Destination France: this guide takes you, in order, through what to do to study there on your own. You will find studies and admission, visa and residence permit, health insurance, housing, budget and funds, on arrival and working while you study, and every fact links to its official page.

Choosing a programme and applying for a place

If you live in a country that is part of the “Études en France” procedure, you must use Campus France’s online platform to apply for a place in a French institution. Campus France is the French public agency that supports international students. The list of countries is published on its website; check whether your country is on it.

For the first year of a licence (the 3-year bachelor’s degree after the baccalauréat), the process depends on your diploma. With a French or European baccalauréat, you make your choices on Parcoursup, the national admissions platform, and follow “Études en France” at the same time. With another diploma, you file a “demande d’admission préalable” (DAP), meaning an online application on the “Études en France” platform.

To enter the second or third year of a licence, or a master’s, you also follow “Études en France” until you get your visa. The calendar depends on your country: check the Campus France website for your country. For a doctorate, this procedure does not apply: you contact the doctoral schools directly.

If you are not European and do not live in an “Études en France” country, the process is different. For the first year of a licence, you file a prior admission request (DAP) with the cultural service of the French embassy in your country. For a master’s, you apply on the national Mon Master platform. For other levels, you contact the institution directly.

Campus France’s support service is not free. The amount is not given on the general page: ask the Campus France office in your country.

  1. Check whether your country is part of the “Études en France” procedure (list on Campus France).
  2. Create your online file on the “Études en France” platform.
  3. First year of a licence with a non-French diploma: DAP for the 2027/2028 intake, applications from 1 October to 15 December 2026 (dates published by Campus France).
  4. Licence year 2 or 3, or master’s: follow the calendar published by Campus France in your country.
  5. Doctorate: contact the doctoral schools, then apply for the “passeport talent-chercheur” visa at the consulate.

Official links

The student long-stay visa (VLS-TS)

To study in France for more than 3 months, a student who is not European first applies for a “long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit”, student category (VLS-TS). It is a visa stuck in your passport that also serves as a residence permit (the document that allows you to live in France). It is valid for 4 months to 1 year.

If your country is part of the “Études en France” procedure, your visa application is sent to the French consulate through that platform. Otherwise, you contact the French consulate in your country of residence. To find out which visa to apply for, use the “visa wizard” on France-Visas, the official visa website for France.

The visa fee varies from country to country. It is shown on your country’s page in the France-Visas wizard.

Algerian students follow different rules (residence certificate). Read the “Pour un Algérien” part on service-public.fr.

Official links

Where are you from? Do you need a visa?

The rule depends on the country of your passport. Choose it to see the answer that applies to you.

You are from…

The rules for each group of countries

NationalitiesVisaGood to know
These nationalities:
Show the 34 countries

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City

No visaNationals of the European Union, the European Economic Area (Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein), Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and the Vatican do not need a long-stay visa to study in France.
These nationalities: AlgeriaVisa requiredYou must obtain a long-stay “student” visa before you leave. If you live in Algeria, your application for a place and your visa go through Campus France’s “Études en France” platform. After arriving, you do not validate a VLS-TS: you apply online for a “student” residence certificate (rules specific to Algerians, see service-public.fr).
These nationalities:
Show the 74 countries

Angola, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo - Brazzaville, Congo - Kinshasa, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, Haiti, Hong Kong SAR China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Togo, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Vietnam

Visa requiredYou must obtain a student long-stay visa (VLS-TS) to study for more than 3 months. If you live in your country, you must go through Campus France’s “Études en France” platform: it handles your application for a place, then sends your visa application to the French consulate. For a doctorate, contact the doctoral schools directly, then the consulate.
All nationalities except:
Show the 34 countries

Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Vatican City

Visa requiredTo study for more than 3 months, you must apply for a long-stay visa, even if your nationality exempts you from a short-stay visa. If you do not live in an “Études en France” country, you apply for admission (DAP with the French embassy for the first year of a licence, Mon Master for a master’s, or the institution directly), then apply for the visa at the French consulate in your country of residence. Check your situation with the France-Visas visa wizard.

Social security and top-up health insurance

In France, registering with the Assurance Maladie (French social security, which pays back part of your health costs) is free and compulsory for all students, including international students.

