Source date: 2026-05-25
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Higher Education
University: Registration fees to increase for non-European foreign students Published on May 26, 2026 - Service Public / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Starting from the 2026-2027 academic year, most foreign students who are not nationals of the European Union will have to pay higher university registration fees than others. Each university will have the option to exempt certain non-European foreign students from these increased fees.
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Since April 2019, differentiated registration fees have been implemented for non-French students enrolled in a higher education institution leading to a national bachelor's or master's degree. This means that foreign students must pay registration fees at a different rate than those applicable to French nationals.
Some foreign students are not subject to differentiated registration fees. This is particularly the case for:
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Nationals of European Union member states;
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Nationals of European Economic Area member states (Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, in addition to EU member states);
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Nationals of the Swiss Confederation.
As part of the launch of the "Choose France for Higher Education" plan, which aims to strengthen France's attractiveness, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research indicated that currently "institutions apply differentiated fees very variably".
A decree dated May 19, 2026, restricts the possibilities for exemption from differentiated registration fees.
It is now provided that, ultimately, each university may exempt a maximum of 20% of foreign students enrolled in the institution from these registration fees. Certain foreign students are excluded from this limit, such as those covered by an agreement with a foreign institution granting fee exemptions to hosted French students. The maximum level of foreign students who can be exempted from registration fees by a university is set at 30% for the 2026-2027 academic year, and 25% for the 2027-2028 academic year.
What are the registration fees for foreign students?
The amounts of registration fees are set annually by ministerial order. The amounts for the 2026-2027 academic year are not yet known. During the 2025-2026 academic year, the differentiated fees applicable to foreign students were as follows:
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Bachelor's degree: €2,895 per year (compared to €178 for other students);
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Master's degree: €3,941 per year (compared to €254 for other students).
Within the framework of the "Choose France for Higher Education" plan, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research specified that the amounts of differentiated training fees represent "less than a third of the actual cost of training, with the remainder borne by the State".
Foreign students who were granted an exemption from registration fees for the 2025-2026 academic year will continue to benefit from it until the end of the university cycle in which they are enrolled (bachelor's or master's). To continue benefiting, they must pursue "corresponding" training at the institution that granted them this exemption.
Furthermore, students who obtained an exemption from registration fees for the 2026-2027 academic year before the decree's entry into force date (May 21, 2026) retain this benefit.
Legal texts and references
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Source: Service-Public particuliers