French Student Visa
The travel industry in France has seen significant growth, contributing positively to the country’s socioeconomic status through its thriving hospitality sector. To ensure the safety of international visitors, French authorities have enhanced law and order enforcement and streamlined the complex process of obtaining visas, particularly for British residents. We are pleased to provide a comprehensive guide on how to obtain a French Visa.
A short-term visa to FranceTable of Contents:
Introduction
1. Top Questions
1.1 What is a Visa & Who Needs One?
1.2 What is a French Student Visa?
1.3 How Long is a Student Visa Valid for?
1.4 When Should I Apply for a Student visa?
1.5 How Long Does it Take to Obtain a French Student Visa?
1.6 Where is the Student Visa Processed?
1.7 How Much Does it Cost to Obtain a French Visa?
1.8 How to Pay?
2. Application process
2.1 Documents Required to Apply for French Student Visa
2.2 Steps to Apply for French Visa
3. Student Visa extension
Introduction
The surge in the number of tourists visiting France has opened up countless opportunities for local entrepreneurship and job creation, fostering international investments and driving infrastructure development. However, this growth also raises concerns about the potential impact on local residents. While the expansion of the French tourism sector brings with it certain challenges, it is important to note that stringent law enforcement and the implementation of strict regulations can mitigate many of the negative effects associated with tourism. In particular, rigorous visa requirements have proven to be highly beneficial for France, especially for its local population. Despite these regulations, we believe that obtaining a visa to enter France is a straightforward process. Let’s dive into some questions and answers to better understand the French visa application process.
1. Top questions
1.1 What is a Visa & Who Needs One?
According to Wikipedia, a visa is a permit issued by France that allows an individual to enter, stay in, or transit through the country. This permit is typically stamped into the individual’s passport by an embassy. The type of visa required depends on the purpose of the visit and the duration of stay. In some cases, an interview at the embassy may be necessary before a visa is granted.
For British citizens, short stays in the Schengen Area (up to 90 days within any 180-day period) do not require a visa. However, if the stay exceeds 90 days, a visa will be necessary. For UK residents who do not hold a UK passport, a French Schengen visa is required to visit France.
Please refer to the tables below to determine whether your nationality requires a French visa.
[expand title=”The countries whose citizens are required to get a French visa in order to enter there are”]
| A | |||||
| Afghanistan | Algeria | Angola | Armenia | Azerbaijan | |
| B | |||||
| Bahrain | Bangladesh | Belarus | Belize | ||
| Benin | Bhutan | Bolivia | Botswana | ||
| Burkina Faso | Burma/Myanmar | Burundi | |||
| C | |||||
| Cambodia | Cameroon | Cape Verde | Central African Republic | Chad | |
| China | Comoros | Congo | Cote D’ivoire | Cuba | |
| D | |||||
| Dem. Rep. Of Congo | Djibouti | Dominican Republic | |||
| E | |||||
| Ecuador | Egypt | Equatorial Guinea | Eritrea | Ethiopia | |
| F | |||||
| Fiji | |||||
| G | |||||
| Gabon | Gambia | Ghana | Guinea | Guinea-Bissau | Guyana |
| H | |||||
| Haiti | |||||
| I | |||||
| India | Indonesia | Iran | Iraq | ||
| J | |||||
| Jamaica | Jordan | ||||
| K | |||||
| Kazakhstan | Kenya | Kosovo | Kuwait | Kyrgyzstan | |
| L | |||||
| Laos | Lebanon | Lesotho | Liberia | Libya | |
| M | |||||
| Madagascar | Malawi | Maldives | Mali | ||
| Mauritania | Mongolia | Morocco | Mozambique | ||
| N | |||||
| Namibia | Nepal | Niger | Nigeria | Northern Mariana’s | North Korea |
| O | |||||
| Oman | |||||
| P | |||||
| Pakistan | Papua New Guinea | Palestinian Authority | Philippines | ||
| Q | |||||
| Qatar | |||||
| R | |||||
| Russia | Rwanda | ||||
| S | |||||
| Sao Tome And Principe | Saudi Arabia | Senegal | Sierra Leone | ||
| Somalia | South Africa | South Sudan | Sri Lanka | ||
| Sudan | Suriname | Swaziland | Syria | ||
| T | |||||
| Tajikistan | Tanzania | Thailand | Timor-Leste | ||
| Togo | Tonga | Tunisia | Turkey | ||
| Turkmenistan | |||||
| U | |||||
| Uganda | Uzbekistan | ||||
| V | |||||
| Vietnam | |||||
| Y | |||||
| Yemen | |||||
| Z | |||||
| Zambia | Zimbabwe |
[/expand]
With a UK residence permit valid for at least three months beyond your planned departure date from France or the Schengen Area, you can stay in France for up to 90 days. However, if you plan to stay in France for more than 90 days, you will need to apply for a residency permit rather than a French Schengen visa.
