The student visa is indispensable for non European students who come to study in  France. It allows you to enter the French territory. You must request it before arriving in France and after beginning the procedure of enrolment in a university. You will find information in this file on the various types of visas and on how to obtain them.

Do you need a visa ? 

- You are a national from a European Union country (Germany, Belgium, Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Denmark, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungaria, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Czech Republic, Rumania, United Kingdom, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden) or from Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Swizerland, Monaco or Andorra:
You don’t have to request a visa. 

- You come fo France for a stay of less than 3 months and you are a national from one of these countries : Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Barbados, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, South Corea, Costa Rica, Croatia, Darussalam, El Salvador, United States, Guatemala, Honduras, Israël, Japan, Macedonia, Malaya, Mauritius, Mexico, Montenegro, Nicaragua, New-Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Saint-Marin, Serbia, Holy See, Seychelles, Singapour, Uruguay and Venezuela :
You don’t need to request a visa. 

- You are a national from another country :
You must imperatively obtain a student visa before arriving in France. The request must be made at the French consulate in your country.

The various types of student visas 

- The short stay student visa (visa C) :

It allows you to come to study in France for a period that does not exceed 3 months. This visa is not renewable. 

- The long stay student visa (visa D) :

It allows you to come to study in France for a period of more than 3 months. 

- The "student-entrance exam" visa ("visa étudiant-concours") :

It allows you to participate in an entrance exam in a university or a French educational institution. 

Please note that you musn’t come to study in France with a tourist visa. It is impossible to transform a tourist visa into a student visa.

Where should you apply for a visa ? 

- You live in Algeria, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, Colombia, Congo, South Korea, United States, Gabon, Guinea, India, Japan, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Mexico, Russia, Senegal, Syria, Taiwan, Tunisia, Turkey or Vietnam :
You must use the online application procedure on your country's CampusFrance website to register for a French university. When you will obtain a pre-admission in a university, CampusFrance will follow up your request for a student visa.
Contact details for Espaces CampusFrance worldwide >> 

- You live in another country :
To obtain a visa, you must fill a file at the Consulate of France (or at the visa service of the French Embassy) of your country. A list of the necessary documents will be given to you when you pick up your file.
List of French embassies and consulates abroad >>

The main documents to supply 

- Your passport. The validity of the passport must correspond to the duration of the visa requested.
- A proof of enrolment or pre-enrolment in a higher educational institution
- A proof that you have sufficient income to live in France during your stay.The French law demands a minimum monthly income of 460 euros. If you have a scholarship, you will have to supply a certificate specifying the amount and duration of the scholarship.

Depending on the country, other documents can be required.

The visa can be refused, even if you obtained a pre-enrolment in a higher educational institution and even if you proved that you have sufficient income to live in France.

Visuel : visa étudiant pour la France - Flickr Roboppy