In Brief
- Foreign nationals coming to study in France must first obtain a long-stay visa serving as a residence permit (VLS-TS) with the "student" mention.
- After one year, you can apply for a temporary or multi-year residence card.
- As of May 1, 2026, the tax stamp fee for residence permits will increase under the 2026 Finance Law.
- Validating the student VLS-TS requires paying a €50 fee within three months of arrival.
Who Is Eligible
You are subject to the procedures described below if you are coming to France to pursue higher education and do not already hold a residence permit for personal or family reasons (e.g., a resident card or private and family life residence card).
To be eligible, you must be enrolled or pre-enrolled:
- In a public or private institution of higher education or initial training (university, grande école, etc.); or
- In an organization providing higher professional training.
A resource requirement applies: you must demonstrate resources of at least €615 per month. However, this condition does not apply if you have passed the entrance exam for a higher education institution that has signed an agreement with the State.
Note: A foreign national who has signed a research stay agreement to train in research, but whose funding does not reach the threshold required for a "talent-researcher" residence permit, will be granted a "student" residence permit.
If your sole purpose for coming to France is to take an entrance exam or competitive examination for higher education, you must apply for a short-stay student-exam visa, not a standard student visa.
Steps
The procedures vary depending on your administrative situation and country of origin.
Case 1: Regular entry after passing an exam
If you entered France regularly with a short-stay student-exam visa and passed the said exam, you are exempt from the VLS-TS requirement. You must directly apply for a student residence permit at the prefecture.
Case 2: Continuous schooling in France
If you entered France regularly, have attended school in France since at least age 16, and are continuing higher education, you are also exempt from the VLS-TS requirement. You must directly apply for a student residence permit at the prefecture.
Where to apply? Applications are submitted to the prefecture or sub-prefecture of your place of residence. Warning: It is not possible to complete these procedures at certain sub-prefectures. Be sure to check your prefecture's website. In Paris, you must contact the Police Prefecture - Residence Permits Service.
Case 3: Visa application from abroad (Other cases)
Before starting your application, you must consult the official France-visas website to find the procedure applicable to you and learn which documents are required.
The procedure depends on your nationality:
- "Études en France" procedure: Nationals of 72 countries must apply for their visa via the Études en France website when pre-registering online with French higher education institutions. This notably concerns nationals of African countries (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Cameroon, etc.), Asian countries (China, Vietnam, India, etc.), European countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine), American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, etc.), and North Africa/Middle East countries.
- France-Visas procedure: Nationals of other countries must follow the standard visa application process via the France-Visas website.
Validating the VLS-TS after arrival
Within three months of arriving in France, you must validate your VLS-TS. This online procedure ensures your stay is regular and allows you to cross the Schengen Area border again.
Documents
The exact list of required documents is provided during the procedure on France-visas or on your prefecture's website. Generally, you will need to provide proof of:
- Your enrollment or pre-enrollment in a higher education institution;
- Your financial resources (at least €615 per month, unless exempted due to agreements with the State);
- Your identity and regular entry into the territory.
Costs
There are two main costs to anticipate:
- Student VLS-TS validation: You must pay €50 when validating your long-stay visa serving as a residence permit. This payment is in addition to the initial visa fees.
- Tax stamp for renewal: As of May 1, 2026, the tax stamp fee for residence permits will increase, as provided for in the 2026 Finance Law. Current information remains valid until that date.
Processing Times
- VLS-TS validation: Must be completed within three months of your arrival in France.
- VLS-TS duration: The long-stay visa serving as a residence permit ("student") is issued for a period of 4 months to 1 year.
- Residence card after 1 year: After one year of stay, you can apply for a temporary student residence card (valid for 1 year) or a multi-year student residence card (valid for 2 to 4 years).
Pitfalls to Avoid
- Failing to validate the VLS-TS on time: Forgetting to validate the visa within three months of arrival jeopardizes the regularity of your stay and your ability to travel within the Schengen Area.
- Confusing visa procedures: Double-check whether your nationality falls under the "Études en France" procedure or the standard "France-Visas" procedure. An error can significantly delay visa issuance.
- Overlooking the resource requirement: Even if you are enrolled, failing to provide proof of €615 per month (unless exempted via exam/agreement) may result in refusal.
- Incorrectly visiting sub-prefectures: Some sub-prefectures do not handle residence permits. Traveling there without prior verification on the prefecture's website results in wasted time.
Official Source
The information presented in this guide is extracted exclusively from the official service-public.fr sheet titled "Renewing a residence permit," verified on January 29, 2026, by the Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister's Office).