If you hold a three-month UK visa, you may extend it for an additional three months to qualify for a French Schengen visa from within the UK. Ensure that you apply for this extension before your current visa expires and while you are still in the UK.
1.2 What is a Student Visa?
A Student Visa is issued for individuals who wish to study in France. This visa allows you to reside in France for the duration of your studies or training course.
1.3 How Long is a Student Visa Valid for?
A Student Visa is typically valid for stays of less than 90 days. If your study or training course extends beyond 90 days, you will need to apply for a Long-Stay Study Visa instead.
1.4 When Should I Apply for a Student visa?
You can submit your student visa application up to 3 months before your trip to France. The latest you can apply is 15 days before your intended travel date. However, it is highly recommended to apply about 4 weeks before your departure to allow adequate time for processing.
1.5 How Long Does it Take to Obtain a French Student Visa?
Typically, the Visa Application Center takes around 15 days to process a French Medical Visa application. However, processing time may be expedited in certain cases where the applicant’s health condition necessitates urgent treatment.
1.6 Where is the Student Visa processed?
Visa processing generally follows a standard procedure, though additional documents may occasionally be required.
- If You Are Visiting Only France: Submit your application at the French Visa Center in the UK.
- If You Are Visiting Multiple Countries: Submit your application at the Visa Center in the country where you will spend the most days. If you plan to spend an equal amount of time in each country, apply at the Visa Center in the country you will enter first.
Visa Application Center in London – VFS Joint Visa Application Centre
Address:
66 Wilson Street
London
EC2A 2JX
Contact Details:
Email: info.ituk@vfshelpline.com
Helpline Number: 0871 376 0023
To manage the high demand for French visas, the French Embassy has outsourced visa application processing to the French Visa Centres in London. A Visa Application Centre is a third-party service provider authorised to accept visa applications on behalf of a country and transmit the information to the embassy or consulate responsible for processing.
Our company assists with filling out and submitting the necessary documents to the Visa Application Center. We ensure that all documents are correctly prepared and forwarded to VFS Visa Application Center for processing French visas.
VFS Center’s official website page1.7 How Much Does it Cost to Obtain a French Visa?
The visa processing fees vary based on the applicant’s category:
- Adults: £73
- Children Aged 6-12 Years: £36.50
No visa fee is required for the following categories:
- Children Under 6 Years of Age
- Spouse of a French Citizen
- Family Members of an EU/EEA National Traveling with the EU/EEA Family Member
- Children Under 21 Financially Dependent on an EU National
- Ascendants Financially Dependent on an EU National
- Pupils, Students, and Accompanying Teachers on a School Trip
- Scientists (Holders of a “Convention d’accueil” for Short Stays)
- Foreign Teachers Teaching French
- Scholarship Holders from the French Government, Foreign Governments, Foreign Foundations, or Recipients of EU Programs (Travel Only Within the Territory Specified by the Terms of the Funding Program)
1.8 How to Pay?
You can pay the visa fees using one of the following methods:
- Cash
- Credit/Debit Card
Please note: Checks are not accepted.
2. Application Process
2.1 Documents Required to Apply for a French Student Visa
1. Two Visa Application Forms
You need to fill in your Short-stay Visa Application Forms legibly and correctly. Ensure that all fields are completed, signed, and that addresses in France include the number, street name, city, and postal code.
