France guide 路 verified 2026-07-04
France University Admissions: Requirements and Intakes
Universities & admissions
France runs three broad tracks, public universities, Grandes 脡coles / business schools, and specialist private institutions, each with its own admission logic. For Indian students the academic file always routes through Campus France's 脡tudes 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
Mandatory脡tudes en France (EEF) portal for the academic file; some Grandes 脡coles use Parcoursup or their own portal
Most public-university Licence/Master applications for Indian nationals are submitted through EEF (inde.campusfrance.org). Many Grandes 脡coles 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 脡cole'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 脡tudes en France and build the academic file
MandatoryCreate an 脡tudes 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 脡tudes 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.
Where this fits
This is one step of the full France journey: admission, tests, application, visa, money, arrival and stay-back, every figure cited to an official source.
More on France
Bramica is independent and takes no commission from any university, recruiter or agency. This page is information, not immigration advice. Rules, fees and thresholds change; confirm the current requirement on the official source before acting on it.