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Step Zero

Do You Actually Need a Visa?

Not every international student needs a visa. Your obligations depend on your nationality and the length of your programme.

EU / EEA / Swiss nationals: No visa or residence permit required. Bring a valid passport or national ID and enrol directly. No Campus France procedure, no consulate visit.

UK nationals (post-Brexit): Treated as non-EU citizens. A visa is required for any stay longer than 90 days.

Non-EU nationals — including students from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and most African and South Asian countries — a visa is required. The type depends on programme length.

Student Visa Types by Programme Duration

Use this comparison table to quickly identify the visa category usually associated with your study length in France.

Comparison of French visa types for international students by programme duration.
Programme Duration	Visa Type	Key Details
Up to 90 days	Short-stay Schengen visa (type C)	For short intensive programmes. Cannot be extended or converted.
4 to 6 months	Temporary long-stay visa (VLS-T)	Semester programmes. Cannot be renewed or converted.
Most common for full-year students More than 6 months	VLS-TS (mention "étudiant")	Standard student visa. Valid up to 1 year, renewable. Allows part-time work (964 hours/year). Must be validated online after arrival via the ANEF portal.

Most PSE students enrolling for a full academic year will need the VLS-TS. This guide focuses on this visa type. Not sure which applies to you? Use the official visa wizard at france-visas.gouv.fr — it takes under two minutes.

PSE Exclusive — IAM Track

Navigating the Schengen visa process is one of the most common challenges for students from sub-Saharan Africa, West Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East. PSE built the IAM Track (International Academic Mobility) specifically for this situation: students begin their programme fully online and transition to campus in Paris once their visa situation is resolved. No lost year. No lost place. Learn more about the IAM Track →

Plan Ahead

PSE's Three Intakes — Work Backwards from Your Start Date

PSE offers three intake windows per year. The visa process takes a minimum of 3 to 5 months from start to visa receipt. Build your timeline from your intended intake date.

October Intake

Begin visa process: May–June

Apply to PSE by July. Start your Campus France account in May–June. Consulate appointment in July–August.

February Intake

Begin visa process: Sept–Oct

Apply to PSE by November. Campus France in September–October. Consulate in November–December.

May Intake

Begin visa process: Dec–Jan

Apply to PSE by February. Campus France in December–January. Consulate in February–March.

The most common reason for visa delays is starting the process too late. Campus France processing alone takes 3 to 6 weeks, and consulate appointments can take several weeks to obtain. Start earlier than you think you need to — the margin matters.

The Process

Four Steps to Your French Student Visa

Obtain Your PSE Acceptance Letter

Before you can begin the visa process, you need a formal proof of enrolment from PSE. A conditional offer or informal email is not sufficient for the consulate.

PSE is a private higher education institution not listed on Parcoursup. Admission is handled entirely through PSE's own online application platform — directly, without a centralised system. This makes the process faster and more accessible for international students.

Apply online at parisschoolofentrepreneurship.com/onlineapplication
PSE reviews your application and issues a formal decision within 10 business days
Upon acceptance, your official attestation d'inscription is issued — this is the anchor document of your entire visa file
Pay the €2,000 enrolment deposit to secure your place and receive full confirmation

The dates on your attestation determine the visa dates the consulate will grant. Apply to PSE first — everything else follows.

Complete the Campus France Procedure

If your country has a Campus France office — over 280 offices across 130 countries — you must complete the Études en France procedure before the consulate will process your application.

Create your account on pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr
Fill in your academic history and upload your documents (diplomas, transcripts, translations if required)
Select the Hors-DAP procedure: direct admission through PSE, outside the Parcoursup system — this applies to all private higher education institutions
Pay the Campus France fee (varies by country: typically €50–€350)
Attend the Campus France interview — a 15 to 20-minute conversation about your academic project, motivations, and post-graduation plans
Receive your Campus France approval — transmitted directly to your consulate

Countries without Campus France: some nationalities apply directly to the consulate. Check campusfrance.org for the current country list.

Timing: allow 3 to 6 weeks from submission to approval. Peak season (April–July) is slower. Do not begin this step in the final month before your intended intake.

Apply for Your Visa at the Consulate

Once Campus France has validated your file, you can book your consulate appointment. In many countries, this is handled through TLS Contact or VFS Global.

