To meet France student visa requirements, non-EU citizens studying for more than four months need the VLS-TS (visa long séjour valant titre de séjour), a long-stay visa that also serves as a residence permit for the first year.1Campus France. Long Stay Visa Valid as Residence Permit for Students You need admission to a recognized French institution, a valid passport, proof of at least €615 per month in funds, accommodation confirmation, and (depending on your nationality) an academic screening through Campus France. After the paperwork, you attend an in-person biometric appointment at a visa center, and once you arrive in France you must validate the visa online within three months.
Who Needs the Visa
Citizens of EU and European Economic Area countries do not need a visa to study in France. Everyone else does, if the program runs longer than four months. Shorter programs use a short-stay Schengen visa instead.
To qualify for the VLS-TS, you must be at least 18 and have secured admission to a recognized French higher education institution.2France-Visas. Student Minors attending school in France follow a separate track with a “mineur scolarisé” designation.3France-Visas. Long-Stay Visa
The Document Checklist
Your passport must have been issued within the last ten years, remain valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure from France, and contain at least two blank pages for the visa sticker.4France-Visas. Your Arrival in France
You also need recent identity photographs meeting ICAO standards: 35 to 40 mm wide, with the face measuring 32 to 36 mm from chin to top of the forehead, against a plain light background.5France-Visas. Frequently Asked Questions
The core paperwork includes:
- Your enrollment certificate from the French institution that admitted you.
- The CERFA application form, generated through the France-Visas portal. It captures your entry date, duration of stay, and personal details. Print it and bring the paper copy to your appointment.6France-Visas. France-Visas – Apply for a Visa for Your Next Stay in France
- Recent bank statements, typically covering the last three months, or an official scholarship certificate specifying the award amount and duration.
- Proof of accommodation covering at least the first three months of your stay, such as a signed lease, a CROUS university housing confirmation, or a hospitality certificate from a private host.
If any document is in a language other than French or English, most consulates require a certified translation. In the United States, certified translations of academic and identity documents typically cost $25 to $39 per page, though prices vary by provider and language pair.
Proving Financial Resources
You must show at least €615 per month for the full duration of your planned stay.2France-Visas. Student For a nine-month academic year, that is roughly €5,535.
If someone else is covering your costs, you need a signed letter of financial support (a “prise en charge”) from your guarantor, along with their own proof of funds. If money is held in a foreign-currency account, the consular officer may ask for documentation of the current exchange rate.
Accommodation proof matters here too. The France-Visas portal asks for a temporary address covering at least the first three months, or a permanent address if you already have long-term housing arranged.2France-Visas. Student Mismatched addresses between your accommodation proof and your CERFA form are a common reason applications get rejected.
The Campus France Screening
Students from certain designated countries must complete a separate academic screening through the “Études en France” platform before applying for the visa itself. This online procedure is managed by Campus France, the official French agency for international student mobility.7Campus France. Etudes en France Procedure You upload your academic records, including high school diplomas and university transcripts, and the platform carries your enrollment request all the way through to the visa stage.
Whether Études en France applies to you depends on your nationality. The France-Visas portal for your specific country will tell you whether you fall under the system.2France-Visas. Student Students who go through the procedure pay a reduced visa fee of €50 instead of the standard €99.8France-Visas. Visa Fees
If your country is not on the designated list, you skip the Campus France step and apply directly through France-Visas with your enrollment certificate, paying the standard €99 fee.8France-Visas. Visa Fees
Language Test Scores
For French-taught programs, you will typically need results from a recognized French language test such as the DELF or DALF. English-taught programs usually require TOEFL or IELTS scores. Score thresholds are set by the institution, not the consulate. Campus France reviews your language credentials as part of the Études en France screening where that procedure applies.
The Visa Appointment
After completing the online application on France-Visas, you book an in-person appointment at the visa center that handles your country. In many countries this is an external service provider such as TLScontact or VFS Global rather than the consulate itself.9France-Visas. Apply for a Visa for France in United Kingdom At the appointment you hand in your printed CERFA form and supporting documents, and the center collects your fingerprints and a digital photograph.
On top of the visa fee, the service provider charges its own processing fee. Processing typically takes two to four weeks from the appointment date, though busy seasons stretch that timeline.10Campus France. Visa FAQs Book your appointment at least one month before your planned departure.11France-Visas. Apply for a Visa for France in United States of America Your passport is returned by secure mail or is available for pickup once the decision is made.
Validating Your Visa in France
The visa sticker in your passport is not the finish line. Within three months of arriving in France, you must validate your VLS-TS online through the ANEF portal (Administration Numérique pour les Étrangers en France) at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr.12Campus France. How to Validate Your Long-Stay Visa Upon Your Arrival in France You enter your visa number and arrival date, then pay a €60 tax stamp (timbre fiscal) online.
Miss this deadline and you are no longer lawfully present in France for the remainder of your visa’s validity. If you leave France after that point, you will need to apply for an entirely new visa to return.12Campus France. How to Validate Your Long-Stay Visa Upon Your Arrival in France Keep the confirmation email. You will need it to apply for housing aid (CAF), open a bank account, and renew your residence status.
Health Insurance and the CVEC
Once you have enrolled and validated your visa, register for French social security through the dedicated student portal at etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr. Registration is free and mandatory, and you will need a digital copy of your passport, birth certificate, and valid student visa.13Campus France. Are You an International Student? Make Sure We Have You Covered for a Safe and Successful School Year! Registration gives you a French Social Security number and covers roughly 70% of standard medical expenses. Most students buy supplementary insurance (a “mutuelle”) for the rest.
Before completing enrollment, you also pay the CVEC (Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus), a mandatory fee that funds student services such as health, sports, and cultural activities. For the 2025–2026 academic year, the CVEC is €105. Scholarship recipients from the French government are exempt. You pay through the MesServices.etudiant.gouv.fr portal and receive a certificate that your institution requests during enrollment.
What the Visa Lets You Do
A VLS-TS automatically entitles you to work up to 964 hours per year, roughly 20 hours per week, or 60% of standard French full-time hours. During school holidays you can work full-time as long as you stay within the annual cap. Internships that form part of your degree program do not count toward the limit. You do not need a separate work permit; your validated VLS-TS is enough. Employers must notify the prefecture when hiring a foreign student, but that duty is theirs.
While your VLS-TS is valid, it functions like a Schengen visa for travel. You can move around and stay in other Schengen Area countries for up to 90 days within any 180-day period, under the same conditions as a Schengen visa holder.3France-Visas. Long-Stay Visa Longer stays in another country require that country’s own authorization.
Renewing After the First Year
Your VLS-TS expires after one year. If you are continuing your studies, apply for a multi-year residence permit (carte de séjour pluriannuelle étudiant) between four months and two months before your visa expires. The renewal is handled online.14Service-Public.fr. Étudiant Étranger en France – Visa de Long Séjour ou Titre de Séjour
The multi-year permit lasts for however many years remain in your degree program. To qualify, you must still be enrolled in a recognized institution and still meet the €615 per month resource threshold. The prefecture also evaluates whether your studies have been genuine and serious, looking at attendance, exam results, and diplomas earned. The renewal costs €150 (a €100 tax plus a €50 stamp duty). Filing late adds a €180 regularization fee.14Service-Public.fr. Étudiant Étranger en France – Visa de Long Séjour ou Titre de Séjour
The “genuine and serious” review is where students sometimes hit trouble. Changing programs repeatedly, failing multiple years, or poor attendance can lead to a denial. If you are switching fields, prepare a written explanation of why.