Please refer to the following table to accurately complete the forms:
| The appropriate Form Section | Our explanation of each Form Section |
| Surname | Fill in your name like it is on your passport (do not write “married name” and your husband name) |
| Surname at birth | Write the name you had at your birth if different than your current surname |
| First Name (s) | Write your first name like it is on your passport |
| Date of birth | Fill in your date of birth like this: day/month/year |
| Place of birth | Fill in your place of birth like it is on your passport |
| Country of birth | Fill in your country of birth even there is no it on your passport |
| Current Nationality | Fill in your nationality like it is on your passport |
| Nationality at birth, if different | Fill in your nationality at birth if it is different from the nationality on your passport |
| Other nationalities | |
| Sex | Fill in your male or female gender |
| Marital Status | For a common-law marriage, indicate “common-law marriage” in the section “Other”. For a PACS (French civil union contract) with an French citizen, indicate “PACS” in the section “Other“ |
| Parental Authority | Fill in the full name, address, telephone number, email address, and nationality of the person who keeps parental authority or legal guardianship |
| National Identity Number | Fill in your national identity number if you have this one |
| Type of travel document | Write the appropriate kind of your travel document |
| Number of travel document | Write the appropriate numbers of your travel document |
| Date of issue | Write the date your passport was issued (not the extension date) |
| Valid until | Write your passport expiration date taking into account the extensions |
| Issued by | Write the country of issuing your passport and the authority that issued the passport |
| Personal data of the family member who is a European Union, EEA or Swiss Confederation citizen or is a United | Fill in the full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number, and relationship only if you are the dependent spouse, child, father, or mother of a person who is a citizen of another State of the European Union. |
| Kingdom citizen beneficiary of the withdrawal agreement, if applicable | |
| Family relationship with an European Union, EEA or Swiss Confederation citizen, or with United Kingdom citizen beneficiary of the withdrawal agreement, if applicable | Fill in the corresponding status |
| Applicant's home address and e-mail address | Write the e-mail address: 1) your own one, either 2) another person one, or 3) company (accordingly, write the name of the mailbox owner). |
| Telephone number | Write your cellular number in your residence country and, where appropriate, in the country where you are submitting your visa application |
| Residence in a country other than the country of current nationality | If you are living in other country you need to write the number of your residence permit and its expiration date |
| Current occupation | Fill in the current occupation like it is on the passport, for example: “professor” or “retired (former designer)”. If you have no occupation, write “no occupation” |
| Employer and employer's address and telephone number | Fill in the name of the organization (firm, public service, educational institution) where you work or study and its name, address, and telephone number |
| For students, name and address of educational establishment | |
| Purpose(s) of the journey | Write the appropriate goal of your travel |
| Member State of main destination (and other Member States of destination, if applicable | Write France as your primary destination. If it is a French overseas department or territory, write “France” and the name of the department or territory |
| Member State of first entry | Fill in “France” |
| Number of entries requested | Write your desired number of entries with the dates of arrival and departure |
| Fingerprints collected previously for the purpose of applying for a Schengen visa | If your fingerprints have already been taken for a visa application, write the date |
| Entry permit for the final country of destination, where applicable | Write the number and validity dates for your visa at your final destination, if this country is outside the Schengen area |
| Surname and first name of the inviting person(s) in the Member State(s). Address and e-mail address of inviting person(s). Telephone number | Write the name of the person who invited you, address, e-mail and a phone number |
| Name and address of inviting company / organization, phone number and e-mail number | Write the contact info of the organization that invited you and the contact info for your contact person in the organization |
| Cost of travelling and living during the applicant's stay is covered | Indicate the necessary boxes |
| Place and date | Write the place and date where you are filling in the form, even if this date is different than the day you are going to the visa service |
| Signature | The visa applicant must sign and not another person. If the visa applicant is a minor (under 18), the application must be signed by a person having parental authority and their relationship should be included in parentheses (father, mother, guardian). If the visa applicant cannot sign, a cross may be used |
2. Two Recent Photographs
Follow these Austrian Visa Photo Requirements:
- Two identical photos taken within the last six months.
- Photo size: 35×45 mm (width x height).
- Colour photos only (no black and white).
- Head should occupy 70-80% of the photo.
- Background should be bright and lightly coloured (light grey is recommended).
- The applicant should be facing the camera directly.
- Maintain a neutral expression (no smile and mouth closed).
- Avoid uniforms or colours that match the background.
3. Valid Passport
- The passport must be valid for up to 10 years.
