How to Get a Student Visa for France in 2024

A France student visa can be obtained through Campus France. This organisation promotes higher education in France and has local offices in practically every country or at a French consulate in your home country. You may need to register with Campus France in certain countries to obtain a student visa.

You should follow these steps to get France student visa:

• Make an appointment or interview in person by visiting the French consulate's official website in your neighbourhood.

• Examine the web calendar to see the available times and dates.

• Aim to arrange the appointment date at least ninety-nine days before you depart for France.

• Pay a 50–100 EUR visa processing charge, depending on your country.

• Hold off until you get the visa. Your country, the volume of students seeking visas, and other factors affect the application process length. It is best to begin the application as soon as possible.

Before beginning the student visa application procedure, you must decide if you still need to determine where you want to study in France. Upon approval, you will obtain an acceptance letter from a French university, which is necessary for the visa application.

Take a look at some excellent French universities that we suggest:

• Institut Polytechnique de Paris

• KEDGE Business School

• Emlyon Business School

• HEC Paris

• ESCP Business School

• ESIEE Paris

Also, Read: Cost of Living in France 

The most basic France student visa requirements for indian citizens is language, so when you apply for a university in France, you have to provide proof of the following:

• French language proficiency – if you're applying for degrees taught in French (TCF or DELF/DALF examinations are acceptable)

• English language proficiency – if you apply for English-taught degrees (accepted tests are: PTE Academic, IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, Duolingo or C1 Advanced)

If you have an acceptance letter from a French university, the French consulate won’t require additional language requirements for your study visa. 

The documents in France study visa requirements for indian students are as follows:

• Visa application form

• a current passport and duplicates of your prior visas

• Evidence of having enough money (around 615 EUR per month) to pay for all of your costs while you're studying

• Medical insurance that might cost between 300–715 EUR/year (Learn more about international student insurance for students studying in France)

• French language proficiency certificate (if you have enrolled in a French-taught course)

• Proof of civil status (if applicable)

• Two passport-type photos

• official university enrollment or acceptance letter

• Airline ticket/reservation showing date of departure

• Records detailing the housing arrangement for the duration of your study

• Evidence of payment for the 50–100 EUR visa cost

Also, Read: Master's in France- Top Universities, Courses, Fees & More

France student visa success rate is high, and there are several kinds of student visas available based on the length of time you intend to pursue education in France:

• Visa de court séjour pour etudes (‘Schengen’ short-stay student visa): You should apply for a Schengen student visa if your study takes less than three months. It is given out without charge and cannot be extended. For stays shorter than three months, a visa may not be required for 41 countries.

• Etudient concours (visa for sitting entrance exams): With this visa, you can enter France to sit for an entrance exam at a higher education institution. If you pass, you can apply for a one-year renewable residence permit directly to your local prefecture, a French local authority or an administrative agency.

• Visa de long séjour temporaire pour etudes (temporary long-stay visa): With this visa, you can spend three to six months studying in France without requiring a residency permit. It isn't regenerative.

• Visa de long séjour etudes (long-stay visa): You should apply for a long-term France student visa in France if you plan to study there for over six months. This study permit has been valid for your course in France since 2013. Long-stay visas, or VLT-TS, function as residency permits.

• Extended stay research scholar visa: Your university may be able to sponsor you for an extended stay research scholar visa if you hold a master's degree or above and would like to travel to France to do research or teach. VLS-TS.

You just need a long-term France student visa to prove your residency during your first year of study. To validate your visa, you must enrol at the local French Office of Immigration and Integration within a month of your arrival and undergo a medical check.

Beginning in your second year of study, if you intend to stay longer than a year, you must apply for an official residency permit in France called a Carte de Séjour (CDS), sometimes known as a "titre de séjour."

Under certain restrictions, all overseas students can work while enrolled in classes. Legally, you can only work part-time (about 60% of a full-time job for a year) and only as long as your residency status is still valid.

Ensure your employer knows you are an international student when you seek a job so they will only assess your application for a part-time role. Additionally, your university might offer work possibilities. If you want work to be okay with your studies, you can only take these offers during the breaks between semesters.

Also, Read: Upcoming Intakes in Europe

To sum up, France offers many opportunities to study and pursue careers in the arts, fashion, engineering, and design. Obtaining a study visa to France and submitting an application to French colleges is the first step towards fulfilling this desire. The information shared in the blog can help you obtain a France student visa hassle-free and relocate to this stunning nation. Also, you can save the hassle of taking an additional test because of the provision of a France student visa without IELTS.

If you want to know more about How to get a student visa for France in 2024, we encourage you to speak with our team of expert counsellors at Meridean Overseas Education Consultants (MOEC). Our counsellors will provide you with guidance throughout your study abroad. Get help with the application process, SOPs, and filing for a visa. Visit us and get one-to-one counselling, or avail yourself of free video counselling via our website. We will be happy to help you, so please do not hesitate to contact us at application02@meridean.org or 1800-1230-00011.

1. How can I get a France student visa?

It's easy to apply for a student visa to France from India. You can obtain one if you fulfil the conditions for a study visa to France. The first step is to get accepted into a French institution, which is then completed by applying for a visa on Campus France. Once you've received their approval, you must visit a VFS Global Center to present all the paperwork needed for a student visa to France.

2. How much does it cost in France student visa?

The cost of a student visa for France is relatively low. The entire cost of the France study visa is INR 12,243. This is how it breaks down: the visa application fee is INR 9,113 (€99), and the remaining INR 2,973 (€32.30) is a service charge that needs to be paid to VFS Global service. In addition, VFS levies a convenience fee of INR 165.

3. What documents are required for France student visa?

The documents in France study visa requirements for indian students are a visa application form, a current passport and duplicates of your prior visas, two passport-type photos, an official university enrollment or acceptance letter, an Airline ticket/reservation showing date of departure and so on.

4. What is the cost of living in France for international students?

If you decide to live in a private flat, the typical cost for Indian students studying in France will be approximately 800. This includes rent, groceries, internet service, and electricity. However, if you were to live in a shared apartment, hostel, or dorm, this sum may be significantly decreased.

5. What is meant by a long-term visa?

A student must apply for a France dependant visa if they have a long-term visa. The student's dependent is granted a visitor's visa. Dependents ought to be able to sustain themselves, but they cannot work.

6. What are the types of study visa requirements for indian students?

Several kinds of student visas are available based on the time you plan to pursue education in France, such as visas for sitting entrance exams, extended-stay research scholar visas, ‘Schengen’ short-stay student visas, long-stay visas, and temporary long-stay visas.

7. Is IELTS required for France student visa?

Taking IELTS is not necessarily necessary to obtain a student visa for France. If a student has an admission letter from the institution, many French universities will accept them even if they have not taken the IELTS exam. The acceptance letter can also be used to apply for a French student visa.

8. What is the language for France student visa requirement for Indian students?

The most basic France student visa requirements for indian citizens is language, so when you apply for a university in France, you have to provide proof of the following:

• French language proficiency – if you're applying for degrees taught in French (TCF or DELF/DALF examinations are acceptable).

• English language proficiency is required if you apply for English-taught degrees (accepted tests are PTE Academic, IELTS Academic, TOEFL iBT, Duolingo or C1 Advanced).

9. What are some great universities in France?

Some great universities in France are:

• Institut Polytechnique de Paris

• KEDGE Business School

• Emlyon Business School

• HEC Paris

• ESCP Business School

• ESIEE Paris

10. How can Indian citizens get residence permits?

You just need a long-term France student visa to prove your residency during your first year of study. To validate your visa, you must enrol at the local French Office of Immigration and Integration within a month of your arrival and undergo a medical check.