Country guide for Indian students
Study in France
France pairs genuinely low public-university tuition with world-class Grandes Écoles and a fast-growing English-taught Masters market, but Indian students must clear a mandatory, India-specific gatekeeper before they can even apply for the visa: the Études en France procedure run through Campus France, which includes a pre-consular academic interview. Get through that, and the rest is comparatively procedural: a long-stay visa (VLS-TS) that must be validated online with the OFII within three months of arrival, a mandatory-but-free student social-security registration, and a mandatory campus-life fee (CVEC) before enrolment. The reward is a post-study Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour (APS), up to 12 months to find work, explicitly open to Indian graduates under a bilateral agreement, plus genuinely useful cost-savers (free health cover, a subsidised student transport pass, a free rental guarantee) that a first-timer would never find alone.
At a glance
Pre-consular gatekeeper
MandatoryÉtudes en France (Campus France), mandatory for India
Register, apply, and (unless exempt) sit a pre-consular interview before the visa file can even be opened.
Tuition (public unis, non-EU)
Mandatory€2,902/yr Licence · €3,950/yr Master (2026/27)
'Differentiated' non-EU rate, in force since 2019. A May 2026 decree caps how many students each university may exempt (30% for 2026/27, falling to 25% in 2027/28, then a steady-state 20% from 2028/29), waivers are no longer 'common', they are rationed.
Proof of funds
Mandatory€615/month minimum (2026)
≈ €7,380/year. This is the government-set floor; realistic Paris budgets run €1,000 to 1,200/month.
Mandatory campus fee
MandatoryCVEC, €105 (2026/27), before enrolment
Paid once a year on messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr / cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr; CROUS/French-government scholarship holders are exempt (must still request the attestation).
Visa & OFII validation
MandatoryVLS-TS, validated online with OFII within 3 months of arrival
Skipping this invalidates the visa even though it "looks" valid. Since 1 May 2026 (loi de finances 2026, art. 128, amending the CESEDA) the student-rate online validation tax is €100 + a €50 fiscal stamp = €150 total.
- Validating your long-stay visa (VLS-TS) on arrival in France, Campus France
- Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax (R52684), service-public.fr
- Nouveaux montants des taxes demandées aux étrangers à compter du 1er mai 2026 (loi de finances 2026, art. 128, modifiant le CESEDA), Préfecture du Bas-Rhin (Ministry of the Interior, État territorial)
Post-study stay-back
ConditionalAPS, up to 12 months to find work
Available to Master's/professional-licence graduates; India is explicitly named among countries with a bilateral mobility agreement covering the APS.
Universities & admissions
France runs three broad tracks, public universities, Grandes Écoles / business schools, and specialist private institutions, each with its own admission logic. For Indian students the academic file always routes through Campus France's Études en France (EEF) platform before any visa step, regardless of which of the three tracks the student is entering.
Degree recognition
No single 'anabin'-style public database; recognition is assessed per programme
France does not run a single public equivalence database the way Germany's anabin does. Universities and Campus France advisors assess an Indian Bachelor's degree case-by-case against the programme's entry requirement, confirm on each programme page rather than assuming a blanket rule.
Where to apply
MandatoryÉtudes en France (EEF) portal for the academic file; some Grandes Écoles use Parcoursup or their own portal
Most public-university Licence/Master applications for Indian nationals are submitted through EEF (inde.campusfrance.org). Many Grandes Écoles and business schools run parallel/independent admissions (concours, own application portal) alongside EEF registration.
Teaching language
French-medium is still the majority; English-taught Masters are a fast-growing minority
Search the Campus France catalogue by teaching language, do not assume a programme is in English just because the university has an international reputation.
Shortlist programmes on the official Campus France catalogue
Use the Campus France international programme catalogue to filter by degree level, subject, teaching language and intake. For each shortlisted programme record: entry degree required, language requirement, application route (EEF vs a Grande École's own portal), and deadline. Do not rely on aggregator 'top 10' rankings for entry requirements, always open the university's own page.
