Visa Guidelines - France
The guidelines below apply to students studying in France for a period of a semester up to one academic year. Contact your Education Abroad Regional Advisor if you have any questions.Is a Visa Required for US Citizens?
- Yes! US Passport Holders are required to apply for a visa in order to enter France
- If you are not a US passport holder, you can click here to see if you need a visa to enter France based on your nationality
- Total approximate cost: $400
The application process has many steps and can take up to 10 weeks so do not delay in getting started.
Part I: Create and Submit "Etude en France" Account with Campus France
- Complete online application. Refer to the Etudes en France Application Guide and see the alias study abroad/dual-degree student
- Create and complete an online application.
- Submit the required document scans
- passport; acceptance letter; statement of motivation; headshot (50kb max)
- Pay the Regular Service $270 fee online through DocBoxCFUSA
- Save you Payment Receipt (provided by Campus France)
- Campus France sends you a confirmation email when your application has been processed
- Complete the Long-Stay Visa application. Refer to the Student Visa Guidelines
- Compile the required application documentation + passport
- Schedule an appointment at a VFS Global Centre
- You will need to pay $30 when you schedule
- At the time of your appointment, submit your application at a VFS Global Centre for processing
- Bring your complete visa application
- You will need to pay the $60 visa fee and the visa Education Abroad recommends that you use the $35 VFS courier service in order to have your visa and passport mailed back to you
- Processing time takes between 3 and 4 weeks