If you are a student from another county of the world, you will need to obtain a student visa for France in order to be able to pursue your study in France
Student Visa for France: Student Visa Requirements
A candidate must fulfil the student visa requirements in order to be eligible for a student visa for France. It includes :
- The candidate must be minimum 18 years of age at the time of applying.
- The candidate must have already selected their program to pursue in France.
- The candidate must be enrolled in the institution of France of higher education.
- The candidate must have a valid passport with a date of expiry landing after the date of completion of the specific course of study in France.
France Visa Process: How to Apply for Student Visa?
1. Decide on a university to apply to and get your acceptance letter
Students have to decide before which university you want to study in France and then you can start your student visa application process. After being accepted at that specific French university, you will receive an acceptance letter required for the student visa for France application.
2. Find out what type of visa you need to study in France
- Schengen student visa (short-stay)
If your course will last only for three months, then you should apply for the court séjour pour étude, also known as the short-stay or Schengen student visa. It is free of charge and cannot be renewed.
- Temporary long-stay visa
The visa de long séjour temporaire pour études is a temporary student visa that allows you to study in France for a duration of six months.
- Long-stay visa
It is also known as the visa de long séjour pour études or, the long-stay visa. If you want to study in France for longer than six months then you must apply for this visa. This visa acts as a residence permit and lasts for a period of your study generally three years for a bachelor’s degree, two years for a master’s program and four years for a PhD.
3. Where to apply for the student visa
You can apply for a student visa for France either through Campus France, an institution promoting higher education in France or at a French consulate in your area. Get your interview/appointment scheduled through the official website of the French consulate in your locality and check the online calendar that shows the available dates.
4. Required application documents for the French student visa
- You have to fill the France Visa Application form after downloading it from the website of Campus France and take a printout of it.
- A recent two of your passport size photograph must be attached
- Valid Passport copies with your past visas are required.
- Official acceptance or enrolment letter from the institution of France.
- Evidence of your status like birth certificate, marriage certificate etc.
- Evidence of financial means to cover all your expenses during your study period.
- Medical insurance
- Documents relating to the accommodation arrangement during your studies
- French language proficiency certificate or English language proficiency(as demanded)
- Proof of payment of the visa fee
5. Residence permit in France for international student
While studying the first year of your course, you only need a student visa as evidence of your residency status. After coming within a month in France, you will have to register at the local French Office of Immigration and Integration and have a medical examination to confirm your visa. If you want to stay for more than one year, starting from the second year of studies you will need to apply for a Carte de Séjour or ‘titre de séjour’, an official residency card in France.
6. Work while studying in France
Students from other countries are allowed to take a job during their studies. If you have a valid residence permit then you are only permitted to work part-time approximately 60% of full-time employment per year. The student may also find work opportunities within their institution, and if you really don’t want to work to affect your studies, you can use this opportunity during holidays between semesters.
France student visa interview Questions
- What is your name?
- What are you doing?
- What is your educational qualification?
- Why do you want to go to France?
- Where is your school situated in France?
- In which institution you are going to study?
- What course you are going to study?
- Why this school?
- What are the subjects?
- How does it help you with your career?
- How did you find the school name? How did you come to know about the institute?
- When is your course going to begin?
- What is your father doing?
Waiting time to get a student visa for France
Make sure you provide extra time for your visa application. Try to apply for it for at least 3 months before your departure to France. After you’ve applied, you can expect that you’ll wait about 14 to 21 days or in exceptional cases, a little longer, for the decision.