For Indian students without French, prioritise programmes explicitly marked English-taught in the Campus France catalogue, but still expect many campuses to require at least A2 French for daily life and some administrative steps.Register on Études en France and build the academic file
MandatoryCreate an Études en France account on the Campus France India portal (inde.campusfrance.org), enter academic history, language ability, a CV and statement of purpose, and select up to a defined number of programme choices from the platform's catalogue. This is the SAME account that later gates the visa application, universities named on it can also see and respond within the platform.
Clear the pre-consular interview (unless exempt)
MandatoryOnce a Campus France India advisor validates the academic file, most applicants for stays over 90 days must complete a pre-consular interview, a short, informal discussion about academic/professional background and coherence with the chosen programme. It is explicitly NOT a visa interview: Campus France states it cannot follow up on, appeal, or even learn the outcome of the later visa decision. French-government scholarship holders, Erasmus/EU joint-programme scholars, and established exchange-programme participants are exempt from the interview.
You get: An interview-completion certificate, required before the visa file can proceed.
Just as Germany requires an APS certificate before the visa, France requires every Indian applicant staying more than 90 days (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD is generally exempt) to complete the Études en France procedure end-to-end: register, build the academic file, pay the EEF fee, and (unless exempted) sit the pre-consular interview, all BEFORE the France-Visas application can be filed. Skipping or rushing this step is the single most common reason an Indian student's timeline slips.
Doctoral candidates typically register directly through a supervisor/laboratory/doctoral school rather than through the standard EEF academic-file route, and are generally not subject to the pre-consular interview or the differentiated non-EU tuition fee. Confirm the specific university's doctoral admission page, the process is far less standardised than Bachelor's/Master's.
Language & tests
Two language tracks: French-taught programmes need a French-proficiency certificate (DELF/DALF or TCF/TEF); English-taught programmes need an English test. Growth in English-taught Masters means more Indian students now clear the language bar with IELTS/TOEFL alone, but check each programme, since many still expect at least basic French.
French-taught programmes
ConditionalDELF/DALF or TCF/TEF, typically B2 (Licence) to C1 (Master)
DELF/DALF is run by France Éducation international on behalf of the Ministry of Education; TCF/TEF are the other officially recognised French tests. Level required is set by each programme.
English-taught programmes
ConditionalIELTS Academic or TOEFL, band/score set per programme
Requirements vary widely by university and programme, always confirm the exact minimum on the programme's own admission page.
University admission cutoff, IELTS (the binding figure)
ConditionalTypical: 6.0 to 6.5 overall (no band below ~6.0); Grandes Écoles/business schools often 6.5 to 7.0
This is the UNIVERSITY's own admission bar, not a national or visa-level floor, France-Visas and Études en France set no separate English-test requirement of their own. Standard public-university English-taught Licence/Master programmes commonly ask IELTS Academic 6.0 to 6.5 overall with each module around 6.0. Selective Grandes Écoles and business schools set a higher bar: EDHEC's official Master in Management requirements state IELTS 6.5 minimum (TOEFL iBT 92, PTE Academic 65), and several top-ranked Masters/MBA tracks ask 6.5 to 7.0. Always confirm the exact figure on the specific programme's own admissions page, it is set per programme, not by law.
GRE/GMAT
OptionalNot a national requirement; asked by some Masters/MBA and Grandes Écoles
Common for business-school and some engineering-school (Grande École) admissions; rare for standard university Masters.
- Book DELF/DALF, TCF/TEF, or IELTS/TOEFL early, seats fill up months ahead of intake deadlines, especially near the September intake.
- Even for English-taught Masters, basic French (A1/A2) materially helps day-to-day life, part-time work, and some administrative appointments.
- Match the test date to the Études en France timeline: the certificate needs to be ready before the academic file is finalised, not just before the visa appointment.
Applying to universities
For most public-university Licence/Master applicants, the Études en France platform IS the application channel, one account, multiple programme choices, one fee. Grandes Écoles and business schools often run a parallel process (concours, dedicated portal) alongside the same EEF registration.
Lock the intake and each programme's real deadline
The main academic year starts in September; the EEF platform typically opens in the preceding autumn/winter with a phased calendar (choices submission, interview windows, university-response windows) published on Campus France India's own EEF calendar page each cycle. Some Grandes Écoles run additional intakes (e.g. January), confirm per institution rather than assuming the September/EEF calendar applies everywhere.
