Student Visa Requirements?
Nationals from some countries will apply for their French student visa through Campus France, the country’s official national agency for higher education and international students. Those students would also have been required to use Campus France to apply to their chosen French institutions, via the CEF procedure.
See this list of countries to find out if you need to apply for both your visa and your admission in this way. If your country of origin is not listed in the link above, then you will be responsible for both your university application and your student visa application.Only once you have received acceptance onto a program at a French institution will you be eligible to apply for your student visa for France.
To apply for your visa, you will need to contact the French consulate in your home country and provide them with the following, when requested:
• An official acceptance letter onto an accredited program at a French institution.
This should be on officially headed paper, featuring your full details, the details of your program of study and the start and end dates of study.
• Proof of sufficient funds for living in the country.
The current amount required is €615 (US$820) per month, which can be shown with a bank statement, a guarantor’s letter or a notice of funding from a loan, scholarship or grant.
• Proof of return ticket home.
Often this is in the form of the actual ticket or reservation showing the date of departure, but can be a handwritten statement of intent, including intended departure dates.
• Proof of medical insurance (minimum cover €30,000, US$40,150)
• Proof of accommodation.
Can be shown in the form of student housing confirmation or a certificate of board and lodging or ‘attestation d’accueil’ (if you’re living with friends or relatives).
• Proof of proficiency in French,
if you are studying a French-language course.