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. A major change in 2026: since 1 August 2026, the required financial threshold has risen from €615 to €877.50 per month (decree of 22 June 2026). This guide walks through the full journey, with the real calendar and verified amounts.

The Études en France procedure is mandatory if you reside in one of the covered countries and territories, including Algeria, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Morocco and Senegal: without it, you cannot apply for a student visa, except for doctoral studies.

The EEF procedure is mandatory for applicants residing in one of the 75 covered countries and territories (list on campusfrance.org), including much of French-speaking Africa: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Comoros, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritania, 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.

The Études en France procedure runs on the Campus France platform: file and programme list (DAP from 1 October to 15 December for first-year bachelor's), non-refundable file fee, academic interview, then institutions' answers by 30 April at the latest.

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: check your country's Campus France website.
3. Pay the Campus France file fee. It varies by country and is non-refundable, even if the visa is refused. As an indication: 85,000 FCFA in Senegal and 1,900 MAD in Morocco (the Campus France websites of those two countries). Check the exact amount on your country's Campus France website.
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.

For a September intake in France, start in October or November of the previous year: DAP before 15 December, institutions' answers on 30 April, acceptance by 31 May, visa application from May to July, VLS-TS validation within 3 months of arrival.

So start in October–November for the following September intake: last-minute applications run into consular appointment lead times and the time needed to gather financial documents.

The student VLS-TS visa is applied for on france-visas.gouv.fr after admission: any file lodged since 1 August 2026 must prove €877.50 a month (€10,530 a year) in resources, and the visa costs €50 through Études en France.

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. For any application filed since 1 August 2026, the decree of 22 June 2026 sets the threshold at €877.50 per month (€10,530 per year); it was previously €615 per month (€7,380 per year). Accepted proof: a scholarship certificate, a bank statement showing a sufficient balance, or support from a third party (the third party's ID and a bank certificate of regular transfers).
• Proof of accommodation in France: 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: appointment lead times vary with demand and the time of year (in Senegal, the consulate asks long-stay applicants to secure their appointment at least one month before departure).

The student VLS-TS must be validated online within 3 months of entering France, on administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr (ANEF), for €100 since 1 May 2026; it then lets you work up to 964 hours per year.

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). Have your visa, entry date and a French address ready. Since 1 May 2026, validation costs €100 (the reduced student rate), payable online; the €150 (€100 tax plus a €50 stamp duty) applies to a first student residence permit, if you apply for one later. 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.

To study in France in 2026, budget €50 for the visa (EEF procedure), €100 for VLS-TS validation, €10,530 a year in proof of resources and, at a public university for non-EU students, €2,902 for a bachelor's or €3,950 for a master's.

The mistakes that cost a year in France: starting after the DAP closes on 15 December, showing the old €615 monthly threshold instead of €877.50, neglecting the academic interview, or forgetting to validate the VLS-TS within 3 months.

• Starting too late: the DAP closes on 15 December, nine months before the intake.
• Relying on the old financial threshold: since 1 August 2026, a file showing €615/month of resources is insufficient; you must prove €877.50/month.
• Neglecting the academic interview: a vague project ('I'll figure it out there') risks a reserved opinion, which is passed on to the institutions and the consulate.
• 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, for example from Senegal or from Côte d'Ivoire. To join a spouse or family in France, read our long-stay family visa guide; to avoid file mistakes, see the 10 most common visa refusal reasons.

Official sources: campusfrance.org (Études en France procedure, 75 countries, DAP calendar), france-visas.gouv.fr (visa file and fees), administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr (VLS-TS validation), service-public.gouv.fr (€877.50 resources threshold, €100 validation tax). Figures verified in October 2026; amounts change with each campaign, check them before any payment.