When: Check the current cycle's EEF calendar as soon as the student commits to FrancePrepare the document set
Typical set: 10th & 12th marksheets, Bachelor's transcripts and degree/provisional certificate, language certificate, CV, statement of purpose/motivation letter, and (for some programmes) letters of recommendation. Keep certified/translated copies ready, since both the university and later the visa file will ask for them.
You get: A reusable, certified document pack for every application on the EEF platform.Submit through Études en France and pay the EEF fee
MandatoryComplete the academic file on inde.campusfrance.org, select programme choices, and pay the Études en France processing fee once the Campus France India manager validates the file. As of 1 August 2026 this fee is INR 20,000 (raised from INR 18,500), always check the India portal's current-fee page before quoting a figure, since it has changed more than once in recent cycles. French-government scholarship holders (e.g. Eiffel) and a few other scholarship categories are exempt.
Cost: INR 20,000 (effective 1 August 2026)Clear the pre-consular interview, then track university responses
After the interview (see Admissions), monitor the EEF portal for each university's decision. Once an offer is accepted, obtain the formal admission letter, this is the document the visa application will need.
You get: A formal admission letter from at least one French institution.
The EEF platform runs its own phased calendar (registration, interview, response windows) that does not always match a specific university's or Grande École's own admissions deadline. Track both, and start the EEF registration as early as the platform allows, the pre-consular interview step adds real lead time on top of ordinary application processing.
Student visa
Indian students apply for a VLS-TS (visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour), a long-stay visa that itself functions as a residence permit for the first year. It is applied for online via France-Visas, with biometrics typically captured at a VFS Global centre, but it is only 'switched on' as a residence permit after a MANDATORY online validation with the OFII within three months of arrival, the step counsellors most often see students forget.
Visa type
MandatoryVLS-TS mention 'étudiant'
Functions as a residence permit for the first year once validated after arrival, no separate physical residence-permit card is issued for that first year.
How to apply
MandatoryFrance-Visas online application → biometrics at VFS Global (or equivalent centre)
Only available after the Études en France procedure (including the pre-consular interview, where required) is complete.
OFII / VLS-TS validation
MandatoryMandatory online validation within 3 months of arrival, tax €150 (2026)
Validation is done at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr (ANEF). Since 1 May 2026, the loi de finances 2026 (art. 128, amending CESEDA arts. L.436-1/2/4/7) sets the reduced student-rate first-issuance tax at €100 (up from €50) plus the standard €50 fiscal stamp, for €150 total. Reconfirm on the ANEF/service-public pages before the student pays, since immigration taxes are periodically revised.
- Validating your long-stay visa (VLS-TS) on arrival in France, Campus France
- Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax (R52684), service-public.fr
- ANEF, Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France (OFII validation), Ministry of the Interior
- Nouveaux montants des taxes demandées aux étrangers à compter du 1er mai 2026 (loi de finances 2026, art. 128, modifiant le CESEDA), Préfecture du Bas-Rhin (Ministry of the Interior, État territorial)
After year one: pluriannual residence permit (India-specific)
ConditionalValid until the end of the study cycle (typically up to ~4 years for a Licence/Master), no annual préfecture renewal
Under the Franco-India migration and mobility partnership agreement (in force since 1 October 2021), once the first-year VLS-TS expires, an Indian student registered in a French higher-education institution is issued a multi-year 'étudiant' residence card valid until the end of their current study cycle. The agreement itself sets an end-of-cycle rule, not a fixed statutory '4 years', 4 years is simply the typical length of a Licence or Master cycle. Required supporting documents are listed in Annex II of the agreement, ask the préfecture for the current checklist.
Complete Études en France before opening the visa file
MandatoryThe France-Visas application cannot meaningfully proceed without the Études en France academic file validated (and, where applicable, the pre-consular interview completed) and a university admission letter in hand. Treat EEF as a hard prerequisite, not a parallel track.
Do not let a student start the France-Visas application before EEF is complete, the visa file needs the admission letter and the EEF confirmation.Assemble the visa file and apply on France-Visas
MandatoryCore documents typically include: valid passport, visa application form and photos, university admission letter, proof of funds (bank statements, scholarship certificate, or a sponsor's documents showing at least €615/month), proof of accommodation in France, and (where applicable) the EEF/pre-consular interview confirmation. Submit online at france-visas.gouv.fr, then book a biometrics appointment at the designated visa application/VFS centre for the applicant's jurisdiction in India.
