France Student Visa
France
Residency
At a glance
France's student visa and student residence route is for people accepted into qualifying study or training in France. It generally requires admission or enrollment, enough funds, health coverage where required, and standard visa documents.
- Type
- Student residence
- Study plan
- People accepted into qualifying study or training
- Core requirements
- Admission, funds, housing, and insurance
- What to know
- Acceptance alone is not enough; documents still matter
- Tuition
- Varies by institution, program, nationality, and fee or exemption status
- Funds to show
- At least €877.50 per month from 1 August 2026, with later index adjustments
Summary
France's student route is for a non-EU, non-EEA, or non-Swiss citizen admitted to a genuine course of study or training in France. For a program lasting more than three months, the usual starting document is a long-stay student visa. Depending on its wording and the length of the course, the visa may itself act as the first residence permit (VLS-TS) or may require a residence-card application after arrival.
Admission is essential but does not guarantee the visa. The applicant must also show a credible study plan, enough money, and the housing, identity, and other documents requested by France-Visas. Applicants in many countries first complete the Études en France process through Campus France before the visa appointment.
From 1 August 2026, France-Visas says student visa applicants must show at least €877.50 per month. The legal rule sets the minimum at 47% of the current full-time gross minimum wage and provides for regular updating, so applicants should check the live amount before filing.
Eligibility
The usual requirements include:
- Admission or enrollment. The applicant needs proof from a recognized French higher-education institution or another qualifying educational or training program. The exact route differs for higher education, competitive entrance examinations, minors, internships, and some vocational courses.
- A real study purpose. The course should make sense in light of the applicant's education, language ability, career plan, and explanation for choosing France and the institution.
- The correct Campus France process. Residents of a country covered by Études en France generally complete that process before or alongside the visa application. The official country page controls.
- Enough money. For applications filed from 1 August 2026, the published minimum is €877.50 for each month. Evidence may include the applicant's funds, a scholarship, or acceptable support, but the France-Visas checklist determines what proof is needed. Tuition, travel, and housing still need realistic funding; meeting only the minimum does not guarantee approval.
- Accommodation. The file normally explains where the student will live at least at the start of the stay.
- Health and other case-specific documents. Insurance or health-coverage evidence may be required depending on the visa and situation. The applicant also needs a valid passport and the civil-status, photograph, and consent documents listed for the case.
- Language preparation. The applicant may need to show the language level required by the institution. There is no single immigration-language test for all student visas; the program and application process set the relevant standard.
EU/EEA and Swiss citizens generally use free-movement residence and do not need this visa. Algerian citizens and some other nationality groups can have separate bilateral rules. A student under 18 normally uses a different school-going-minor process rather than this adult higher-education pathway.
What This Route Allows
A student VLS-TS allows the holder to live in France for the approved study. It must normally be validated online within three months of arrival. A student continuing beyond the visa's validity must apply to renew on time and show continued enrollment, resources, and genuine academic progress.
Current rules generally let a foreign student work up to 964 hours per year, about 60% of full-time annual hours, without a separate ordinary work authorization. This is a ceiling, not a promised amount of work. France-Visas warns that part-time work cannot cover all living costs, and employment must remain secondary to study. Different rules can apply to Algerian students and some apprenticeship or professional-training contracts.
After a qualifying French professional bachelor's degree or master's-level diploma, some graduates can apply for the separate one-year job-search or business-creation status. That status has its own diploma, timing, salary, and employment rules; it is not automatic for every graduate.
What This Route Is Not
This route is not:
- a general work visa or permission to work full time;
- available merely because someone is considering study without applying to a real program;
- proof that a private school or short course qualifies;
- a promise that a spouse or family member will receive an accompanying work status;
- automatic eligibility for the post-study route; or
- permanent residence or citizenship by itself.
Student residence should not be presented as a simple five-year permanent-residence clock. France's long-term EU resident card has its own list of qualifying statuses, and the current official list does not include the ordinary student permit. A student planning long-term settlement should check how a later change to a qualifying work or family status affects the residence calculation.
Next Steps
- Verify that the institution and exact program support a student visa and confirm admission, tuition, start date, teaching language, and attendance requirements.
- Check whether the applicant's country uses Études en France. Follow the Campus France timetable before booking a visa appointment.
- Prepare a simple study explanation connecting past education, the French program, funding, and future plans.
- Budget for at least the current monthly minimum plus tuition, travel, deposits, and realistic housing costs. Recheck the amount immediately before filing.
- Use the France-Visas assistant for the exact nationality, country of residence, program, and length of stay; follow the resulting checklist.
- After arrival, validate a student VLS-TS within three months and complete school and health-registration steps.
- Keep enrollment certificates, transcripts or proof of progress, bank evidence, housing records, and permitted work records for renewal.
- If planning to remain after graduation, check the job-search/business-creation or work route well before the student permission expires.
Switzerland
Switzerland Student Residence
Switzerland's student residence route is for non-European applicants admitted to qualifying full-time higher education who can fund and insure their stay.
Norway
Norway Student Residence
Norway's student residence route is for non-European applicants admitted to qualifying full-time higher education who can fund and insure their stay.
Iceland
Iceland Student Residence Permit
Iceland's student residence permit is for non-EEA students enrolled full-time at an Icelandic school. It generally requires admission or enrollment, funds, insurance, and the…