Student visa for France: documents, fees and steps

Documents requested

Passport (travel document), original and copy: in good condition, issued less than 10 years ago, with at least two blank pages and valid for at least 3 months after the expiry date of the requested visaConditions and details
To complete the online application, France-Visas requires an original travel document accompanied by a copy: in good condition, issued less than 10 years ago and containing at least two blank pages. For a long stay, its validity must extend at least 3 months beyond the expiry date of the requested visa; an exemption may be granted in the event of duly justified urgency. At the submission appointment, the service provider or the consulate keeps the passport in order to forward it to the consulate.
Two recent identity photographs in ICAO formatConditions and details
France-Visas requires two recent identity photographs in the format of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to complete the online application. In addition, a photograph is scanned or taken at the time of submission, together with the fingerprint record.
Application form (CERFA) and receipt generated by the online entry on France-Visas, printed in the final paper versionConditions and details
The student visa application is filled in online on the France-Visas application. On the day of the appointment, the applicant must print and bring their receipt and their CERFA in the final paper version.
Certificate of enrollment in the higher education institution that accepted the candidateConditions and details
The candidate must have chosen their training course or study program and be accepted by a higher education institution. France-Visas specifies that the application must include, in particular, the certificate of enrollment issued by the institution that accepted the candidate. Enrollment procedures differ depending on nationality; under certain conditions (age, enrollment in the first year of study), the Parcoursup procedure is mandatory, according to a precise timetable.
Proof of financial resources corresponding to at least 877.50 euros per month, for applications submitted from 1 August 2026Conditions and details
France-Visas announces that, because of the increase in the required resources threshold for long-stay visas for studies, applications submitted from 1 August 2026 onwards must be accompanied by proof of resources corresponding to a minimum amount of 877.50 euros per month.
Address in France: provisional address for the first 3 months of stay, or definitive address if accommodation has already been foundConditions and details
The France-Visas "Étudiant" page requests, for the visa application, either a provisional address for the first 3 months of stay or a definitive address if accommodation has already been found; it states that the conditions may be different depending on the country. It advises contacting the international relations service of the host institution, most of which issue guides for international students.
Other supporting documents, originals and copies, adapted to the applicant's personal situation and specified by the France-Visas visa assistantConditions and details
The first step in the process consists in identifying, with the France-Visas visa assistant, the supporting documents to be provided and the applicable fee. The online application includes original supporting documents accompanied by copies, adapted to the personal situation and to the purpose of the trip. Documents written in a language other than French or English may be requested translated into French.

Depending on your situation

Recording of biometric data at the time of submission (photograph and ten fingerprints), unless data collected less than 59 months earlier are reusedConditions and details
All visas issued by France are biometric. Any applicant over the age of 12 appears in person when submitting their first application; a photograph and ten fingerprints, taken flat and digitized, are collected. The data may be reused if a previous biometric Schengen visa was issued less than 59 months ago, and the in-person appearance may be waived if the fingerprints were collected during a previous visa application less than 59 months before the current application. This situation is not among the questions asked by VisaGuideline: the applicant verifies it themselves.
Pre-registration and visa application on the Études en France platform, for nationals of the countries or territories concernedConditions and details
For nationals of 72 countries or territories, the student visa application is made on the Études en France platform at the time of online pre-registration in French higher education. Nationals of other countries go through the France-Visas visa application procedure. The list of the countries or territories concerned is the one published by France-Visas on its “Étudiant” page.

Official fees

Long-stay visa for studies — countries or territories under the Études en France procedure (indicative amount; some special cases may result in other fees) 50 €
Long-stay visa for studies — other countries (indicative amount; some special cases may result in other fees) 99 €
Fee to be paid in France when validating the “student” VLS-TS, in addition to the visa fees 100 €