Cost: Visa application fee, confirm the current amount on france-visas.gouv.fr before the appointmentTravel, then validate the VLS-TS with the OFII within 3 months
MandatoryAfter entering France, the VLS-TS must be validated ONLINE via the ANEF portal (administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr) within three months of the arrival date stamped on the visa. The process asks for visa details, personal information, arrival date, and a French address, and ends with an online tax payment. Two confirmation emails follow: portal login/confirmation, and downloadable proof of validation, keep both.
When: Within 3 months of arrival, a hard deadlineCost: €150 online validation tax (2026): €100 student-rate tax + €50 fiscal stamp, per the loi de finances 2026 (art. 128) effective 1 May 2026, confirm current figure on the ANEF/service-public pagesYou get: A validated VLS-TS functioning as the student's residence permit for the first year.An un-validated VLS-TS is not a valid residence document past the 3-month window, leaving and trying to re-enter France without validating first can require a fresh visa application.- Validating your long-stay visa (VLS-TS) on arrival in France, Campus France
- Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax (R52684), service-public.fr
- ANEF, Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France (OFII validation), Ministry of the Interior
- Nouveaux montants des taxes demandées aux étrangers à compter du 1er mai 2026 (loi de finances 2026, art. 128, modifiant le CESEDA), Préfecture du Bas-Rhin (Ministry of the Interior, État territorial)
A VLS-TS looks like a complete document on arrival, but it only functions as a residence permit once validated online with the OFII within 3 months. Missing this deadline is one of the most common, and most avoidable, mistakes Indian students make in France, and it can jeopardise later residence-permit renewal, work authorisation, and re-entry.
The loi de finances 2026 (art. 128, amending CESEDA arts. L.436-1/2/4/7) raised the reduced student-rate residence-permit/VLS-TS validation tax from €50 to €100 (plus the standing €50 fiscal stamp), effective 1 May 2026, €150 total for students. Always re-confirm the live figure on the ANEF portal or the relevant service-public.fr sheet (F2231 / R52684) immediately before the student pays, since aggregator sites often lag or conflate the student rate with the higher general rate (€300 for most other permit categories).
- Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax (R52684), service-public.fr
- ANEF, Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France (OFII validation), Ministry of the Interior
- Nouveaux montants des taxes demandées aux étrangers à compter du 1er mai 2026 (loi de finances 2026, art. 128, modifiant le CESEDA), Préfecture du Bas-Rhin (Ministry of the Interior, État territorial)
Since 10 April 2026, Indian nationals holding an ordinary passport no longer need an airport transit visa to pass through the international zone of a French airport en route to a third country. This does not change the student VLS-TS process itself, but it is useful for students routing through Paris on their way to or from India.
Sources
- France-Visas, official visa application portal, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs / Ministry of the Interior
- Validating your long-stay visa (VLS-TS) on arrival in France, Campus France
- Foreign student in France: long-stay visa or residence permit (F2231), service-public.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative)
- Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax (R52684), service-public.fr
- ANEF, Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France (OFII validation), Ministry of the Interior
- Décret n° 2021-1321 du 11 octobre 2021, accord de partenariat pour les migrations et la mobilité entre la France et l'Inde, Légifrance (Journal officiel de la République française)
Money & proof of funds
France is genuinely cheaper than the UK/US/Australia at public universities, but 2019's differentiated non-EU tuition is real and a May 2026 decree has just tightened how many students each university can exempt from it, so 'public university = nearly free' can no longer be assumed. Layer on the mandatory CVEC campus fee and a realistic (not just minimum) living budget.
Proof of funds
Mandatory€615/month minimum (2026)
≈ €7,380/year, the government-set floor Campus France and the visa file both use. Realistic city budgets (Paris especially) run €1,000 to 1,200/month once rent, food and transport are included.
