French Student Visa: How to Apply from India Before You Arrive

The French student visa process has two phases that must happen in the right order: Campus France first, then VFS Global / French Consulate. Many students get this wrong and lose weeks.

What Visa Do You Need?

As an Indian student studying in France for more than 3 months, you need a VLS-TS (Visa de Long Séjour valant Titre de Séjour), a long stay visa that also serves as your residence permit for the first year.

• Duration: Valid for 12 months from your date of entry into France. After the first year you renew at your prefecture as a multi-year titre de séjour étudiant.
• What it allows: Study, part time work (up to 964 hours per year, roughly 60% of a full-time load), and travel within the Schengen area.
• After arrival: You must validate this visa online at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr within 3 months of arriving. To complete the validation you buy a €50 timbre fiscal (ETUDIANT category) on timbres-impots.gouv.fr and enter the 16-digit code on the ANEF portal.

Phase 1: Campus France (Do This First)

Before you can book a visa appointment, you must complete the Campus France procedure. India is an EEF (Études en France) country, so this pre screening step is mandatory for Indian applicants. Campus France verifies your academic background, confirms your admission to a French institution, and issues an EEF-Pastel pre-registration certificate (which carries your Campus France ID number). You cannot proceed to the visa step without it.

The procedure involves creating an account on the Campus France India portal, uploading your academic documents, and attending a short interview (in person or online) about your academic project and reasons for choosing France. Interviews are available in major Indian cities. After the interview, your Campus France number is issued within a week or two.

Tip: The Campus France interview is not an exam. It is a structured conversation about your academic motivation. Be clear on why you chose France, why this programme, and what you plan to do after. Interviewers also note your French language level, even for English taught programmes.

Campus France processing can take 3 to 5 weeks end to end. Do not book your VFS appointment before your number is confirmed.

Phase 2: Visa Application at VFS Global

Once you have your Campus France number, you apply for the visa through the French Consulate via VFS Global, the official outsourced processing partner. You complete your application on the france-visas.gouv.fr portal, book an appointment at your nearest VFS centre (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, or Pune), and attend in person with your documents. First time applicants also submit biometrics at this appointment.

Processing after submission typically takes 15 to 30 working days. Your passport is returned to you at the VFS centre or by courier with the visa attached.

What Documents You Will Need

The official auto-generated checklist for an EEF long-stay student visa is on france-visas.gouv.fr under your application reference. For Indian students it always includes:

• Passport: valid for at least 3 months beyond the visa expiry date, with 2 blank pages, issued less than 10 years ago.
• Visa application form: printed from france-visas.gouv.fr with the barcode visible.
• ID photograph: to French consulate specifications (35x45mm, plain white background).
• EEF-Pastel pre-registration certificate generated by your Campus France account. This replaces the diploma submission required of non-EEF countries.
• Financial proof. Read the transition rule below carefully. For applications filed before 1 August 2026 the required threshold is €615 per month (€7,380 per year, roughly ₹6.5 to 7 lakh). For applications filed from 1 August 2026 onwards the threshold jumps to 47 % of the SMIC brut mensuel, which works out to approximately €877.50 per month (about €10,530 per year, roughly ₹9.4 lakh at July 2026 exchange rates). This is the first update to the student funds threshold since a 2002 order and is indexed to the SMIC from now on. Legal basis: Décret n° 2026-526 du 22 juin 2026. Acceptable proof forms are unchanged: a scholarship certificate, a bank statement showing a deposit in a French bank account, a blocked account or irrevocable transfer statement, or a guarantor's written undertaking with their ID and proof of income.

Rule change alert, 1 August 2026: if your VFS appointment or Campus France payment falls in July, you can still support the €615 figure. If your appointment is on 1 August or later, plan your bank balance and guarantor undertaking around the €877.50 monthly / ~€10,530 annual requirement. The consulate uses the date on which your file is filed, not the date you booked the appointment, so a July booking that spills into an August filing must meet the higher bar. Do not rely on older Indian counsellor advice or 2025 guides that still quote €615 as the definitive number.

• Accommodation proof: CROUS letter, private student-residence booking, lease, attestation d'hébergement from a host in France with their ID and proof of address, or a hotel/Airbnb booking covering your first weeks.
• Travel health insurance for the gap period before your French social security registration completes.

Bring originals plus photocopies to your appointment.

Warning: The consulate is strict about financial proof. The requirement is evidence that you can support yourself throughout your studies, not just at the time of application. Vague or inconsistent bank statements are a common rejection reason.

Heads up on supplementary documents: The official auto-checklist above does not list a birth certificate, sworn translations, or an MEA apostille. Individual consulates can and do request supplementary documents on a case-by-case basis, and birth certificates in regional Indian languages are a common ask. If your consulate asks, you will need a certified English or French translation plus an apostille from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Apostille processing takes 1 to 2 weeks, so do not leave it to the week of your appointment. Always check the live France-Visas checklist generated for your specific application before assembling your dossier.

Fees and Timeline

The consulate visa fee is €50 for EEF countries (India qualifies), instead of the standard €99 charged to non-EEF applicants. The VFS service fee is added on top of this and varies with the centre and optional services (courier, premium lounge). The Campus France registration fee for India is set annually and is paid separately on the Campus France India portal. Check the current breakdown on each portal before paying. Do not pay based on figures from previous years or third party sites.

Allow at least 3 months from starting your Campus France account to collecting your visa. In peak season (May to July for September intakes), VFS slots fill weeks in advance and consulate processing slows. Start earlier than you think you need to.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Starting Campus France too late. The Campus France portal for a September intake typically closes in March to April. Missing this deadline means missing the year. There is no workaround.

Booking VFS before receiving your Campus France number. You cannot complete the France-Visas online form without it. Booking first wastes the appointment.

Unconfirmed accommodation. You need proof of where you will live in France before the visa application. If CROUS housing is not confirmed yet, a private student residence booking or an attestation d'hébergement from a French host will suffice.

Wrong visa category. A short stay Schengen visa is not sufficient for studying in France. You need the VLS-TS Étudiant (long stay student visa).

After You Arrive

Once in France, you must validate your VLS-TS online through the ANEF portal within 3 months of arrival. This step is mandatory. Skipping it invalidates your visa even though the sticker is still in your passport.

To complete the validation you buy a €50 timbre fiscal (ETUDIANT category) on timbres-impots.gouv.fr and enter the 16-digit code on the ANEF portal. If the online card payment fails twice, go to any bureau de tabac (signified by a red diamond sign), ask for a timbre fiscal pour un titre de séjour étudiant à 50 euros, pay in cash or card, and enter the printed code on ANEF the same day. Your university's international student office will guide you through this as part of your arrival checklist.

This guide was drafted from verified sources. Always confirm details on the official website before taking action.