- It must have at least 3 months of validity remaining after your trip to Austria.
- The passport should have at least two blank pages for the visa sticker.
4. Copy of Biometric Data on Your Passport
Biometric data
5. Previous Passports
Submit your previous passports tied together with a rubber band but not stamped.
6. Proof of Residency in the UK
Submit a document issued by the UK to prove your residency status.
7. Roundtrip Reservation
Include a document with your flight reservation details, showing dates and flight numbers indicating your entry and exit from the Schengen area.
8. Travel Health Insurance
Ensure your travel insurance meets the following requirements:
- Minimum coverage of at least €30,000.
- Coverage must be valid for all Schengen Area member states.
- It should cover expenses for repatriation, urgent medical care, emergency hospital treatment, or death.
We recommend contacting insurance providers such as AXA or Europ Assistance.
AXA insurance company page9. Proof of Accommodation
To confirm your stay in France while studying, you can provide one of the following:
- Dormitory Contract: This should be signed by you and an official of the dormitory in France.
- Letter of Invitation: From the host where you plan to stay.
- Rent Contract: With a property owner in France, including the address, property details, and landlord information.
10. Acceptance Letter and Proof of Academic Qualifications
You need to prepare the following documents:
- Acceptance Letter: An official and signed letter from a French university, college, or school. It should include your name, a brief description of your studies, the duration of the course, and the number of hours per week.
- Proof of Academic Qualifications: This includes your diploma, academic records, and any application for equivalence if applicable.
11. Proof of Subsistent Financial Means
To show that you have sufficient funds to support yourself during your stay in France, you can provide one of the following documents:
- Bank Account Statement: Demonstrating your financial affairs for at least the last three months.
- Sponsorship Letter: From someone who will financially support your trip to France.
- Official Scholarship: Proof of a scholarship providing at least 631€/month.
Other acceptable documents include:
- Credit Card
- Cash
- Cheques
- Payslips
- Proof of Employment
- Document from Your Sponsor
- Proof of Prepaid Accommodation
- Documentation of Private Accommodation
- Proof of Prepaid Transport
- Any other relevant documents.
Bank account statement
12. Documents for Minors
When applying for a visa for a minor, you should provide:
- An extract of the minor’s birth certificate.
- An identity document with the parents’ signature.
- A declaration of consent from both parents, confirming their approval for the minor’s trip.
In some cases, additional documentation may be required:
- A court judgment indicating which parent has custody of the minor.
- A declaration from the minor’s school approving the trip.
13. Proof of Occupation
If you are employed:
- Employment Contract
- Leave Permission from Employer
- Income Tax Return
If you are self-employed:
- A Copy of Your Business License
- Company’s Bank Statement for the Last 6 Months
- Income Tax Return (ITR)
If you are a student:
- Proof of Enrollment
- No Objection Letter from University
2.2 Steps to Apply for a French Visa
Regardless of your visa type, the process for applying is as follows:
First Step: Locate the nearest Visa Application Center where you need to submit your documents. Contact us for assistance in finding the appropriate centre.
Your choice of applyingSecond Step: Determine the best time to visit the Visa Application Center in person to submit your Austrian Visa application.
Your choice of time to come to usThird Step: Schedule an appointment at the Austrian Visa Application Center.
You can make an appointment in one of two ways:
- Online
- In Person
Make an appointment at the Finnish Visa Application CenterFourth Step: Attend your appointment at the Visa Application Center with all the required documents.
Your interviewFifth Step: Pay the visa fee.
Paying money for your visaSixth Step: Wait for a response from the application centre regarding your visa application.
A reply from the VFS application centreNote: Ensure that your visa application form clearly specifies the dates of your visit and the cities you will be staying in. It is advisable to gather all necessary documents and complete the application form only after you have all the required information.
3. Student Visa Extension
You can extend your French Student Visa only in exceptional circumstances such as a late entry, humanitarian reasons, force majeure, or significant personal reasons. If you wish to extend your Student Visa to continue your studies in France, this is not permitted. Instead, you will need to return to the UK and apply for a long-stay study visa from there.
In Summary,
We hope this article has provided valuable guidance for applying for an French visa from the United Kingdom.
Thank you for reading. Stay tuned for more information and feel free to share this article!