Tuition, public universities, non-EU rate
Conditional€2,902/yr Licence · €3,950/yr Master (2026/27, per the tuition decree's most recent published figures)
In force since 2019 for non-EU students not otherwise exempt. A May 2026 decree caps university-level exemptions at 30% of enrolled non-EU students for 2026/27, falling to 25% for 2027/28, then a steady-state 20% from 2028/29, waivers exist but are now capped, not 'common'. Exempt groups include EU/EEA/Swiss nationals, Andorran/Quebec nationals under bilateral agreements, students already enrolled before 2019/20, doctoral students, Erasmus+/exchange participants, and French-government or host-university scholarship holders.
- Low cost of studies in France, tuition fees, Campus France
- Am I subject to the differentiated tuition fees introduced in public institutions?, Campus France
- Décret n° 2026-385 du 19 mai 2026 relatif aux modalités d'exonération des droits d'inscription des étudiants étrangers, Légifrance (Journal officiel de la République française)
Tuition, Grandes Écoles / business schools / private institutions
Roughly €6,000, €18,000+/year
Set independently by each school; far above the public non-EU rate. Always confirm on the specific school's own fee page.
CVEC (mandatory campus-life fee)
Mandatory€105 for 2026/27
Paid once per academic year via messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr / cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr, BEFORE administrative enrolment, most universities will not complete enrolment without the CVEC attestation. CROUS/French-government scholarship holders, refugees, and asylum seekers are exempt but must still complete the online exemption request to get the attestation.
Health insurance (Sécurité Sociale des Étudiants)
MandatoryMandatory registration, but FREE, no premium for the basic cover
Since the 2018/19 reform, all students (French and international) register free of charge for French statutory health cover via etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr. A genuine positive nuance versus many destinations: registration is compulsory for stays over 3 months, but there is no membership fee for the base cover, students typically still buy a top-up mutuelle for costs the base scheme doesn't fully reimburse.
Budget the required minimum, then budget the realistic minimum
€615/month is the number the visa file checks against; it is not a workable real budget in most French cities. Counsel students to plan €900 to 1,200/month depending on city (Paris highest; smaller university towns noticeably cheaper), covering rent, food, transport, phone and incidentals, and to show funds well above the €615 floor where possible to strengthen the file.
Check the specific university's tuition status before quoting 'cheap'
Confirm whether the target university and programme fall under the standard non-EU differentiated fee, and whether the university's exemption quota (capped at 30% for 2026/27 under the new decree) is realistically available to the student, do not assume every public university waives fees for strong applicants.
Since the May 2026 decree, exemption slots are capped per university, a student cannot assume a waiver is likely just because past cohorts got one.Layer in scholarships early
French-government scholarships (e.g. Eiffel), Erasmus Mundus, and university/foundation awards can exempt a student from both the differentiated tuition fee and the Études en France fee, and often from CVEC too. Deadlines are typically many months ahead of the intake, point strong applicants at these early rather than after the EEF file is already open.
A recognised French-government or Erasmus Mundus scholarship also exempts the pre-consular interview requirement.
Unlike destinations where student health insurance costs €100+/month, France's statutory student cover is free to register for, but every non-EU student staying over 3 months MUST register via etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr. Skipping it isn't a cost problem, it's a compliance problem: enrolment and later reimbursements depend on it.
Sources
- The "Studying in France" (Études en France) procedure, Campus France
- Low cost of studies in France, tuition fees, Campus France
- CVEC, Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus, CROUS / Étudiant.gouv (Ministry of Higher Education)
- You are a foreign student coming to study in France, social security registration, ameli.fr (Assurance Maladie / CNAM)
Before you fly
Once the visa is issued, the priorities are: confirm enrolment steps, secure at least initial accommodation (needed for later administrative steps), sort out a rental guarantor in advance if possible, and pack the document folder that will be needed again and again in the first weeks.
Confirm enrolment instructions from the university
MandatoryFollow the university's own enrolment (inscription administrative) instructions, most will require the CVEC attestation and proof of health-insurance registration as part of enrolment, so start both processes before departure where possible.
When: After visa issuance, before departureSecure accommodation and consider Visale before flying
RecommendedMany French landlords ask for a guarantor (garant), a real obstacle for a new arrival with no local financial history. The Visale guarantee (Action Logement) is FREE and covers exactly this: it is open to non-EU students aged 18 to 30 holding a student VLS-TS or 'passeport talent', requires only an ID and a student-status document, and the visa itself is valid for 6 months, giving time to search for housing after applying. Apply for Visale before or immediately after the visa is issued, since securing it removes the need for an Indian family member to act as an international guarantor.
