Study Visa in France

Who should apply for France Study Visa

All students holding an offer and planning to enroll in a University for a short or long term stay, should apply for France Study Visa. Students in India applying for study visa in France fall under the EFF procedure. The "Etudes en France - EE " (Studying in France) procedure offers prospective students the benefit of guidance and support at every step in the admission process, from application to enrollment. It even allows applicants to apply for their visa online and to track the progress of their electronic application.

Requirements for France Study Visa

To apply for a long-stay France student visa, all prospective students must follow the step-by-step procedure explained here below.

• STEP 1 : Register Online with Campus France where you will have to attach documents supporting your education, language skills, CV and submit it online. Campus France will review your application and give you an appointment date for an interview. You will also pay a fee for Campus France.
• STEP 2 : The Academic Interview : All students will appear in person and complete an academic interview with the Campus France Advisor. You will carry all necessary documents including for the academic interview with the Campus France advisor. The interview will be based on the reason for choosing France as a study destination and the reason for choosing the institution where you have been granted admission.
• STEP 3 : Online visa application and scheduling of appointment with VFS - France: After the academic interview, complete your application on our online portal. Create a France-Visas account, and schedule an appointment with VFS-France, to submit your documents (photocopies) and passport (original). All visa applicants have to go in person at any of the listed VFS centres to register their biometric data.
• STEP 4 : Validate your Long-stay Visa / residence permit (VLS-TS) Within the first three months after reaching France, you must register and validate your visa. This process will ensure that you are registered as a legal resident in France.
• STEP 5 : Apply for your residence permit: If you want to stay in France at the end of the validity period of your VLS-TS, you must apply for a residence permit at the prefecture of your place of residence two months prior to the expiry date of their visa.

Visas are granted at the sole discretion of the French Consular Authorities.

Below is the list of student visa documents for France

• Valid passport
• Cover letter
• Proof of funding
• Proof of accommodation
• Medical insurance
• Flight ticket

Students going to France for internships must provide the following document in addition to those listed above while applying for a visa:

• Convention de Stage: This document is an agreement between the employer (it can be a company or a host institution), the intern’s home institution in India, and the intern. Dates of the internship, general tasks, information on the institution in France would also be mentioned.
• If you are going for an internship for more than 3 months, you must get a stamp from La Direccte, the labour authority in France.

France Student Visa Process

Visa process for France student visa is simple for us but might look tedious for you. Your visa application first goes through Campus France and then you need to book a visa appointment with the VFS to submit all your documents. After they verify, your visa will be approved. The entire process will take a month’s time so rushing through last minute might not actually work out because Campus France will delay in verifying your documents owing to the huge number of applications they receive. Visa applications are filed through the France Study Visa Portal. We will fill this out for you. And there will be an Interview for France Study Visa as part of your France Student Visa Application. We will guide you through the interview process and take over the entire Study Visa application for France.

Documents Required for France Study Visa

Students who apply on their own to universities usually get stuck while applying for a visa for France. This might be due to the exhaustive France Student Visa Documents required for International Students. Getting all the documents required for France student visa can be exhaustive and can always leave the student in doubt. So, if you are in such a situation, reach out to us and we can help you. Documents for the France Student Visa should be submitted at the VFS but before doing so, Campus France will verify all the documents and will guide students to make changes, if any.

Below is the France VFS Checklist that you need to keep in handy. Any updations, will be informed to you by our visa team.

• Passport/Travel Document with at least 2 blank pages (face to face) and having a validity of at least 3 months after intended stay
• Old passport, if any
• Passport photocopy (first and last page)
• Long stay visa application form correctly filled, dated and signed
• 2 passport-size photographs not older than 3 months. One must be attached to the
• application form
• OFII attestation duly filled and signed (for more than 6 months studies)
• Offer letter from the school
• Receipt of payment. Student should have paid 50% at least or full amount of the tuition fees
• For students who hold a scholarship from the French Government : attestation certifying the amount and duration of the scholarship
• Covering letter mentioning the purpose of the trip, duration, sponsors, motivation
• Curriculum Vitae
• Original + Copy of latest degree / diploma
• Expenses Statement + Proof of financial means : updated bank statement(s) with sufficient funds, loan.
• At least 615€/month is required or 300€/month in case of free accommodation.

Reasons for France Student Visa Rejection

Cases where statements were not legit, insufficient funds, irrelevant course of study are the most common Reasons for France Visa Rejection. But the chances of rejection is less since the student’s documents are already verified by Campus France. Sometimes, while going to the VFS, students might misplace any of the statements or documents and may forget to attach. This will not directly lead to a rejection but might raise concerns for visa approval.