Renting in France without a guarantor: Visale, paid guarantors and other options

Almost every landlord in France asks the same question: do you have a guarantor (garant)? For international students and newly arrived employees whose families live abroad, this is where most applications stall. There are legitimate ways through, and one of them is free. This guide goes through them in the order you should try them.

1. What a guarantor is and why landlords want one

A guarantor (garant or caution in French) is a person or organisation that commits to pay the landlord if the tenant does not. It can be an individual such as a parent or friend, or an organisation such as Action Logement (Visale), a company or a bank.

By law, a landlord cannot refuse a guarantor because that person is not French or does not live in mainland France (Article 22-1 of the law of 6 July 1989). The landlord can still check the guarantor’s income, though, and foreign payslips are hard for a French landlord to read or verify. That is why most international students use one of the institutional guarantees below.

2. First choice: Visale, the free guarantee

Visale is a free rental guarantee provided by Action Logement. Neither the tenant nor the landlord pays anything. Once approved, you receive a certificate (called a visa in French, unrelated to an immigration visa) to hand to the landlord.

Who can apply

You are eligible if you meet at least one of these conditions:

• you are between 18 and 30 years old (student, employee or job seeker);
• you are an employee over 30 and one of the following applies: hired less than 6 months ago (confirmed permanent contracts excluded), net pay of up to €1,710 a month, moving for work, or holding a job offer less than 3 months old;
• you qualify for a bail mobilité (a furnished lease of 1 to 10 months).

Non-EU students need a long-stay student visa (VLS-TS “étudiant”) or a passeport talent issued by a French consulate. EU students need a valid passport and a student card.

Rent limits

Check the exact limit for your town with the simulator on visale.fr. The home can be furnished or unfurnished, but it must be your main residence and you must sign a proper lease.

How to apply

1. Create an account on visale.fr, upload your documents and submit;
2. Once approved, you are notified by email or text and download the certificate from your account (2 to 15 days according to Campus France);
3. Give the certificate to the landlord or agent when you apply for a flat;
4. The landlord confirms on visale.fr, then you sign the lease.

Apply before you sign the lease. An application made afterwards is not valid. You can apply before you arrive in France. The certificate states how long it is valid and the maximum rent covered, so check both when you look at flats.

Things to know

• Private landlords are not obliged to accept Visale, so ask before the viewing. CROUS student residences must accept it.
• Visale covers the first three years of the lease: unpaid rent, plus damage found when you move out (up to 2 months’ rent). It is a guarantee, not a gift: Action Logement recovers what it pays from the tenant.
• The tenant and the landlord must not be members of the same family.

3. Paid guarantor companies

If you are over 30 and do not meet the Visale conditions, if the rent is above the Visale limit, or if the landlord does not accept Visale, you can use a paid guarantor company such as Garantme. Everything is done online: you submit your documents, receive an eligibility certificate, pay once the landlord agrees, and the guarantee starts.

Garantme, for example, states on its website that the fee is 3.5% of the annual rent, paid by the tenant, that all income counts, including scholarships, and that a French permanent contract is not required. Other companies have different prices and conditions, so read the quote before you pay.

4. Bank guarantee (caution bancaire)

A bank can also act as guarantor. You usually have to deposit and block a sum of money, and the bank issues a guarantee to the landlord on that basis. It takes longer and banks generally charge fees. It suits people who have savings but do not fit the first two options. Ask your own bank for its conditions.

5. A family member abroad as guarantor

This is legally possible: a landlord cannot refuse a guarantor only because they live abroad. In practice you will need the guarantor’s ID, proof of address, proof of employment and income, ideally with a French or English translation. Whether it works depends on whether the landlord accepts those documents.

6. Do not confuse the guarantor with the deposit

The security deposit (dépôt de garantie) is money you give the landlord when you sign. It is capped by law: 1 month’s rent for an unfurnished home, 2 months for a furnished one (charges excluded in both cases), and no deposit at all for a bail mobilité. Having a guarantor or Visale does not replace the deposit.

Be careful if anyone asks you to transfer a large sum before a viewing or before the lease is signed.

7. Which option should you choose?

ViveFrance lists homes in Paris and the surrounding suburbs, and our advisers work in English, Chinese, Korean and French. When you book a viewing, ask the adviser which guarantees that landlord accepts. See homes for rent

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for Visale before arriving in France?

Yes. Campus France recommends applying before you arrive and before you sign a lease.

Do I still pay a deposit if I have Visale?

Yes. Visale covers unpaid rent. It does not replace the deposit.

Is the Visale “visa” an immigration visa?

No. It is only a certificate showing that you are covered by the guarantee. It does not allow you to enter or stay in France.

Updated 2 October 2026

Sources: Service-Public.fr – Visale guarantee; Service-Public.fr – guarantors; Service-Public.fr – security deposit; Visale; Campus France; Légifrance – Article 22-1, law of 6 July 1989. This article is for information only and is not legal advice. Check amounts and conditions on the official websites.