Cost: FreeGet the Visale visa/certificate sorted before house-hunting starts, landlords accept it as a guarantee in place of a personal guarantor.Book flights and pack a grab-and-go document folder
Book flights only once the visa is in hand, and aim to arrive with enough buffer before classes to handle the OFII validation window comfortably. Carry (in hand luggage, not checked): passport + visa, university admission letter, proof of funds documents, CVEC-relevant paperwork, and academic originals plus certified copies.
You get: A complete folder covering enrolment, health-insurance registration, and the OFII validation.
After you land
France front-loads a handful of mandatory registrations into the first weeks: validate the VLS-TS with the OFII (a hard 3-month deadline), register for free student health cover, pay the CVEC and complete university enrolment, open a bank account, and, where relevant, pick up the subsidised student transport pass.
Validate the VLS-TS with the OFII, within 3 months
MandatoryComplete the online validation at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr with visa details, personal information, the exact arrival date, and a French address, then pay the validation tax. This turns the VLS-TS into a working residence permit for the first year.
When: Within 3 months of arrival, hard deadlineCost: €150 (2026): €100 student-rate tax + €50 fiscal stamp, per the loi de finances 2026 (art. 128) effective 1 May 2026, reconfirm on the ANEF portalYou get: A validated VLS-TS + downloadable proof of validation.This is the most commonly missed step for Indian students in France, mark the exact 3-month date the day the student lands.- Validating your long-stay visa (VLS-TS) on arrival in France, Campus France
- Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax (R52684), service-public.fr
- ANEF, Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France (OFII validation), Ministry of the Interior
- Nouveaux montants des taxes demandées aux étrangers à compter du 1er mai 2026 (loi de finances 2026, art. 128, modifiant le CESEDA), Préfecture du Bas-Rhin (Ministry of the Interior, État territorial)
Register for free student health cover
MandatoryRegister on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr with a passport/valid residence document, proof of enrolment, an IBAN/RIB, and (for non-EU students) a birth certificate translated into French. Registration itself is free; a provisional social-security number typically follows within a few weeks. Registration is compulsory for anyone studying in France more than 3 months and outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland.
You get: A social security number (NIA) enabling reimbursement of medical costs.Pay the CVEC and complete enrolment
MandatoryPay the €105 (2026/27) CVEC via messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr / cvec.etudiant.gouv.fr before finishing administrative enrolment, most universities require the attestation as a prerequisite. Scholarship-exempt students must still complete the online exemption step to obtain the attestation.
Cost: €105 (2026/27), or free with an exemption attestationYou get: CVEC attestation, required for enrolment.Open a French bank account
RecommendedA local bank account (RIB/IBAN) is needed to receive health-insurance reimbursements, pay rent by direct debit, and register for services like the student transport pass. Many banks offer no/low-fee student accounts, bring the residence document, proof of enrolment, and proof of address.
You get: A French IBAN for reimbursements, rent, and utilities.Pick up the subsidised student transport pass where available
OptionalIn Île-de-France (Paris region), the Imagine R Étudiant pass gives unlimited travel across zones 1 to 5 (all modes except a few airport/tourist services) for students under 26, priced at €401.30 for 2026/27 (including an €8 administrative fee), payable as a lump sum or in 9 monthly instalments. Other regions run their own subsidised student passes through the local transport authority, check the equivalent scheme for the student's specific city.
Cost: €401.30/year (Île-de-France, 2026/27) or the local-region equivalent
Unlike Germany's Anmeldung (which unlocks nearly everything else locally), France's keystone deadline is the OFII validation of the VLS-TS. Missing the 3-month window can affect the residence permit's validity, later renewal, and re-entry to France if the student travels home before validating.
Sources
- Validating your long-stay visa (VLS-TS) on arrival in France, Campus France
- Étudiants Internationaux, social security registration portal, ameli.fr (Assurance Maladie / CNAM)
- CVEC, Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus, CROUS / Étudiant.gouv (Ministry of Higher Education)
- Forfait imagine R Étudiant, Île-de-France student transport pass, Île-de-France Mobilités
Working & staying on
Student visa holders can work part-time while studying, and France's genuine draw for Indian students is the Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour (APS), up to 12 months to find qualifying work after a Master's or professional licence, with India explicitly named among the nationalities covered by a bilateral mobility agreement.
