Everything About France Student Visa Process

France, the most ethically diverse country in Europe has a huge number of people moving into the city from the whole world daily. A big section of the population is constituted of students who have travelled to France from other countries to study in their dream schools considering France as one of the best destinations to study abroad. All countries have a different process to let students inside the country, of which the first and foremost important thing in every country is a visa. France offers 4 different types of student visas, which will be discussed in this blog along with the process of visa application. 

Get knowledge about How long a student visa lasts

Types Of Student Visas In France

There are four different types of visas offered to students to study in France, namely:

• Short-stay student visa (Visa de court séjour pour etudes)
• Temperoey long stay student visa (Visa de long séjour temporaire pour etudes)
• Long-stay visa (Visa de long séjour etudes)
• Visa for sitting entrance exams (Etudiant Concours)

A short-stay student visa is opted for by students who are pursuing short-duration summer courses or language courses that have a duration of three months or less. The maximum permitted duration the visa offers for a stay in the country is 3 months and it is nonrenewable after expiry. 

A temporary long-stay student visa allows a student to stay in the country for up to 6 months. Students who are pursuing courses that are of a duration of more than three months but less than six months go for a temporary long-stay visa. This visa is nonrenewable after once expires.

A long-stay visa is a visa that grants a residence permit for students to stay in France as long as the course lasts, for example, 3 years for a bachelor’s, 2 years for a master’s, etc. This visa is used by students who wish to pursue courses that are of a duration of more than 6 months. The visa is availed by masters, bachelors, and research students. It is renewable.

A visa for sitting in an entrance exam is for students who are coming to France for some entrance exam. If the exam is cleared they can get their visa to be renewed to a resident visa for up to one year. It is renewable and the validity of the visa is 3 months. 

Here is a list of documents you need while applying for a student visa:

Requirements For the French Student Visa Process

• A visa application form
• A valid Passport
• Recently clicked passport-size photographs 
• Official letter of acceptance, enrolment letter, exam admit card or the documents based on the type of visa availed
• Airline ticket as proof of date of departure
• Proof of funding if on scholarship
• Bank statement having proof showing a minimum of 615 EUR per month to manage living expenses during the stay if the student is going on a self-funded basis 
• Medical insurance is done through international student insurance for the stay in France with a cover of 30,000 Euros
• Accommodation documents for the same duration of the course
• French language proficiency certificate
• Visa fee payment supporting documentation
• Statement for Civil if needed
• A cover letter stating the reason, desire, and need to study in France

If you are going to France for an Internship you are required to submit an additional Document called Convention de Stage. It is an agreement between the intern, the employer, and the intern’s country. Convention de Stage contains the duration of the internship, the reason and relevance of the internship, and insurance details. This is a mandatory document.

And if the internship is for more than 3 years then the Convention de Stage should be signed by the director of the Labour Authority In France.

All the documents are required in original as well as photocopy at the time of the interview.

Steps To Be Followed In France Student Visa Process

Procedure to be followed by the students of countries where the Campus France registration is required i.e. students of all countries except Countries in Europe.

Online registration

• Register online to Campus France by creating an account.
• Fill out the Campus France form with all the required details and submit your file.
• Once your file is reviewed and approved an appointment date for an interview will be provided, post reviewing pay the Campus France fees.

Interview 

• Post provision of the date of the interview you will be required to appear for the interview on the assigned date with all the required documents, the interview will be conducted through a Campus France advisor.
• Explain the purpose of your studies in France in a very Crisp and acceptable way along with the mention of your desire to come back to your native country after completion of your studies in a very convincing way along with giving the details of your institute.

Application on VFS France

• Once the interview is cleared you are required to complete your application on VFS France through the website https://france-visas.gouv.fr/.
• Create a France visa account on the same website.
• Schedule an appointment with VFS France to submit copies of all documents and your original Passport.
• Go to the nearest VFS center to get your biometric data registered.

