In brief
- Foreign nationals coming to study in France must first obtain a long-stay visa serving as a residence permit (VLS-TS) marked "student".
- After 1 year, you can apply for a temporary or multi-year residence permit.
- The resource requirement is set at at least €615 per month, unless exceptions apply.
- As of May 1, 2026, the fiscal stamp fee for a residence permit will increase under the 2026 Finance Law.
Who is eligible
You are concerned if you are coming to France to pursue higher education without holding a residence permit for personal or family reasons (e.g., resident card or private and family life residence permit).
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 a higher professional training organization.
You must be able to demonstrate resources of at least €615 per month. However, this resource requirement 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 to qualify for a "talent-researcher" residence permit will be granted a "student" residence permit.
If you are coming to France to take an entrance exam or competition for higher education, you must apply for a short-stay student-competition visa.
Steps
First year: Obtaining the VLS-TS
Your procedures vary depending on your situation:
Case 1: You entered France legally and passed an entrance exam for a school You are exempt from the VLS-TS if you entered France legally with a short-stay student-competition visa. You must directly apply for a student residence permit at the prefecture.
Case 2: You entered France legally, have been schooled in France since at least age 16, and are continuing higher education You are exempt from the VLS-TS if you entered France legally (e.g., on a short-stay visa). You must directly apply for a student residence permit at the prefecture.
Other cases: Visa application from abroad Before starting your application, you must consult the official France-visas website to find the procedure that applies to you and learn the list of documents to provide.
Nationals from 72 countries must apply for their visa on the Études en France website when pre-registering online for French higher education. Nationals from other countries must go through the visa application process via France-Visas.
Here is the procedure by regional zone:
- Africa: South Africa, Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo Brazzaville, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Mauritania, Nigeria, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Chad, Togo -> Études en France procedure. Other countries -> Apply for a visa.
- Asia / Oceania: Myanmar, Cambodia, China, South Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam -> Études en France procedure. Other countries -> Apply for a visa.
- Europe: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, United Kingdom, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine -> Études en France procedure. Other countries -> Apply for a visa.
- America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, United States, Haiti, Mexico, Peru, Dominican Republic -> Études en France procedure. Other countries -> Apply for a visa.
- North Africa / Middle East: Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Qatar, Tunisia -> Études en France procedure. Other countries -> Apply for a visa.
Validating the VLS-TS after arrival
Within 3 months of your arrival in France, you must validate your VLS-TS and pay a tax in addition to the visa fees. The online procedure allows you to maintain legal status and cross the Schengen Area border again.
Payment is made when validating your long-stay visa serving as a residence permit. The amount of the tax to be paid is €50.
The validity period of a "student" VLS-TS is 4 months to 1 year.
After 1 year of stay: Renewal
You are concerned with renewing your right to stay as a student if you are in France to pursue higher education without holding a residence permit for personal or family reasons.
You must be enrolled (or pre-enrolled) in a public or private institution of higher education or initial training, or in a professional training organization.
After 1 year, you can apply for a temporary student residence permit (valid for 1 year) or a multi-year student residence permit (valid for 2 to 4 years).
Where to apply?
For residence permit applications at the prefecture, you must contact:
- Prefecture
- Sub-prefecture
- Paris Police Prefecture - Residence Permit Service
Warning: It is not possible to complete procedures in certain sub-prefectures. Check your prefecture's website for information.
Documents
The list of documents to provide is available on the France-visas website for visa applications. For renewal at the prefecture, proof of enrollment and resources is required.
Cost
- VLS-TS validation: €50.
- Fiscal stamp: As of May 1, 2026, the fiscal stamp fee for a residence permit will increase. This is provided for in the 2026 Finance Law. Meanwhile, the information presented on this page remains valid for current amounts not specified here for renewal.
Timeframes
- VLS-TS validation: Within 3 months of your arrival in France.
- VLS-TS duration: 4 months to 1 year.
- Temporary residence permit duration: 1 year.
- Multi-year residence permit duration: 2 to 4 years.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Failing to validate the VLS-TS within 3 months of arrival, which may jeopardize the legality of your stay.
- Confusing the Études en France procedure with the France-Visas procedure based on your nationality.
- Forgetting that the €615 per month resource requirement does not apply if you passed an entrance exam at an institution affiliated with the State.