After you arrive and once you are enrolled in your institution, register online on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr. You upload the documents requested, which vary according to your situation and country.

The Assurance Maladie does not pay for everything. A “mutuelle” (top-up health insurance that covers part of the rest) is strongly recommended by Campus France.

  1. Register on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr after enrolling in your institution.
  2. Order your carte Vitale (the health insurance card).
  3. Open your account on ameli.fr or the ameli app to track your refunds.
  4. Register a regular doctor (médecin traitant).
  5. Choose a mutuelle (top-up health insurance).

Official links

Finding student accommodation

The Crous (public bodies that run university residences) allocate their housing in two stages. Most international students cannot file a “dossier social étudiant” (student social file), so they do not take part in the first stage. They can apply during the following, complementary stage.

You can also ask your future institution whether it offers housing, search on Lokaviz (the Crous student housing website) or on the public service “Mon logement étudiant”.

Landlords very often ask for a guarantor, meaning a person or an organisation that pays if you do not pay the rent. If you are under 30, Campus France points to the Visale guarantee. Home insurance is compulsory for your accommodation.

Start looking as early as possible. If you plan to search once you are in France, book temporary accommodation for the first days.

Official links

Your budget: resources to prove and tuition fees

To get a student residence permit, you must prove that you have resources (money to live on) of at least €877.50 per month, the amount given by service-public.fr (page checked on 1 August 2026). This condition does not apply in some cases, for example after passing certain entrance exams.

In public institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education, students from outside the European Union pay “differentiated tuition fees” (higher fees than European students). For 2026/2027, Campus France gives €2,902 per year for a licence and €3,950 per year for a master’s. The doctorate is not concerned: €398 per year. Some students may be exempted (not required to pay): ask your institution.

In private schools, Campus France says fees generally range from over €6,000 to €18,000 per year (page updated on 25 June 2026). Check the exact amount on the school’s website.

You also need to plan for the CVEC (student and campus life contribution), €105 for 2026/2027, and a €100 tax to validate your visa when you arrive.

  1. Minimum resources: €877.50 per month (service-public.fr, page checked on 1 August 2026).
  2. 2026/2027 tuition fees for non-EU students, public institution: licence €2,902, master’s €3,950, doctorate €398 (Campus France).
  3. CVEC 2026/2027: €105 (etudiant.gouv.fr).
  4. Visa (VLS-TS) validation: €100 tax (Campus France, page updated on 12 August 2026).
  5. Visa fee: varies by country, see France-Visas.

Official links

What to do when you arrive in France

When you arrive, the most important step is to “validate” your VLS-TS online, within 3 months at the latest. Validating means registering your arrival with the administration. It is done on administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr and costs €100 (a tax paid by card or with an electronic stamp bought at a tobacconist’s).

Without this validation, you are no longer in order after 3 months and you cannot come back to France after a trip without applying for a new visa.

Then complete your enrolment at your institution, register with the Assurance Maladie, open a bank account and insure your accommodation.

To continue your studies after your VLS-TS ends, you apply online for a residence permit, no earlier than 4 months and no later than 2 months before your document expires.

  1. Validate your VLS-TS online and pay the €100 tax.
  2. Complete your enrolment at your institution and get your student card.
  3. Register on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr.
  4. Open a bank account: ID, proof of address, certificate of enrolment or student card.
  5. Take out home insurance.
  6. Apply for your residence permit between 4 and 2 months before your VLS-TS expires.

Official links

Working during your studies

With a student VLS-TS or a student residence permit, you can work during your studies for up to 964 hours per year without applying for a work permit. Campus France explains that this equals 20 hours per week.

If you go over this limit, you risk having your residence permit withdrawn and its renewal refused. Before hiring you, the employer must send a declaration to the préfecture (the State office in the département).

The student residence permit does not allow you to be self-employed (auto-entrepreneur).

For Algerian students, the rules are different: the employer must obtain a work permit, and work is limited to 50% of the annual working time in the sector concerned.

Official links

The other path

Do you hold an official scholarship? See what changes for you.

Study there with a scholarship

Other destinations

The same path, on your own, in the other countries GradMe covers: compare before you choose.