Steps

Choose your course of study and be accepted by a higher education institution; check on Études en France whether the country or territory is covered by online registration, otherwise consult Campus France for the registration procedures.
Countries or territories with the Études en France procedure: pre-registration and visa application on this platform. Other countries: visa application on France-Visas.
Use the France-Visas visa assistant to identify the supporting documents to provide and the applicable fee, then the competent body to process the application.
Complete the application online on France-Visas and, if possible, upload the digital copies of the supporting documents there (dedicated desk at the service provider in countries with outsourced submission).
Make an appointment with the consulate or the service provider of the country of submission, allowing for appointment and processing times in relation to the start date of the trip.
Attend the appointment with the complete file (CERFA and receipt): verification of the file, payment of the fees, biometric data capture, handover of the passport and copies of the supporting documents.
Track the application with the visa centre and collect the passport after notification; decision generally within 15 days, up to 45 days in particular cases.
Within 3 months of arriving in France, validate the VLS-TS online on the portal of the Administration numérique des étrangers en France (ANEF) and pay the fee; without validation, the stay is no longer regular.
To stay beyond the validity of the VLS-TS: apply online for a student residence permit, at the earliest 4 months and at the latest 2 months before the visa expires.

Where to apply

France-Visas portal: online visa application form
Études en France platform: pre-registration and visa application for countries or territories under the Études en France procedure
Consulate or embassy of France, or approved service provider depending on the country, in the country where the applicant legally resides
"Make an appointment" page of France-Visas: information by submission country (appointments, particular cases, rates, means of payment, contact details)
Portal of the Digital Administration for Foreign Nationals in France (ANEF): validation of the VLS-TS after arrival in France

Good to know

Digital copies of all supporting documents, submitted online as soon as the application is entered (preferred approach)Conditions and details
The France-Visas application offers students the possibility of submitting digital copies of all supporting documents as soon as they enter their application online. France-Visas recommends giving preference to this approach: it provides expedited passage at the external service provider, with access to a dedicated counter, if the latter is present in the country of residence. This feature is available only to student long-stay visa applicants residing in a country where the visa application is outsourced and available online. The legibility and correct integration of the documents must be checked; in the event of an incorrect or missing scan, the provider may step in during the appointment, as this service may be billed as an ancillary service fee.
Submission in the country of residenceConditions and details
The application is submitted in the country where the applicant legally resides, at the French consulate (or the embassy) or at the approved service provider, depending on the country. Submission in another country where the applicant is passing through may be considered if the applicant explains why the application could not be submitted at the consulate of his place of residence (an unforeseen event, for example).
Visa duration and residence permitConditions and details
Whatever the length of the planned stay, the long-stay visa has a limited duration of between 3 months and one year. The VLS-TS exempts its holder from applying for a residence card during its validity; to continue the stay beyond that, a residence permit must be requested at the prefecture. During its validity, the long-stay visa is equivalent to a Schengen visa: it allows travelling and staying in the Schengen area outside France for maximum periods of 90 days in any period of 180 days.
Validation of the VLS-TS after arrivalConditions and details
The holder of a VLS-TS must validate it within 3 months of arriving in France, on the portal of the Administration numérique des étrangers en France. Without validation, the holder is no longer in lawful residence and can no longer cross the border of the Schengen Area again. The information appearing on the visa, the date of entry into France, the address of residence in France and a payment card for the online fee must be available. The French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) may summon the student for additional formalities, a medical examination or the signing of the republican integration contract.
After the first year: student residence permitConditions and details
After 1 year of residence, the student may apply for a temporary "student" residence permit (valid for 1 year) or a multi-year "student" residence permit (valid for 2 to 4 years), subject to resource requirements. The application is made online only, at the earliest 4 months and at the latest 2 months before the end of the VLS-TS validity. A dematerialized proof of filing is issued immediately, and the progress of the application can be checked online.
Resources: cases where the condition does not applyConditions and details
Service Public states that the student must be able to prove resources of at least 877.50 euros per month, but that this condition does not apply to the student who has passed the entrance examination for a higher education institution that has signed an agreement with the State.
Social security affiliationConditions and details
Affiliation to social security is free of charge and mandatory for all non-European students under 28 years of age; it is carried out on the health insurance website dedicated to foreign students. Students who are nationals of the European Economic Area are exempt from it if they hold, for the entire academic year, a European Health Insurance Card or a private insurance certificate covering all medical risks without any tariff restriction.
Working while studyingConditions and details
Foreign students are allowed to work 964 hours per year, i.e. 60% of the normal working time in France (50% for Algerian nationals). A part-time job does not make it possible to cover all expenses: it can only be a supplementary income.
Cost of studiesConditions and details
All higher education institutions charge registration fees, which vary widely from one institution to another: from a few hundred euros for universities to more than 10 000 euros per year in some private higher education schools, to which fees for specific services may be added.
Entrance examinations and other study visasConditions and details
To sit an entrance examination at a higher education institution in France, you must apply for a short-stay "student-entrance examination" visa (90 days maximum out of 180), even if the applicant is exempt from the short-stay visa; if successful, they can regularise their status at the prefecture without returning to their country. This visa is not open to Algerian nationals. Medical students (DFMS/DFMSA) and students on mobility in the European Union (visa bearing the mention "Student – mobility") have dedicated sections on the "Student" page. A course lasting less than 3 months results in a short-stay visa.
Photograph formatConditions and details
The photograph must be recent and a true likeness, measure between 35 and 40 mm in width, with a face of 32 to 36 mm from the bottom of the chin to the top of the skull (excluding hair), and comply with the ICAO standard.
Fees not refunded and exemptionsConditions and details
Visa fees are not refunded, even in the event of a refusal or the withdrawal of the application. A fee waiver or a partial exemption may apply to certain categories of applicants, for example students whose file was examined by a centre for studies in France.
Service provider feesConditions and details
When the collection of applications is entrusted to an external service provider, it collects a service fee, which varies from country to country but is capped at 45 euros per application. It may also offer paid optional services.
Refusal and appealsConditions and details
Refusals are reasoned. A refusal of a long-stay visa can be contested within 30 days by a reasoned prior appeal, written in French and signed, sent by post to the Commission de recours contre les décisions de refus de visa d'entrée en France (CRRV, BP 83609, 44036 Nantes Cedex 1); this appeal is mandatory before any appeal to the administrative judge. Without a decision within two months of filing, the application is implicitly refused.
Caution regarding fraudulent websitesFrance-Visas invites applicants to be cautious in all transactions with companies claiming to offer assistance in obtaining French visas.

