🇫🇷 France · Student Visa
Student visa categories, eligibility, required documents, work rights, and application steps.
Non-EU students staying longer than three months need a long-stay study visa, usually the VLS-TS "étudiant", which doubles as a residence permit once validated online within three months of arrival. You apply through France-Visas (and, in many countries, the Campus France "Études en France" procedure). The VLS-TS lets you study, work part-time and travel in the Schengen Area.
- The VLS-TS "étudiant" is the usual visa for stays of four months to one year and must be validated online within three months of arrival.
- In many countries the application runs through Campus France's "Études en France" procedure before the consular visa step.
- Once validated, the VLS-TS acts as a residence permit; renew at the prefecture (often as a multi-year permit) before it expires.
- Student-visa holders may work part-time within the legal limit alongside their studies.
Official authorities
- France-Visas — Student
Official French-government visa portal for students.
- Campus France — student long-stay visa (VLS-TS)
Official guide to the VLS-TS and validation.
Official-information aggregation, not legal advice. Always verify on the authority's own site.
Government portals
- Government of France — Office of the French Prime Minister — government policies, ministers, and key legislation
- France Public Services (Service-Public) — France's unified administrative services — residence permits, taxes, social security, civil records
- French General Tax Directorate (DGFiP) — French income tax, VAT, wealth tax filing; tax residency determination; French tax number (NIF) application