France Student Visa 2026: Campus France, EEF and VLS-TS Step by Step

Studying in France from Africa follows a well-marked but demanding path: the 'Études en France' (EEF) procedure run by Campus France, then the application for the long-stay visa serving as a residence permit (VLS-TS), and finally online validation upon arrival. In 2026 a major change is added: the required financial threshold rises from €615 to €877.50 per month for any application filed from 1 August 2026 (decree no. 2026-526 of 22 June 2026). This guide walks through the full journey, with the real calendar and verified amounts.

The EEF procedure is mandatory for applicants residing in one of the 73 covered countries and territories (list on campusfrance.org), including almost all of French-speaking Africa: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, Niger, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Senegal, Chad, Togo, Tunisia and many others. If your country of residence is on the list, you cannot file a student visa application without going through the Études en France platform of your local Campus France office. Exception: doctoral studies, which follow a direct route with the doctoral school.

1. Create your account on your country's Études en France platform (linked from the local Campus France website): civil status, academic record, scanned transcripts and diplomas.
2. Build your list of programmes. Two tracks coexist: the DAP (preliminary admission request) for first-year bachelor's enrolment, to be filed between 1 October and 15 December of the year before the academic year starts; and the non-DAP track (bachelor years 2/3, master's, schools) whose calendar varies by country — it generally opens in October–November and closes between December and March.
3. Pay the Campus France file fee. It varies by country and is non-refundable, even if the visa is refused. As an indication for the 2025-2026 campaign: about 85,000 FCFA in Senegal, 80,000 FCFA in Côte d'Ivoire, 1,900 MAD in Morocco. Check the exact amount on your country's Campus France website; some applicants (notably French government scholarship holders) are exempt.
4. Attend the academic interview at your local Campus France office. It is not an exam: the adviser checks the coherence of your project (target programme, previous studies, career plan, funding). Prepare a clear answer to 'why this programme, why France, why now'. The interview opinion accompanies your file to the institutions and the consulate.
5. Wait for the institutions' answers. For the DAP, universities reply by 30 April at the latest and you must accept by 31 May. Once an admission is accepted, the platform generates your certificate, essential for the visa.

So start in October–November for the following September intake: last-minute applications most often fail on consular appointment lead times and financial documentation.

Once your admission is accepted in EEF, file your application on france-visas.gouv.fr, then book an appointment with the local provider (TLScontact, VFS Global or Capago depending on the country). The file includes:

• A passport valid for the duration of the stay.
• The admission certificate generated by the Études en France platform.
• Proof of financial resources — the decisive point. Until 31 July 2026, the reference threshold is €615 per month (€7,380 for the year). For any application filed from 1 August 2026, decree no. 2026-526 of 22 June 2026 raises the threshold to 47% of the gross monthly minimum wage, i.e. €877.50 per month (€10,530 per year), an amount now indexed and revised every year. Accepted proof: an irrevocable transfer certificate (AVI) or blocked account, a scholarship certificate, or sponsorship by a guarantor with their own proof of income and identity.
• Proof of accommodation for at least the first three months: a lease, a student-residence booking (CROUS or private), or an attestation d'accueil if hosted by a relative, with the host's ID and proof of address.
• Visa fee: the long-stay visa costs €99, reduced to €50 for students who went through the Études en France procedure — plus the application centre's service fees.

File as soon as possible after acceptance: in summer, appointment slots in major African cities fill up several weeks in advance.

The VLS-TS serves as a residence permit, but only if you validate it online within 3 months of entering France, on administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr (ANEF) — the procedure that replaced the physical visit to OFII. Have your visa, entry date and a French address ready. Since 1 May 2026, validation costs €150 in total (€100 residence tax at the student rate plus a €50 stamp duty), payable online. Without timely validation, you fall into irregular stay: you cannot leave the Schengen area and return, open certain rights or renew your permit.

Once validated, the VLS-TS lets you work part-time up to 964 hours per year (about 60% of full time) without a separate work permit.

• Starting too late: the DAP closes on 15 December, nine months before the intake.
• Underestimating the new financial threshold: a file submitted on 1 August 2026 with €615/month of resources will be insufficient; aim for €877.50/month now if your filing date is near the summer.
• Neglecting the academic interview: a vague project ('I'll figure it out there') is the first cause of a reserved opinion.
• Paying unofficial 'intermediaries': the EEF procedure happens only on the official platform; nobody can 'guarantee' a visa.
• Forgetting the VLS-TS validation: the 3 months pass quickly between settling in and the start of classes.

Before preparing your file, check the exact requirements for your nationality on the izivisas visa checker.

• Official sources*: campusfrance.org (Études en France procedure, 73 countries, DAP calendar), france-visas.gouv.fr (visa file and fees), administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr (VLS-TS validation), decree no. 2026-526 of 22 June 2026 published in the Journal officiel (financial threshold). Figures verified in July 2026; amounts change with each campaign, check them before any payment.