🏠 How to Apply for CAF Housing Aid Step by Step

Applying for CAF housing aid may seem complicated at first, but don't worry: it's quite simple if you follow the steps one by one.

Before you start: check that you are eligible

Important: new rules since 1 July 2026. If you are a national of a country outside the EU, the EEA and Switzerland, and you are in France on a visa or residence permit for studies, you can receive CAF housing aid (APL, ALS or ALF) only if at least one of these applies to you:

you receive a higher-education grant based on social criteria (bourse sur critères sociaux), for example from the CROUS;
you work, as an employee or self-employed;
you are on an apprenticeship or professional-training contract.

Refugee and stateless students, and spouses of non-EU students, also remain eligible. EU, EEA and Swiss students are not affected by this change. Read the full conditions

You can also run the CAF simulator to check your eligibility and estimate the amount. If you are eligible, our team can help you with your application (we can't guarantee that the CAF will grant you aid).

💻 Step 1: Create your account or log in

Go to the CAF website. If you are new to the CAF, you first create an account. Then start a new application for housing aid (logement). It's easier on a computer than on a phone.

You can also check the complete tutorial from the CAF.

👤 Step 2: Check your personal information

The CAF asks you to confirm your address, phone number, bank details, student status and family situation. Correct anything that is wrong before continuing.

🏡 Step 3: Describe your accommodation

You will enter your address, the type of accommodation, your monthly rent, your move-in date, whether it is furnished, and whether you live alone or share. The CAF also asks for your landlord's details; for a residence or company, you may need its SIRET number. The accommodation must be decent, with at least 9 m² of living space.

📄 Step 4: Have your documents ready

See What documents do I need? Allow about 15 minutes for the application.

💶 Step 5: Your resources

The CAF retrieves some income information automatically. If you are a student under 28, your earnings from work are not taken into account. If you have no income, select "Aucun revenu".

📝 Step 6: Review and submit

Check the summary (personal details, rent, accommodation, resources), accept the conditions and submit. You will get your CAF beneficiary number (numéro d'allocataire) and a summary you can download. Keep both.

⏳ What happens next

Processing takes about 36 days on average once your file is complete; it can take longer at the start of the academic year.
Aid starts the month after you apply: if you move in on 15 October and apply straight away, your rights open in November and the first payment arrives around 5 December.
It is usually paid directly to your landlord, who deducts it from your rent.

💡 Tips

Apply as soon as you move in: aid is not backdated.
Make sure your name is on the lease.
Double-check your bank details.
Answer quickly if the CAF asks for more documents.