Residence permit in case of long-stay visa

• Once you have landed in France make sure to get yourself a residence permit (VLS TS)within the first three months of stay in the country.
• The site for visa validation or residential registration is https://administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr/particuliers/

Post this you are considered a resident of France for the period applied of course duration.

Residence permit in case of a longer stay post-visa expiry 

• If after your VLS TS expiry, you still want to stay in France you need to apply for a Residence Permit two months before the expiry of your visa.
• The approval timeline for the visa will be different based on the type of long-stay visa applied for and the duration.

If you are a student from any of the European countries then the France student visa process (no need for Campus France) is as follows:

• Schedule an appointment at least three months before departure with your nearest French consulate with the help of a calendar that shows the availability of slots.
• Pay the processing fees.
• Go to the interview with all the required documents and copies for submission.
• Once the interview and documentation are complete then wait for your visa approval.

The visa is approved within 15 – 20 days post the application date.

Also Read What is Post Study Work Visa?

When & Where to Apply for a France Student Visa 

The France student visa application process can be started 3 months prior to the date of arrival. You must apply before your university degree program starts.

You can either apply for a visa at a France consulate or through Campus France. Campus  France is an institution that supports higher education in the Country. 

France Student Visa Interview 

The last step of the France student visa process is attending the interview.The consular officer would generally take your visa interview. You will have to demonstrate your documents during a France visa interview.  To clear, the visa interview ensure that you are providing clear and honest answers to the questions asked. Questions such as your reason for joining a particular university, or studying in France will be asked.

Total Cost Of France Student Visa Process

• The student visa application fee is 99 EUR.
• The VLS TS residential fee is 60 EUR.

Work Regulations On Student Visa 

The students with long-term visas are allowed to work in the country without the need for any permit but by following some rules that are:

• The work should not compromise the studies.
• The working hours should not go beyond 964 hours a year or should be not beyond 60% of the total working hours which is 3 to 4 hours a day and 20 hours a week.
• Only part-time and remote jobs are allowed and the employer should be completely aware that the employee is a student.

What is the rejection rate for a French student visa?

The France visa rejection rate for Indian students (From Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, and Pondicherry) is around  8.16%. On the other hand. Those who have applied from Delhi faced a visa rejection of 15.9% in 2021. There are several reasons for France’s student visa rejection. Some of these reasons are as follows:

• Does not have sufficient funds to stay in France for the course duration
• Submission of inadequate or incomplete documentation
• Submission of fraudulent academic achievements
• Lack of Interview skills 
• The applicant is a threat to the public security 

Watch the video below to learn more about Schengen visa/France visa refusals

Can I work on a Long-stay Student Visa?

Yes. You can work on a long-stay student visa. If you have a long-stay studnet visa you are permitted to work for 20 hours per week. After completing your master’s degree you can apply for a 1 time non-renewable APS. It is also called temporary residence authorization. This is valid for 24 months.

Top Universities in France

Here is a list of the top universities in France. The QS Rankings 2024 of these universities are also provided below:

University Name	QS Ranking 2024
Institut Polytechnique De Paris	38
Psl Universite Paris	24
Université Paris-Saclay	71
Sorbonne University	59
Ecole Des Ponts Paristech	192
Ecole Normale Superieure De Lyon	184
Université Paris Cité	236
Université Grenoble Alpes	294
Pantheon-Sorbonne University	329
Université De Montpellier	382
Aix-Marseille University	387

France Student Visa Latest News 

Recently France has announced that it has plans to triple the number of Indian students entering the country by 2030. That is, within 6 years the country has gaols to let 30,000 students to its shores. 

It must be noted that even during the pandemic, the country was welcoming international students who have received vaccination, and meet the criteria. The France student visa processing time depends on the country you are applying from. The processing time for Indian applicants is around 15 working days.

FAQs

This was all about the French student visa process. All international students requiring information about other countries’ visas can follow Visa Abroad, and for information about studying abroad kindly follow Leverage Edu.

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