France’s long-stay student visa — the VLS-TS “étudiant” — is the entry route for students enrolling in a French program for four months or more, and it doubles as your residence permit once validated after arrival. The single biggest change for 2026: the minimum proof-of-funds requirement jumped from €615 to €877.50 per month as of 1 August 2026, so any guide, forum post, or advisor still quoting €615 is now giving you outdated information. This guide walks through the Campus France procedure, the funds requirement, costs, and post-arrival validation, based on current Campus France and France-Visas guidance.
This is preparation guidance, not legal advice — always cross-check current requirements with Campus France and your nearest French consulate, since document lists and appointment availability vary by country.
Step 1: The Études en France (Campus France) procedure
If you’re a national of one of the roughly 73 countries subject to the “Études en France” procedure, you cannot skip straight to a visa application. You must first:
- Create an account on the Études en France (EEF) online platform and complete your academic profile.
- Get your application validated by your local Campus France office, which typically involves an interview (in person or online) confirming your academic project and language readiness.
- Pay the Campus France processing fee, which varies by country and local Campus France office — check the fee schedule for your specific country’s Campus France site rather than assuming a flat figure.
- Receive your EEF confirmation, which is a prerequisite to booking your visa appointment.
Start this stage 3-4 months before your intended intake — between the EEF review, your academic file being finalised with your French institution, and visa appointment availability, this is not a process you can compress into a few weeks. If you’re not from an EEF-procedure country, you apply for the student visa directly through France-Visas without this preliminary step — confirm which category applies to your nationality before planning your timeline.
Step 2: Proof of financial resources — the 2026 change
This is the detail most likely to trip up 2026 applicants. As of 1 August 2026, the minimum funds requirement for a French student visa rose from €615/month to €877.50/month for every month you’ll be in France. For a typical academic year (10 months), that’s roughly €8,775 in demonstrated resources — nearly €2,600 more than the old requirement across a full year.
Acceptable evidence generally includes:
- Personal bank statements showing sustained funds (not a single deposit shortly before applying).
- A CROUS attestation or equivalent if you hold a French government scholarship.
- A certificate of financial sponsorship (attestation de prise en charge) from a parent or guardian, with their own proof of income/assets.
- Proof of a student loan already disbursed or guaranteed.
Practical tip: for Paris and other high cost-of-living cities, several sources report that consulates increasingly expect applicants to show closer to €800-€1,000/month even where the statutory floor is lower, specifically to preempt a “Reason 2” refusal (insufficient means) — the official minimum is a floor, not a guarantee of approval if a consular officer judges your budget unrealistic for your specific city and lifestyle.
Step 3: Required documents
Beyond proof of funds, expect to assemble:
- A valid passport (with sufficient validity beyond your intended stay).
- Your official acceptance letter from a French higher education institution.
- Proof of accommodation for at least your first three months (a rental contract, university housing confirmation, or a formal hosting attestation).
- Academic transcripts and, where relevant, French or English language proficiency evidence.
- Passport photos meeting French visa specifications.
- Your Campus France/EEF confirmation number (where applicable).
Step 4: Visa fee and appointment
- €50 — the standard long-stay student visa fee, paid as part of the France-Visas application.
- Appointments are booked through your country’s designated visa partner (commonly TLScontact or VFS Global, depending on location).
- Book early. During the 2026 summer peak (May-July), appointment wait times at some visa centres stretched to 60 days — combined with the 3-4 month Campus France lead time, students targeting a September intake should realistically start the whole process by late spring.
Step 5: Arrival and OFII validation
Getting the visa isn’t the end of the process — the VLS-TS only functions as your residence permit once validated, which now happens entirely online:
- Within three months of arrival, complete validation via the official portal.
- You’ll need a valid email address, your visa details, your arrival date, your French address, and a payment method for the associated tax stamp.
- Pay the OFII validation tax stamp (commonly cited around €60), payable online by card or via an electronic stamp purchased at a tabac/kiosk.
Skipping validation puts your legal status in France at risk — it’s a required step, not an optional formality, even though it happens after you’ve already arrived and started your program.
Work rights while studying
Student visa holders can work up to 964 hours per year — roughly the equivalent of a 20-hour week averaged across the year — without needing a separate work authorisation. This is enough to meaningfully offset living costs for many students, though it shouldn’t be counted on to cover the full €877.50/month funds requirement, which consulates expect to be substantially met independent of anticipated part-time earnings.
Renewing your residence permit
Before your initial VLS-TS expires, apply at your local prefecture for a multi-annual residence permit, generally three months before expiration. The new permit’s validity typically matches your remaining years of study — for example, finishing year one of a three-year degree can yield a two-year renewal, reducing how often you need to repeat the paperwork.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Budgeting to the old €615 figure. Any planning based on the pre-August-2026 number will leave you short of the current requirement.
- Underestimating the Campus France timeline. The EEF process, not the visa appointment itself, is usually the longest lead-time item — start it 3-4 months out.
- Skipping OFII validation after arrival. Your visa alone doesn’t keep your status valid past the initial window; validation is mandatory.
- Booking a visa appointment too late during peak season. May-July appointment slots can be scarce; don’t wait until weeks before your program start date.
FAQ
Do I need to redo the Campus France procedure every year? No — it’s a one-time step tied to your initial enrolment and visa. Renewals go through the prefecture, not Campus France.
Can my funds come from a sponsor rather than my own account? Yes, a formal attestation de prise en charge from a parent or guardian, accompanied by their proof of income, is commonly accepted — check your specific consulate’s current document list, as acceptable formats can vary slightly.
What if I’m not from a country on the Études en France list? You apply directly through France-Visas without the Campus France preliminary step — the visa document and funds requirements are broadly similar, but confirm your country’s specific process, since it varies.
Between the Campus France procedure, the new funds threshold, and OFII validation after arrival, a French student visa application has more moving parts than most. Join the VisaMet waitlist for AI-assisted document screening and step-by-step eligibility checks built for exactly this kind of multi-stage application.