Work while studying
ConditionalUp to 964 hours/year (≈ 60% of full-time legal working hours)
Commonly described as roughly 20 hours/week on average across the year. Confirm the current cap on the student's residence-permit conditions, since student work-hour ceilings are periodically revised.
Post-study permit (APS)
ConditionalUp to 12 months to seek qualifying work or start a business
Available to graduates of a Licence professionnelle, a Master's-level qualification, or equivalent (engineering diplomas, Sciences Po-style institutes, accounting/management, veterinary, a Conférence des Grandes Écoles-certified Master of Science). Non-renewable. Must be applied for from the préfecture before the student residence permit/VLS-TS expires, applications filed after expiry are refused without being examined on merits.
Work rights during the APS
Same as a student, up to 964 hours/year (≈60% of full-time) until a qualifying job contract is signed
Once the APS holder signs a permanent or long fixed-term contract at or above the relevant salary/skill threshold, the work-hour restriction is lifted and they move onto a standard work-authorising residence permit.
India-specific eligibility
India is named among countries with a bilateral agreement covering APS-eligible graduates
Confirmed on Campus France's own APS page, which lists India by name alongside Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Congo, Mauritius, Gabon, Tunisia, and several Balkan states. This is a genuine advantage for Indian students versus nationals of countries without such an agreement, re-check the list periodically since it can be updated.
Work part-time within the legal cap while studying
ConditionalStudent residence permits allow part-time work up to the legal ceiling (964 hours/year, roughly 20 hours/week on average). Typical roles: teaching/research assistantships, hospitality, retail, and internships tied to the course. Exceeding the cap risks the residence permit.
Apply for the APS before the student permit expires
ConditionalAs soon as the degree (Master's or professional licence) is confirmed, apply to the local préfecture for the APS, filing must happen before the student VLS-TS/residence permit's expiry date, since a late application is refused outright rather than reviewed. The APS itself is free to apply for and grants up to 12 months, non-renewable.
When: Before the student permit/VLS-TS expires, do not wait until after graduation ceremoniesCost: Free (application fee)A late APS application (filed after the student permit has expired) is refused without being examined on its merits, track the exact expiry date, not just the graduation date.Convert to a work-authorising permit on a qualifying job offer
Once the APS holder secures a permanent or substantial fixed-term contract related to their qualification, they apply to convert to a standard employee/'salarié' residence permit, which removes the work-hour cap. There is no separate 'APS renewal', the 12 months is the full window to find that job.
Common mistakes applying to France
The France route fails in predictable places. These are the ones that cost applicants an intake.
- Treating Études en France as a formality rather than a gatekeeper. The academic file, fee payment, and (unless exempt) the pre-consular interview must all be complete before the visa application can meaningfully proceed, start it the moment the student commits to France.
- Forgetting the OFII validation entirely. A VLS-TS that looks complete on arrival is not a valid residence permit until validated online within 3 months, this is the single most common missed step.
- Assuming public-university tuition is 'basically free'. The non-EU differentiated rate (€2,902 Licence / €3,950 Master for 2026/27) applies unless the student is specifically exempt, and a May 2026 decree now CAPS how many students each university can exempt (30% for 2026/27), a waiver can no longer be assumed for a strong applicant.
- Missing the CVEC. It is mandatory before enrolment at most institutions, easy to overlook because it isn't 'tuition', and currently €105/year (2026/27).
- Treating French statutory health cover as optional or as a paid product. It is mandatory to register, but registration itself is free, students sometimes skip it assuming it costs money, then discover enrolment or reimbursement is blocked without it.
- Ignoring Visale. Many students (or their families) scramble for an Indian relative to co-sign a lease when the free Visale guarantee, built for exactly this situation, is available to eligible non-EU students aged 18 to 30.
- Applying for the APS late. A late filing, after the student permit/VLS-TS has already expired, is refused without merits review; the deadline is the permit's expiry date, not the graduation date.
- Confusing university admission (English-taught programme) with visa-office or programme-wide French-language leniency, many campuses still expect at least A1/A2 French, and administrative life runs in French.
