Document Checklist
France Student Visa (VLS-TS Étudiant) Checklist (2026): Documents & Process
France's VLS-TS Étudiant is the long-stay visa for non-EU/EEA/Swiss nationals enrolled in a French degree program, language course or academic exchange longer than three months. For most applicants it doubles as your first residence permit once you complete two post-arrival steps — ANEF validation and, for many nationalities, an OFII appointment. Before you touch the visa application itself, you generally have to go through Campus France's Études en France procedure, which most consulates require as a precondition rather than an optional step. This checklist reflects current France-Visas and Campus France guidance as of November 2026, but consulate practice varies and the financial-resources figure changed mid-2026 — confirm the exact current numbers for your consulate on the official France-Visas and Campus France sites before you apply. Pair this with our [France student visa guide](/guides/france-student-visa-vls-ts-guide-2026).
Before You Apply: Campus France / Études en France
- Register with Études en France (or your country's Campus France office)Most nationalities must complete the Études en France online procedure (pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr) before applying for the visa — check whether your country is covered, since the exact platform and required steps are set per country.
- Choose the correct admission procedureIf your program isn't a selective 'DAP' first-year university entry, you typically apply directly to your institution ('Hors-DAP') and upload your acceptance once admitted; selective first-year entry uses the DAP procedure instead. Confirm which applies to your program with your school or Campus France.
- Enter academic history and upload documentsDiplomas, transcripts and language certificates, scanned with certified translations where the originals aren't in French or English.
- Pay the Campus France procedure feeA processing fee is charged by Campus France in most countries (amounts vary by country office); confirm the current fee for your Campus France national office.
- Attend the Campus France interviewMany offices hold a short interview (roughly 15-20 minutes) on your study plans, language level and finances, in French or English depending on your level — not every country or program requires one.
- Get your favorable opinion / attestationOnce your file and interview are approved, Campus France sends a favorable opinion to the consulate and issues your enrollment certificate (attestation d'inscription) — you need this before booking your visa appointment.
Core Visa Application Documents
- Valid passportValid for at least 3 months beyond your intended stay, with at least two blank pages, issued within the last 10 years.
- Completed long-stay visa application formThe standard long-stay visa form (Cerfa-type form), signed and dated, submitted through France-Visas or your visa application centre.
- Two recent passport-style photographsMeeting French/Schengen specifications — typically 35x45mm, white background, taken within the last 6 months.
- Acceptance letter / enrollment certificateYour institution's attestation d'inscription or acceptance letter confirming your program, start date and duration.
- Campus France / Études en France confirmationYour pre-registration or Études en France validation receipt, showing the favorable opinion sent to the consulate.
- Academic transcripts and diplomasWith certified translations if originals aren't in French or English.
- Visa fee paymentThe long-stay student visa fee is commonly cited at €99, reduced to around €50 for applicants who went through Campus France/Études en France; government scholarship and Erasmus-type grant holders are typically exempt. Confirm the exact current fee and exemptions with your consulate.
- Motivation letterSome consulates require a letter explaining your study plan and ties to your home country, even though it isn't universally mandatory.
Financial & Accommodation Proof
- Proof of financial resourcesA 2026 decree (no. 2026-526) raised the minimum from the longstanding €615/month to roughly €877.50/month, effective for applications filed from 1 August 2026 — meaning current applicants should plan around the higher figure (about €10,530/year), not the older €615 figure still quoted on many guides. Confirm the live amount on France-Visas or your Campus France office before budgeting, since the figure is now reviewed periodically.
- Acceptable proof formatsTypically the last three months of your own bank statements, a sponsor's affidavit of support with their tax returns and income proof, or a scholarship/grant certificate covering tuition and living costs.
- Proof of accommodation in FranceA signed lease, student-housing confirmation (e.g., CROUS or private residence), a hotel booking for your first weeks, or a host's attestation d'hébergement.
- Health insurance proofCoverage valid in France for your initial period, or a statement of intent to join French student social security (Sécurité Sociale Étudiante) once enrolled — requirements depend on your age and program type.
After Arrival in France
- Validate your VLS-TS online via ANEFYou must validate your visa within 3 months of entering France through the ANEF portal — missing this window can invalidate your visa even if it was correctly issued.
- Pay the validation tax stampA tax stamp (timbre fiscal) is required at validation; sources vary on the exact current amount (figures cited range roughly €50-€75), payable electronically via timbres.impots.gouv.fr or at tobacco shops and other licensed outlets — confirm the live figure on your ANEF account before paying.
- Wait for your OFII convocationAfter ANEF processes your file, OFII sends a convocation by email and post. Depending on your nationality and TB-prevalence country of origin, this is either a medical visit (chest X-ray plus a short consultation with an OFII physician) or a shorter welcome appointment without a medical exam — your convocation letter states which applies to you.
- Bring the right documents to your OFII appointmentPrinted convocation, original passport, vaccination record if available, and (for the medical-visit track) any prior chest X-ray results if you're coming from a high-TB-prevalence country.
- Save your validation confirmationAfter validation you receive an email/PDF confirmation containing your 10-digit foreign identification number — keep it, and use the same email address when you later renew your residence permit.
- Register for student social security if requiredDepending on your age and institution, you may need to register with French student health coverage shortly after enrollment — check with your school's international office.
Tips
- Don't book your consulate visa appointment before Campus France/Études en France sends its favorable opinion — applying without it is a common cause of delay.
- Budget using the higher, post-August-2026 financial resources figure (around €877.50/month) rather than the older €615/month still quoted on many third-party guides, since the requirement changed mid-2026 and is now reviewed periodically.
- Missing the 3-month ANEF validation window after arrival can invalidate an otherwise correctly issued VLS-TS, even though the visa sticker itself still shows a later expiry date.
- Your OFII convocation type (medical visit vs. welcome appointment) depends on your nationality's TB-prevalence classification — don't assume you need the medical visit just because an earlier cohort of students at your school did.
- Keep certified translations of transcripts and diplomas ready in both French and English where possible, since consulate and Campus France staff may ask for either.
Requirements change — always confirm the current list with the official source before you submit.
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