The French Student Visa, Step by Step

The 90-day line decides whether you need this visa

US citizens studying in France for more than 90 days need the long-stay student visa, the VLS-TS “étudiant”: a long-stay visa that serves as a residence permit. It lets you stay in France from four months to one year to pursue higher education studies.

What triggers the route is the length of the program, not its type. Campus France USA states that students planning to study in France for more than 90 days must complete the pre-consular Études en France application before applying for the visa, and that a program under 90 days needs neither a student visa nor the Études en France application. A degree program, an exchange, a dual degree or a longer language course all fall under the same rule once they run past the threshold; a short course under 90 days falls under the visa-free stay US citizens already have.

The file therefore has two required parts, reviewed by two different bodies: the Études en France application, reviewed by Campus France USA, and the visa application on France-Visas, reviewed by the consulate. Campus France USA is the single national entry point for every US applicant, whatever your state of residence; what can differ is your assigned TLScontact center and minor checklist details.

The steps run in a fixed order

The steps are sequential, not parallel: the visa appointment cannot be booked until Campus France USA has approved your Études en France application. Start the Campus France step as early as you can, because appointments at TLScontact are limited and, per Campus France USA’s visa FAQ, released weekly on a rolling 6-to-8-week schedule. If none is open at first, keep checking for cancellation slots. Plan to receive your visa at least several weeks before your program starts.

1. 1Complete the Études en France application and pay its fee online with your Études en France identification number (format US-XXXXX). The application is not reviewed until the fee is paid
2. 2Wait for Campus France USA’s review; once approved, you receive a confirmation email or certificate
3. 3Create your account on France-Visas and complete the visa application there
4. 4Book your TLScontact appointment using your Études en France number, which begins with “US” and is shown in your Campus France account
5. 5Attend the appointment in person with your printed Campus France confirmation, and give your documents and biometrics

Three separate fees, paid to three bodies

The cost of the route comes in three separate payments, plus one optional charge. None of them covers another: the Campus France fee does not include the TLScontact fee, and neither includes the visa fee itself, which is a French government fee set independently of Campus France.

• Études en France fee, paid to Campus France USA: $270 for the regular review of about three weeks if you are a study abroad, exchange or dual-degree student already admitted to a French institution, or $460 for expedited 3-day processing. Fee exemptions apply only to the regular three-week review
• Combined admission and pre-consular fee of $460, for DAP and HDAP candidates applying through Études en France for direct admission to a French university at «Licence» or Master level
• TLScontact service fee of €220 for a long-stay application, paid online when you schedule the appointment. It covers appointment management, document collection and biometrics, and is non-refundable if you cancel
• Long-stay visa fee: €50, the reduced rate for applicants on the Études en France track, which includes US students, paid at or before the appointment
• Optional express mail from TLScontact, $40, if you want your passport returned by courier rather than collecting it in person

What the file must show

Beyond the Campus France confirmation, the consulate is checking four things: that a recognized institution has accepted you, that you can support yourself, that you are covered for health, and that you have somewhere to live. The resources requirement changed in 2026, so read that item closely if you are working from an older checklist.

• An acceptance letter (« attestation d’inscription » or « convention d’accueil ») from a French institution recognized to enroll international students: a public university, a grande école, an accredited private school, or a CROUS-registered exchange program
• Financial resources of at least €877.50/month for applications filed from 1 August 2026, up from €615. Proof can be bank statements, a scholarship award letter, a CROUS certification, or a sponsor’s « attestation de prise en charge » with supporting bank records
• Proof of health coverage for the stay
• Proof of accommodation: a lease, a CROUS confirmation, or a host attestation

The resources floor is tied to the minimum wage

Décret n° 2026-526 of 22 June 2026 raised the student resources threshold, effective for applications filed from 1 August 2026, and wrote it into a new CESEDA article, R. 422-2. It is set at 47% of the gross SMIC in effect on the date the application is filed, replacing a figure that had been frozen since 2002. Applications lodged up to and including 31 July 2026 were assessed against the old €615 figure; anything filed now needs at least €877.50 a month.

Because the threshold follows the SMIC, it is reviewed at least annually by ministerial order, with no new decree needed. Treat €877.50 as the current figure, not a permanent one, and re-check it at each new application and each renewal on france-visas.gouv.fr or service-public.fr. Official pages can take time to update their published figure after a SMIC revaluation.

Students on a French government scholarship, currently around €900/month, are unaffected, since that amount already exceeds the threshold. Students on a co-financed or partial scholarship may need to add their own funds to reach €877.50.

After you arrive: validation and health cover

A VLS-TS étudiant for a stay of 12 months or less must be validated online on ANEF within three months of arriving in France. If your mobility period will exceed 12 months, the visa is instead one with a residence permit that must be requested within two months of arrival. Validation carries a tax of €100 for a student VLS-TS, paid as an electronic tax stamp (timbre fiscal) when you validate (service-public.gouv.fr, checked August 2026). The amount is set by the finance law, so confirm it on the ANEF portal on the day you pay.

Health cover changes once you are in France. Students are integrated into the French social security system and register online after arrival at etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr, without needing to join a separate student mutual scheme.

Work, renewal and family

The student visa allows paid work of up to 964 hours a year, which is 60% of full-time legal annual hours, without a separate work authorization, subject to labor code limits. This figure matches prior guidance and has not been flagged as changed, but it was not re-verified against a fresh official source in the latest review, so confirm it with your prefecture or consulate if your plans depend on it.

The VLS-TS is typically valid for up to one year. A program lasting several years requires renewal through ANEF and the prefecture, and renewals filed from 1 August 2026 are assessed against the €877.50 monthly threshold, even if your original visa was issued under the old €615 rule.

Dependants do not automatically accompany a student. Each family member must apply for, and qualify for, their own appropriate visa.