- Quoting a stale visa/OFII fee. Immigration-related taxes were restructured again around 1 May 2026, re-confirm the live figure on ANEF/service-public.fr before telling a student what to budget.
- Assuming APL/housing benefit is automatically available to non-EU students. Since 1 July 2026, non-EU students on a study residence permit can only claim it if they hold a CROUS/social-criteria scholarship, or are in paid employment/apprenticeship, most self-funded Indian students are no longer eligible. Confirm current status before promising this saving.
- Not mentioning the Franco-Indian pluriannual residence permit. Counsellors sometimes over-warn Indian students that they must renew their residence document every single year, in fact, under the 2018 Franco-Indian mobility agreement (in force since 2021), after the first-year VLS-TS an Indian student gets a multi-year 'étudiant' card covering the rest of their study cycle (up to 4 years). Mention this as a genuine India-specific advantage, but still confirm the current document checklist with the préfecture.
Do not tell a self-funded Indian student to budget on the assumption they'll receive APL/ALS housing benefit. As of 1 July 2026, non-EU students on a standard study residence permit are excluded unless they hold a CROUS or social-criteria scholarship, or are in salaried employment/apprenticeship. This reverses older guidance (including much of what circulates in agent blogs) that treated APL as broadly available to international students.
Decide France → shortlist on the Campus France catalogue + start language test prep → register on Études en France, build the academic file, pay the EEF fee → clear the pre-consular interview (unless exempt) → receive admission letter → apply on France-Visas + biometrics → receive VLS-TS → arrange Visale + accommodation → fly → validate VLS-TS with OFII within 3 months → register for free health cover → pay CVEC + enrol → open bank account → get the local student transport pass.
Official sources
Every figure above traces to one of these. Rules and fees change, so confirm anything you are about to act on at the source.
- The "Studying in France" (Études en France) procedure, Campus France
- Application and admission procedure, Études en France for India, Campus France India
- Increase in "Etudes en France" fees, Campus France India
- The pre-consular interview, Campus France (Cultural Department network)
- France-Visas, official visa application portal, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs / Ministry of the Interior
- Validating your long-stay visa (VLS-TS) on arrival in France, Campus France
- Foreign student in France: long-stay visa or residence permit (F2231), service-public.fr (Direction de l'information légale et administrative)
- Validate a long-stay visa as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and pay the tax (R52684), service-public.fr
- ANEF, Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France (OFII validation), Ministry of the Interior
- Low cost of studies in France, tuition fees, Campus France
- Am I subject to the differentiated tuition fees introduced in public institutions?, Campus France
- Décret n° 2026-385 du 19 mai 2026 relatif aux modalités d'exonération des droits d'inscription des étudiants étrangers, Légifrance (Journal officiel de la République française)
- CVEC, Contribution Vie Étudiante et de Campus, CROUS / Étudiant.gouv (Ministry of Higher Education)
- Do you have to pay the CVEC contribution?, Étudiant.gouv (CNOUS)
- You are a foreign student coming to study in France, social security registration, ameli.fr (Assurance Maladie / CNAM)
- Étudiants Internationaux, social security registration portal, ameli.fr (Assurance Maladie / CNAM)
- Registering a foreign student with Social Security (R54512), service-public.fr
- Can a student receive housing benefit (APL/ALS)? (F1563), service-public.fr
- Garantie Visale, free rental guarantee for young tenants and students, Action Logement (Visale)
- Forfait imagine R Étudiant, Île-de-France student transport pass, Île-de-France Mobilités
- L'autorisation provisoire de séjour, ou APS, Campus France
- Residence permit or VLS-TS, job search / business creation (F17319), service-public.fr
- Décret n° 2021-1321 du 11 octobre 2021, accord de partenariat pour les migrations et la mobilité entre la France et l'Inde, Légifrance (Journal officiel de la République française)
- Nouveaux montants des taxes demandées aux étrangers à compter du 1er mai 2026 (loi de finances 2026, art. 128, modifiant le CESEDA), Préfecture du Bas-Rhin (Ministry of the Interior, État territorial)
- France lifts airport transit visa requirement for Indian nationals, Embassy of France in India (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs)
Check where you actually qualify
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Other destinations
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This guide is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.