Nationalities covered

This procedure applies to 214 nationalities.

Afghanistan
Åland Islands
Albania
Algeria
American Samoa
Angola
Anguilla
Antarctica
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Aruba
Australia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belize
Benin
Bermuda
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Bouvet Island
Brazil
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Brunei
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Cape Verde
Caribbean Netherlands
Cayman Islands
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Christmas Island
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
Curaçao
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Eswatini
Ethiopia
Falkland Islands
Faroe Islands
Fiji
French Guiana
French Polynesia
French Southern Territories
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Gibraltar
Greenland
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Guam
Guatemala
Guernsey
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Heard Island and McDonald Islands
Honduras
Hong Kong
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Isle of Man
Israel
Jamaica
Japan
Jersey
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Macao
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Marshall Islands
Martinique
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mayotte
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Montserrat
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
New Caledonia
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Norfolk Island
North Korea
North Macedonia
Northern Mariana Islands
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Palestine
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Pitcairn Islands
Puerto Rico
Qatar
Réunion
Russia
Rwanda
Saint Barthélemy
Saint Helena
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Martin
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
São Tomé and Príncipe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Sint Maarten
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
South Korea
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Syria
Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tokelau
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Türkiye
Turkmenistan
Turks and Caicos Islands
Tuvalu
U.S. Outlying Islands
U.S. Virgin Islands
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Vietnam
Wallis and Futuna
Western Sahara
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Official links

The visa application process - France-VisasLa démarche d'obtention de visa - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Ministry of the Interior and Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (France)Ministère de l'Intérieur et ministère de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères (France) (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Student - France-VisasÉtudiant - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Foreign student in France: long-stay visa or residence permit | Service PublicÉtudiant étranger en France : visa de long séjour ou titre de séjour | Service Public (new tab) www.service-public.gouv.fr
Frequently asked questions - France-VisasQuestions fréquentes - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Long-stay visa - France-VisasVisa de long séjour - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Your arrival in France - France-VisasVotre arrivée en France - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Visa application - France-VisasDemande de visa - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Make an appointment - France-VisasPrendre rendez-vous - France-Visas (new tab) france-visas.gouv.fr
Accueil | Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France (new tab) administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr

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