Documents Required — VLS-TS Student Visa

Completed visa application form (Cerfa n°14571*05) from france-visas.gouv.fr
Valid passport — at least 3 months validity beyond your stay, minimum 2 blank pages
Two recent passport photos (35×45mm, white background)
PSE attestation d'inscription (official enrolment confirmation letter)
Campus France approval / Études en France validation receipt
Proof of financial resources — minimum €615/month for the duration of your stay
Proof of accommodation in France (at least for the first weeks)
Health insurance valid in France or confirmation of intent to enrol in French social security
Visa application fee: €99 (non-refundable)
Academic transcripts and diplomas — certified translations if not in French or English
Motivation letter (required by some consulates)

Processing time: 2 to 8 weeks depending on the consulate and time of year. Do not book non-refundable flights before receiving your visa.

Financial proof: the €615/month is the official minimum. A realistic monthly budget in Paris is €1,000–€1,200 including rent, food, and transport. Demonstrating realistic resources strengthens your application significantly.

If Your Visa Application Is Not Approved

A refusal is not a final answer. You have the right to appeal, and the refusal notice must state the reasons. Common grounds include insufficient financial proof, incomplete documentation, or questions about the coherence of your study project. Review the reasons carefully, address them in full, and submit a new application. Many students who are initially refused are successfully admitted to France on a subsequent application.

Arrive in France — Validate Your VLS-TS Online

Arriving in France is not the final step. You must validate your VLS-TS online via the ANEF portal within three months of your entry into France. Failure to do so renders your visa invalid.

Go to administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr
Create an account using the email address linked to your visa application
Select "I validate my VLS-TS" and enter your visa information
Upload the required documents (passport scan, visa page, proof of address in France)
Pay the residence permit tax: €75 (timbre fiscal, payable online)
Download your validation confirmation — this serves as your residence permit for the full validity period

Once validated, your VLS-TS allows you to work part-time (up to 964 hours/year), travel freely within the Schengen zone, access French social security, open a bank account, and apply for housing assistance (APL/ALS).

Set a reminder in your very first week in France. This step is easy to forget during the excitement of arriving — and missing the deadline has serious administrative consequences.

Before your VLS-TS expires: if you plan to continue studying in France beyond your initial visa period, apply for a titre de séjour étudiant at your local préfecture at least 2 months before your VLS-TS expires. Préfecture appointment slots fill quickly. PSE's administrative team can guide you through this renewal process.

Common Pitfalls

9 Mistakes That Delay Student Visa Applications

Mistake 01

Starting too late. For a PSE October intake, Campus France must be started by May–June at the latest. Dossiers submitted in August for October are almost never processed in time.

Mistake 02

Insufficient or poorly documented financial proof. A lump sum deposited last week raises questions. Consulates want consistent financial capacity — regular income across several months, or a guarantor with complete, recent documentation (tax returns, payslips, formal attestation de prise en charge).

Mistake 03

Mismatched dates across documents. Your enrolment attestation, financial proof, accommodation, and insurance must all cover the same period. Any inconsistency in dates will be flagged by the consulate.

Mistake 04

Forgetting to validate the VLS-TS after arrival. Students arrive, settle in, and forget this step. The 3-month window closes quickly. Set a reminder for your first week in France.

Mistake 05

Booking non-refundable travel before receiving the visa. Processing times are not guaranteed. Consulates do not accelerate applications because of existing flight bookings.

Mistake 06

Submitting untranslated documents. Documents not in French or English must be translated by a certified translator (traducteur assermenté). Plan extra time and budget for this step.

Mistake 07

An expired or nearly expired passport. Your passport must be valid at least 3 months beyond your planned stay and have at least 2 blank pages. Renew before beginning the visa process if there is any doubt.

Mistake 08

Not checking country-specific requirements. Campus France procedures and required documents vary by country. Always consult your local Campus France website and consulate page for any additional requirements specific to your nationality.

Mistake 09

An unclear or unconvincing study project. Consular authorities assess the coherence of your academic project. Be able to clearly explain why you are coming to France, what you will study at PSE, and what your professional plans are after graduation.

Demonstrating motivation to integrate into French society — including some exposure to the French language — makes a strong impression. Even a beginner level shows genuine commitment. PSE's curriculum includes French language instruction, so you will develop this during your studies; showing some effort at the application stage is already meaningful.

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