedure